The Season Begins and Ends Today

Well, folks, this is it.

It may not be for the Ivy League football title any more, but believe me, the season really does begin and end today.

"It's Yale," says Harvard senior defensive tackle Barry Ford.

What more can you say?

It's The Game; the Crimson against the Elis; the ultimate test of the forces of Good against the forces of Evil; the sissies against the preppies.

And in the best of all possible worlds, if Harvard (5-3 overall, 5-1 Ivy) can down Yale (5-3 overall, 4-2 Ivy) and Cornell can upset almost unstoppable Penn, the Crimson will gain its third consecutive Ivy football title.

Yale arrives fresh off in a heart-stopping 27-24 victory over Princeton last weekend at the Yale Bowl.

Junior quarterback Mike Curtin took the Bulldogs 98 yards in the last 91 seconds, pegging his favorite target, split end Kevin Moriarty, with the 14-yd, touchdown pass.

The Elis have specialized this season in the come-from-behind win, while Harvard has yet to play four quarters of organized, effective football.

And what better day than today?

The Cantabs field the two best running backs in the league in junior Robert Santiago and senior Mark Vignali. They're fourth and eighth, respectively, on Harvard's single-season rushing roster.

Clearing turf for Santiago, Vignali and junior George Sorbara is the league's most impressive offensive line. That platoon features senior Mike Pascucci and pro prospect Roger Caron, who open up real estate faster than Agent Orange.

And junior quarterback Brian White ought to return feeling a little better after a knee injury sidelined him last weekend during the Penn debacle, which the Cantabs lost, 38-7.

On defense, junior Cecil Cox leads the squad with 56 tackles and 10 assists, while classmate K.C. Smith has taken down 47 opponents and has 18 assists.

And with any luck at all, they'll be stopping wingback Mike Luzzi and tight end Andy Marwede from catching anything at all.

But most importantly, the Crimson will be looking to start off the second century of The Game the right way--with a win, and maybe even an Ivy title.