Harvard, Yale Clash for Ivy Title

Game Time: 1:30 p.m.

Unbeaten Yale, winner of 16 straight, meets unbeaten Harvard, the unexpected challenger, for the Ivy League title today at the Stadium in the 85th renewal of THE game.

Yale is defending champion, trying to become the first team in League history to put together back-to-back perfect seasons. Harvard has come from nowhere, a pre-season second division pick, to overcome eight opponents and force this showdown.

On the one hand, the Elis boast the Ivy's most potent offense--third among NCAA colleges in total yardage--featuring super-stars quarterback Brian Dowling and halfback Calvin Hill. The latest poll of the coaches ranked Yale the 18th best team in the country.

To combat the challenge, Harvard offers a defense which leads the nation in fewest points allowed per game--7.6.

THE game--1968--has generated more than the usual H-Y enthusiasm. Harvard Stadium sold out its 40,000 seats without public sale and officials estimated that they could have filled 60,000 more without difficulty. 3000 closed-circuit TV tickets for three campus outlets were snatched up quickly, and the demand has been so great that other closed-circuit outlets have been set up in New York, New Haven, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. In addition, radio bradcasts will go to Harvard and Yale clubs in most sections of the United States.

Oddsmakers (with the exception of the CRIMSON prognosticator) seem to favor Yale by at least a touchdown and a statistical breakdown bears out their predictions:

Yale's offense has outgained Harvard's by over 1000 yards, while the Eli defense has allowed only 108 yards more against its eight opponents than has Harvard.

Dowling and Hill

Dowling and Hill appear to be two of the finest backs in League history and perhaps in the country. Dowling, a 6'2" senior, has not lost a game he has played at Yale. His freshman team was undefeated, he missed sophomore year with an injury, and last year's team's only loss came when he was out with another injury. A strong runner and passer, he holds seven Yale records, one Ivy record (most touchdown passes, career) and has been named the Ivy's outstanding back on four of the 12 weeks of his career.

Hill, also a senior, holds three Yale records and will smash the scoring mark of the fabled Albie Booth if he gets any points today. Strong (215 lbs.) and fast (a track star in the long jump), Hill has rushed for 588 yards, fourth in the League, and caught 20 passes for 504 yards.

Dowling directs a balanced offense which gains almost as many yards as passing. The chief receivers, besides Hill, are seniors Bruce Weinstein and Del Marting. In the backfield, Yale also starts seniors Bob Levin (315 rushing yards) and Nick Davidson.

Superb

Harvard's defense, as mentioned, has been superb. Led by linebacker John Emery and safetyman Pat Conway, Harvard has allowed only 118.5 yards a game passing--eighth in the nation--and leads the Ivies in defense; Yale is second.

Some experts have guessed that the game may be decided not by the two teams' respective strengths, but by their weaknesses. That is, Emery & Co. may stop Dowling, but then it will be a question of whether the Harvard offense, relying primarily on the running of Ray Hornblower and Vic Gatto, can penetrate the Eli defense.

Hornblower leads the League in rushing with 588 yards, but the ankle he sprained against Brown last Saturday has responded only slowly to treatment, and the fleet junior may be limited to spot duty. This would increase the pressure on Gatto unless Hornblower's sub, junior John Ballantyne can continue where he left off--126 gained rushing against the Bears.

The Yalies have surrendered more points than Harvard to each of the common opponents except Columbia, but, as they are quick to argue, most of these points came in the fourth period when the outcome was already decided.

Harvard has had a certain amount of difficulty in scoring touchdowns. Quarterback George Lalich has completed 50 per cent of his passes, but has only three touchdown passes. Against Princeton, for example, Harvard managed only three points out of three first period forays inside the Tiger 25 yard line.

No one on either team can forget that last year's Harvard-Yale game, won by the Blue, 24-20, was decided on a break--a Harvard pass defender slipped near the sidelines and then could only watch as Del Marting caught Dowling's winning pass. Harvard's attempt to come back that day was foiled by yet another bad break--a fumble on the Yale 12 yard line with seconds left.