Ivy Softies Turn Tough; Harvard's Future Dims

From the insulated viewpoint of the pre-season forecaster, three of the last four games on Harvard's schedule looked like soft, soft deal. Sure, Princeton would be tough, but any fool could see that Penn. Brown, and Yale (yes, even Yale) would be pushovers.

After last Saturday, anyone who could maintain that sort of blissful confidence would have to be deaf, dumb, and blind.

The most ominous of the Ivy games was Princeton's 45-27 victory over Brown. It wasn't surprising that the Tigers' Ron Landeck tossed four touchdown passes and ran for a fifth against the Bruirs, but it was downright scary for Brown to retaliate with four stores of its own against the voracious Princeton defense. Bob Hall was the Bruins' hero, passing for three of the touchdowns and running for the fourth.

And Yale, after opening the season with a humiliating loss to UConn, walked all over Dartmouth for three quarters before the Indians rallied to beat them 20-17. Bulldog quarterback Watts Humphrey passed to tiny Court Shevelson for one score and ran for another to give the Elis a 17-7 halftime lead, but the scored two touchdowns in the last period to avert disaster.

Oh, yes -- and Penn tied Harvard 10- 10 only a week after losing 51-0 to Princeton.

Oh, yes -- and Penn tied Harvard 10- 10 only a week after losing 51-0 to Princeton.