Crimson Looks to Kick Quakers Today With Ivy Championship on the Line

Philadelphia Two years ago, Penn kicked Harvard-literally.

A year ago, Harvard kicked Penn-figuratively.

Today the Ivy League's newest and fiercest rivalry continues with each squad hoping to kick the other out of the race for the 1984 Ancient Eight football title.

More than 40,000 are expected at Penn's Franklin Field as the league's only two unbeaten teams battle for their third straight Ivy crown.

The winner of the showdown that brings together the two-time defending Ivy co-champions will assure itself of not only a piece of the 1984 Ivy crown, but also a piece of league history.

For the victor of the 1 p.m. showdown-to be televised locally on WGBH channel 2 automatically will become only the second squad in Ivy history to cop three straight titles.

But there's more on the line today than just the Ivy crown, because Harvard's out to avenge what happened the last time these teams met here.

That was two years ago, when 40,000 fans witnessed Harvard storm back from a 20-0 deficit with 21 fourth quarter points and appear to come away with an Ivy championship victory.

But a roughing-the-kicker penalty with no time on the clock gave Penn kicker Dave Shulman a second chance--after he'd just missed what would have been a game winning field goal. When he connected the second time around. Penn had a 23-21 championship miracle and Harvard had one of its most heart breaking losses ever.

"I swore coming off the field list time. I'd come back two years ago and make up for it," says Harvard senior tackle Roger Caron, one of only four Crimson players who were there two years ago and will be bad today.

Caron & Co. made up for a somewhat last year with a 280 thrashing of the Quakers at the Stadium, but still have a score to settle.

Despite the fact that both squads enter the showdown sporting equally perfect 5-0 Ivy marks, Penn is clearly the favorite because of its superb play this year and home field advantage.

The Quakers (6-1 overall) have piled up the most points and the most yardage in league history en route to becoming the Ivy's top offense.

Senior quarterback John McGeehan leads the most balanced attack the Crimson has seen in a while. He runs and throws with the skill of a top level signal caller and directs an attack that has made a habit of jumping out to big leads and then holding on for impressive victories.

Sophomore Rich Comizio is the Quakers' leading rusher, and that's not bad for someone who wasn't even on the Pennsylvania depth chart at season's start.

As if that weren't bad enough, Penn fields a punishing defense, led by. All American candidate Tim Chambers.

The hosts, who like the Crimson have been waiting for this game since season's start, say they're ready.

"We've played all season to get to this point," McGeehan says. "This game beats it all."

And there's little argument from the other side on that point.

"This game has been in the back of our minds since the first day of camp," says Harvard captain Steve Abbott.

"And as we watched films of our upcoming opponents, each week we found ourselves watching the Penn players, instead of who we were going to play," says Harvard quarterback Brian Bergstrom, who was here with Caron two years ago.

What the Crimson will need to do is keep the ball away from the opportunistic Quakers, and to do that the Cantabs will rely on the league's most productive backfield.

Leading the way are junior fullback Robert Santiago and senior tailback Mark Vignali, the Ivy's top two runners, respectively.

Vignali, who suffered a mild concussion in last Saturday's 24-10 victory over Brown, is healthy and will play.

Also back is sophomore wingback George Sorbara, who himself suffered a mild concussion a week ago.

At the helm is junior quarterback Brian White, who many figure will have to put the ball up today if the Crimson is to topple the speedy Quakers.

Defensively, Harvard will throw a surprise at the hosts, often blitzing its linebackers while allowing its tackles to cover Penn's runningbacks.

The Crimson, riding a four-game, winning streak, enters the do-or-die showdown with high hopes, but most agree that Harvard will need some help.

"There's no doubt they're a good team," Abbott says. "But this is what we've worked for all year."