Gridders Shake Down Quakers, 31-14

They are the two offensive stars of the Harvard football team. They are the two main reasons Harvard sits today where it does: first place in the Ivy League, one win away from the school's first outright league title in 12 years.

Quarterback Tom Yohe has now broken or tied every single-season school passing record. In a little while, Yohe will hold every Harvard career passing mark. He is currently the co-favorite, with Yale QB Kelly Ryan, to win the Ivy Player of the Year award. He is a franchise player.

Running back Tony Hinz is Harvard's leading rusher, but not the unprecedented player Yohe is. Hinz has had a great season (628 yards rushing in eight games), but it might not even crack the all-time top-10.

Yohe is Harvard's main threat; Hinz is his complement.

In the Crimson's 31-14 victory over Penn Saturday, these two players were all Harvard needed. Sure the rest of the team was great, just like it has been all year. Sure Brian Barringer and his fellow receivers caught nearly everything thrown to them. Sure Maurice Frilot and his offensive line-mates opened man-sized holes. Sure Captain Kevin Dulsky and the defensive unit played brilliantly for most of the game.

Just What They Needed

When it came to putting points on the board, though, Yohe and Hinz were all Harvard needed. The Crimson marched down the field with ease on its first possession. Facing first and goal on the two, Yohe pitched left to Hinz who skirted around the end and snuck into the corner of the endzone for a pretty TD.

The best was yet to come. On Harvard's next possession, with the ball sitting on the Penn 17, Yohe dropped back to pass, was forced out of the pocket, and began scrambling. Several times he looked down, yet several times he wiggled away and resumed his cross-field journey. Finally, with the Quaker defense thoroughly befuddled, Yohe found Dave Bunning alone in the endzone.

"We came out extremely high and strong," Yohe said. "Those first two drives were probably the best our offense has played all year."

The best was yet to come. With Harvard facing a third and goal from the six in the second quarter--an obvious passing situation--the Crimson crossed up Penn with an option run. Yohe ran down the line, and seeing his option back covered, decided to carry it himself. He was met by a group of defenders at the two, but managed to leap and stretch into the endzone with an extraordinary effort.

The best was yet to come. Harvard scored its final TD in the third quarter with the ball on the Penn 40. Yohe put all his receivers out wide right, and sent a man in motion to that side but then slipped a delayed hand-off to Hinz going back to the left side of the field. There were no Quaker defenders in sight as Hinz romped 40 yards untouched for the score.

Big Play Man

"He makes the big plays for you, the big plays," Harvard Coach Joe Restic said of his star running back.

"He has incredible field presence out there--he just knows where everybody's at," Restic said of his star QB.

Next week, Harvard will travel to New Haven in search of an Ivy title. You can bet that Yohe and Hinz will once again lead the Crimson attack. After that... well, that's the other good thing for Harvard about the backfield duo: they are both juniors.

The best is yet to come.