Wish Upon a Starter

It's a massive push-me-pull-you, an 11-man beast that doesn't know quite where it's going. It's the Harvard football offense, and something is desperately wrong.

The Crimson girders are discovering that at quarterback, two heads aren't better than one. The lack of an obvious first-string signal caller leaves Harvard without consistent leadership in the huddle. More tangibly, the quarterback confusion robs the team of a considerable portion of its offense.

Whoever winds up behind the center won't have much experience. Senior Chuck Colombo, who started the first two games, hadn't thrown a varsity pass before this year. Sophomore Brian White, who appeared in the first two games, had never before been on the varsity squad (for which freshman are ineligible).

The lack of experience at quarterback forced the Crimson to start the year with a scaled-down version of Coach Joe Restic's complicated multiflex offense. Each week the coaches add some plays in practice in an attempt to make the attack more flexible and powerful.

But practice involves timing and repetitions, so when you have two quarterbacks it takes longer to add something new. And on Saturday, while one quarterback is picking up needed game experience the other one is getting practice pacing the sidelines.

"You never find a quarterback until halfway through the season." Restic said the week after the Columbia game. "I've seen a lot of things change at that position."

Nevertheless, he has been looking for a single starter to emerge, and he had worries before the season that the instability would cost his team some losses. "I just hope we don't have to struggle through three or four games before we get the part filled," he said.

Final casting for lead and understudy won't be easy. Against Massachusetts. Colombo completed just five out of 17 for 21 yards and two interceptions. White took over with five minutes left in the third quarter and Harvard down 21-0. The sophomore threw three passes completing one for 23 yards.

"He gives us something there...like a bolt of lightening." Restic said after the game. But while White adds a little flash, he's a bit less adept than Colombo at running the offense.

Asked at a press luncheon Tuesday who would start at quarterback when Army comes to town Saturday. Restic chuckled and said. "I'm going to leave that up to you people." As of yesterday Restic hadn't made any public announcement.

"It doesn't make any difference whether there's a question in my mind [about who's going to start]," Colombo said. "I don't make the decision. I'm just going to have to go out and have a good week of practice," he added.

White could not be reached for comment.

Whoever finally takes the reins, improving the passing game will take a stronger aim than either quarterback has shown. "We just can't get the ball out there. " Restic said.

But for now the passing game, like the quarterback situation, is up in the air.