Crimson Edges Highly Favored Cornell, 13-12

ITHACA, N.Y., October 9--There was no upset on Schoellkopf Field here today. The amazed bookies and dismayed homecomers notwithstanding, the Harvard football team's 13 to 12 victory over Cornell today was neither freak nor undeserved. If the two teams played again tomorrow the margin of victory could only increase, for the added poise and confidence that this stunning victory will give the Crimson, plus the vast superiority of the Harvard line, would enable the visitors to win with considerably less excitement that marked this game.

At times slipping back into the sloppy, inexperienced football of its opener, more often playing single wing football of IBM-like precision, the Crimson justified the predictions of optimists who still saw seven games left on the schedule after the Massachusetts defeat.

The highly partisan crowd of 20,000 crupted into limited pandemonium at approximately 4:40 p.m. as the Crimson ran out the clock. The band circled the field seven or eight times, Lloyd Jordan was lifted on tweedy shoulders, and everyone cheered his five words, though no one heard them. The smallness of the group only increased the intensity of its joy.

In the orderliness and neatness of the statistics one finds Harvard made almost twice as many first downs (15 to 8) and gained almost 17 times as much rushing (167 to 10). Yet this victory was in some ways even more decisive because of the way the varsity won. It came from behind after almost 50 minutes of two way football, and it came a long way. The drive, with Cornell leading 12 to 7, started on the Crimson 23, and carried 77 yards without the benefit of a pass.

Even up to the last seconds today Harvard could have lost the game. The mistakes of inexperience that benefited Massachusetts occasionally reared their illegitimate heads today, but he last quarter march, and the tenacity and depth of the line proved that jokes about the present team, like tonight's homecoming festivities are liable to fall very flat. No more than he should bemoan the Massachusetts loss should the student enter the Stadium from now on expecting a ready-made victory. This team may still lose games, but in the process it is going to play very exciting, and at times equally good football.

Many things stand out after today's game--the fine two-way play of both Bob Sowles and Jerry Marsh, the dependable rushing of Matt Botsford--but among the factors least likely to get much publicity is the outstanding job of scouting on this Cornell team.

The Big Red had its strong points (named Len Oniskey) and weaknesses. The scouting reports and Marsh's exceptionally fine play-calling allowed the Crimson to exploit the weaknesses to the fullest. One can only wonder why the Big Red, with a very slick passer in Bill De Graaf, and with no openings through the middle, did not pass more.

The real significance of today's victory can be measured only by someone who sat here three years ago and watched the low point of Harvard football. Captain Carroll Lowenstein had been drafted the week before and Columbia had humiliated the Crimson 35 to 0. The Big Red added the final touch by not only defeating Harvard 42 to 6, but breaking the arm of the succeeding captain, Red Wylie, who was lost for the season. The next week the Crimson upset Army 22 to 21, however, and has been climbing to football respectability ever since. Per-

Fresh from its victory over Cornell, the varsity will be hailed at 7:30 p.m. tonight with a rally on the Widener steps. In attendance will be the team, cheerleaders, coaches and band.

Tickets for the Dartmouth game must be ordered today by 5 p.m. An additional ticket is $4.00 for this game. haps even more than last year's victory over Yale, this victory over Yale, this victory assured a position of stature.

Today's game, climaxed by a hectic final three minutes which had fans from both sides lining the field ten deep, at times produced more excitement than skill. Harvard scored in the first quarter, and led 7 to 0. But Cornell scored twice with discouraging swiftness in the third quarter, which made the Crimson's late drive even more surprising.

Midway through the fourth quarter, after the Big Red missed a touchdown when Dick Jackson caught a long De Grasf pass just outside the end zone, Harvard took over on its own 13. On the first play, Cowles, who played a magnificent two-way game today, cut through for five yards on a play that was virtually unstoppable today, the inside, reverse over left guard. Then, Botsford, whose sense of timing permitted him to use his interference to perfection, faked off two tacklers and cut though right tackle for a first down on the '34. He squirmed to the 41 and then Gianelly smashed through to the 44. Gianelly missed a first down by inches and Bostford got the first down when he went off tackle to the Harvard 49.

