Archie Roberts, Columbia To Challenge Crimson Today

See that fellow in the picture? The one in the football uniform, not the old man. He's supposed to be the best college football player in the country.

You know what else Archie Roberts does, aside from being your favorite all-American boy? Last spring he turned up as Columbia's .300-hitter shortstop, "the finest infield prospect in the East," according to Harvard baseball coach Norm Shepard.

Archie didn't intend to take a varsity sport in the winter, but he went down to the gym one day just to throw the ball through the ol' hoop a few times. The basketball coach saw him working out and begged him to come out for the team. Well, conscience is Archie's Archilles heel. He went out for the team, and played first-string forward.

Of course, Archie's also a pre-med student, deadly serious about his work, and ready to go on and be an all-American guy as soon as he graduates. That can't be too soon for John Yovicsin.

The ninth-leading passer in the country for two years, Archie may be the best this year. Against Colgate he went 17 for 32 passing, threw two touchdown passes and scored one himself. Against Princeton he was 19 for 35 throwing, passed for one touchdown and scored the other one himself. Last year he directed Columbia to a 3-3 tie with Harvard, and helped cost the Crimson a share of the Ivy titlo. This year he's supposed to be a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy, awarded annually to the country's best college football player.

When Archie isn't busy passing and running, he plays defense, runs back kicks, and is nice to opponents who beat him up. He led Columbia in interceptions, as well as in every offensive department except pass receptions, last year.

Trouble is, Columbia has had Roberts for two years, and Columbia hasn't been a top-notch football team during that spell. Last year they were sixth in the league and went 4-4-1 on the season. Two years ago they were tied for third among the Ivies and 6-3 overall. That isn't bad, but it isn't as super-wonderful as everything else about Archie.

This year the team was improved and everything was going to be different until three injuries and a bunch of big, bad guys from Princeton got together and wrecked everything.

The injuries all occured against Colgate: they sidelined end Jerry Hug, Roberts' top pass receiver last year, fullback Arne Jensen, and halfback and captain Ed Malmstrom. Then Cosmo Iacavazzi ran 61 yards for touchdowns the first two times he touched the ball and Princeton beat Columbia, 23-13, for the 19th time in a row.

So Archie will probably be out for blood today against Harvard, and being a classical-type scholar as well as a science wonk, he'll probably be aiming for Harvard's soft underbelly, pass defense.

Defense against passes has been more a theoretical concept than anything else over the first two weeks of Harvard football. Pass defenders have had to duck as enemy quarterbacks threw 55 passes and completed 37 in two games.

It's a fair bet that Yovicsin will have some changes in pass defense ready for Roberts this afternoon, and it's an even better bet that the changes won't involve any basic changes in defensive strategy. More likely, line coach Jim Lentz is going to point his charges at Roberts, press a button and scream "Go get 'im."

Wasn't this strategy employed against Bucknell? Well, yes, but the Bucknell line is a little bigger than Columbia's and anyway, Bucknell's Bill Lerro was getting his passes off very quickly. Archie likes to wait around and throw long.

He's likely to be trying it today against a Harvard defensive backfield that contains some total strangers to varsity pass defense. Dave Poe, number one offensive and defensive halfback, is hurt. Either cornerback Jerry Mechling will be shifted back to safety, where he played last year, or Yovicsin will gamble with sophomore Bobby Leo in Poe's place.

Injuries to end Ken Boyda and 240-pound tackle Neil Curtoin will slow down the pass rush, too, but don't be surprised if the line enjoys a good day against Roberts. If Malmstrom and Jensen are out, the Lion backfield is reduced almost to nil. The top fullback after Jensen, Bob Klingensmith, stands all of 5 ft., 7 in., and weighs 165. He may be able to block people like 240-pound Joe Hurek, but then again...

That brings us to Harvard's secret weapon: even if the defense doesn't jell all of a sudden, Harvard just may outscore Columbia.

Poe's absence will hurt Harvard badly--the 180-pounder is a good inside runner, a good defensive back, and a good punt returner. But Wally Grant, Bobby Leo, and John Dockery are as fine a trio of halfbacks as you'll find in the league. Fullback Pat Conway is not only a track-team sprinter, but, in Yovicsin's estimation, "about as good a blocker as Bill Grana," or about as good as they come.

This is an explosive offense, whether Tom Bilodeau or John McCluskey is at quarterback. Bilodeau, 15 for 20 passing last week, is as good a passer as Harvard has had in years. McCluskey, the team's leader in rushing, is just as big a threat, when he's healthy, as his rival. A leg injury is still bothering McCluskey, but he'll probably still see action: Bilodeau is needed on defense and can't be asked to play 60 minutes.

Roberts and Columbia are a threat to any team, much less to one that has looked remarkably bad in defending against passes. But it would be a mistake to forget after last week that Harvard is a solid team too