STRONG 1931 ELEVEN IN READINESS FOR ELI TEAM

With both a consistently strong line and a quartet of brilliant running backs, which have carried them through the season so far without defeat, the University Freshmen will enter-their contest with the Eli Freshman eleven on Saturday rated as favorites. But the experience of the past few years points a finger of doubt at any pre-game rating of the two first year teams.

Last year the 1930 Crimson team lived up to expectations in administering a 19 to 7 defeat to the Blue outfit, the first time a Yale team had come out on the short end of the score in a Freshman encounter in six years. Two years ago, however, a Harvard first year eleven, hailed as the greatest in modern Crimson football history and confidently counted on to win in handy fashion over Yale, was swept off its feet and buried under a 24 to '0 score.

On the basis of its record for the current season the present Harvard Freshman team appears to have an edge over its Blue rival. The Crimson eleven has been tied once by Worcester and has had one narrow victory over the Dartmouth 1931 players, but has won by substantial scores from Andover, Exeter, and the Harvard Seconds, and in all its games has shown great ground gaining power. The Elis, on the other hand, have lost a hard fought game to St. John's Prep and found a much tougher opponent in Andover than the Crimson team did.

With the final stiff work-out of the preliminary season furnished by the encounter with the University Seconds last week, the Freshman squad is going through light practice sessions this week in preparation for Yale Saturday.