Rueful Bulldog Coaches Call Crimson Tilt Toss-Up

Still ruefully shaking its head over the unexpected 17-0 walloping suffered at the hands of the underrated Tigers last Saturday, Yale's board of strategy is pointing the battered and hobbling Elis towards some recovery of prestige in the impending battle with Harvard. The Blue charges are looking to a toss-up-struggle, in which their main objective will be to shackle the speed of Chip Gannon and Hal Moffle.

Like their Cambridge counterparts, the Blue can point to an endless succession of injuries that have upset the dope on more than one occasion. This week the main question mark rests on the status of right halfback and leading ground-gainer Ferd Nadberny, who limped through but four rushing plays against the Tigers. His recovery is not yet complete, and only Tuesday, he was forced to retire early from a pre-Harvard drill with his sprained foot still bothering him.

But the perennial question in New Haven this season has centered about fullback Levi Jackson, who to date has failed to approach his 1946 form. Against the Orange and Black he carried the ball only once-that time for nine yards and a first down- and was otherwise restricted only to punting and defensive chores. There is a growing sentiment that this is his week, and the 45,000 Yale partisans that will be on hand tomorrow are praying for just that. The hale and hearty section of the backfield corps consists of quarterback Tex Furse, who has completed 55 of 90 passes for 625 yards this year, halfbacks Vandy Kirk (still nursing a head injury suffered last week) and Art Fitzgerald and sophomore Bob Raines, who has only recently risen to ground-gaining prominence.

The first-line forward wall is generally considered a capable outfit, but reserves are scarce despite a full season of searching for the requisite talent. Ends John Setear and Dick Jenkins, who have between them caught 41 aerials, are capable although lacking in the pass-catching finesse of Jack Roderick, who like Captain Vince Moravec is out for the year. Captain Cotty Davison and Westi Hansen add up to 421 pounds of tackles, but the power of the line lies in John Prchlik and Vic Frank at guards and Bill Conway in the center spot.

On most occasions the Bulldogs' orthodox 'T' attack has been adequate-and at times even brilliant as in the 17-7 win over Columbia and in the first half of the Dartmouth game. Discounting the mud-splattered Brown fiasco, however, it has been found wanting in two instances against Wisconsin and Princeton. The answer both times seemed to be the all-round edge of the rival front ranks.