Gianelly hit the weak Cornell left side and cut through to the Big Red 47. Then, Botsford, whom the H.A.A. lists at 165 pounds, reeled off two runs for first downs. On the first, he cut inside and then broke into the clear for 11 yards to the 36, and then, with a wave of interference remisicent of Dick Kazmaier and his portable Goliaths, turned the right for a first down on the 26. A Gianelly buck produced three yards, but Cowles was stopped at the line on an inside reverse. Then back for what was the first pass of the drive, Botsford suddently decided to run, and cutting wide to the right, reached the 16 before he was driven out of bounds, just inches short of a first down. With Cornell in a seven man line, Gianelly picked up the first down on the 15.

Good Interference

Hitting the right side again, Bostford reached the 11, Cowles found no opening at all on the buck lateral reverse, and it was fourth and five to go. But Botsford, again with good interference, cut wide to the right for a first down on the four. On the first play Gianelly hit the middle for two, and then, trying the left side, found nothing. And then again on the 19th play of this drive, it was Botsford, seemingly stopped on about the five, who broke through and into the end zone for the score.

Then, with less than four minutes remaining, Cornell moved desperately through the air as it tried to score. With the ball at midfield after a good kickoff return, DeGraaf started to throw. Art Boland dropped his first one, and then a pitchout to Dick Jackson was good to the 45. Do Graaf then dropped back and fired the ball a long pass to the 23. Three men--two Harvard defenders and Cornell end John Morris went up for the ball, and when they came dowm Sam Fyock and Morris were still wrestling for the ball. The Cornell stands let out a deafening roar when the officials after separating the two men awarded the ball to the offensive team on the 23. The clock showed two and a half minutes and Harvard showed signs of fatigue.

Cornell Penalized

On a pitchout play off right end a Harvard lineman broke through and seemed about to stop, if not slow up the play, when he suddenly jerked back and the Cornell runner broke into the clear to the 10. But officials ruled illegal use of the hands and marched the Big Red back to the 28.

De Graaf took over then and fired both a succession of incomplete passes and the imagination of every wildly cheering Harvard fan. The Crimson took over the ball and ran out the clock. With fourth down and one to go on his own 45, Marsh elected to run and Jimmy Joslin picked up the first down. It was the right way to run off the clock, just as the 77' yard drive was the right Way to win.

The Crimson controlled the first quarter, scoring one touchdown and just missing another as it allowed Cornell exactly five plays from scrimmage. Botsford eluded two Cornell defenders to score at 9:30 and Frate kicked the all important point. Another Crimson first quarter thrust was stopped when, with fourth and one on the Big Red 11, Bostford was thrown for a three yard loss.

Cornell Scores

Cornell safety man Jackson picked off a Crimson pass near the start of the third quarter and joining a host of blockers returned it 32 yards to the Crimson 18. On the first play from scrimmage Tom Rooney took a perfect De Graaf pass in the far corner of the end zone. De Graaf's try for the point was wide.

The Crimson got stuck deep inside its own territory when, on ensuing kickoff, both Gianelly and Cowles went for the ball, the latter catching it, but stumbling in his tracks on the seven. Botsford punted from a kick formation on their third down, one of the mysteries of the game, and Cornell took over on the Harvard 39.

After two short gains and a penalty against Harvard, De Graaf found halfback Dick Meade with a pass right down the middle and Meade went over to put the Big Red ahead, 12 to 7.

Lefty James' Cornell team spent all but 14 plays this afternoon attempting to run through the middle. For all their troubles, they all gained exactly ten yards.

Credit the Harvard backs with a fine game, for this was a single backfield with each man playing his position to the limit, and give substitute backs Dick Oehmler and Joslin plaudits too, but this game was basically won in the line. Jordan went through 16 men in the line today, with litle drop off in play. But the heartening play of the five juniors who started, and Bob Morrison, tackles Orville Tice and John Mather, guard Bill Meigs, and center Jan Mayer bodies well for the coming 15 games