The Perfect Meal

The Harvard football team had hungered for a year. The players considered last season's roughing-the-kicker-penalty-induced, no-time-remaining, 23-21 Philadelphia outcome a raw deal. Much too tough to swallow, Saturday, the fast was over; Harvard flossed with Penn at the Stadium, 28-0, dislodging the bitter remains of last year's devastation.

"It was the biggest win I've ever been associated with," offensive tackle Roger Caron said after his team avenged the biggest loss he'd been associated with.

While last year's game was so close that Harvard led with no time remaining. Saturday's contest was so lopsided that Penn never threatened Harvard's dominance. The Crimson offense converted third downs apparently at will, crossing the first down marker on its third attempt twice as often as the Penn attack.

The key to the Harvard attack was the offensive line, which used its 23-lb.-per-player advantage to drive the Quakers off the ball. "It was like a sled-roll all day," Caron said.

"We just physically beat 'em up," quarterback Greg Gizzi added. "We could've beat them without throwing a pass."

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Harvard is now in a three-way tie with Penn and Dartmouth for the Ivy lead. A Harvard win in The Game will give the Crimson at least a share of the league crown. The winner of the Penn-Dartmouth showdown in Philadelphia will also earn a portion of the laurels. Should Harvard beat Yale and Dartmouth tie Penn, the Crimson would win its first outright Ivy title since 1974.

But though Yale enters. The Game with a 1-8 record, don't notch another Harvard victory just yet. Said Defensive Coordinator George Clemens, whose charges earned their first 1983 shutout Saturday. "When Yale and Harvard get together it doesn't matter what happens before. There's no way we're going to take them lightly. They're gonna hit you with everything but the kitchen sink." Ivy Football Standings   Ivy  Overall     W  L  T  W  L  T Harvard  4  1  1  5  2  2 Dartmouth  4  1  1  4  4  1 Penn  4  1  1  5  3  1 Brown  3  2  1  3  5  1 Princeton  2  4  0  4  5  0 Cornell  2  3  1  2  6  1 Columbia  1  4  1  1  6  2 Yale  1  5  0  1  8  0