Football Team Defeats Northeastern, 28-7

The program for the Harvard-Northeastern game advertised a new pro-type offense to replace Harvard's tired sweeps and off-tackle plays, a new Pete Varney who could break helmets at halfback, and dew quarterbacks who might make the dew offense work.

For almost the entire first half of the game, the new offense looked like the old offense dressed in a dew formation. Quarterback Rex blankenship engineered his first 16 offensive plays for nine yards, and Varney looked ready for the baseball season.

Then sophomor Rod Foster took over at quarterback, and Harvard won, 28-7.

Foster wore white shoes, ran fast, threw bullets, and made a lot of cocky statements to the press after the game. he completed nine of 16 passes for 120 yards, ran for 78 yards on seven carries, punted for a 36-yard average, scored one touchdown, set up another, and ran for 20 yards on a fake pnt when his roommate screamed, "Daylight!" from the sidelines.

harvard Scores

In the third quarter, Foster set up the first touchdown with a 12-yard jump pass toBruce Freeman, who had five receptions, and then scored himself on a threeward roll out. The next time Harvard got the ball, Foster drove for second touchdown. He hit dennis Sullivan with a 14yard pass, swept down to the three on a 20-yard roll out, and sent Varney in for the touchdown.

Dave Crawford, running well as Varney's replacement, scored the Crimsom's third touchdown after Northeastern had fumbled on its own 33.

Coach John Yovicsin, who set a new Tories, sent in his third string for the final touchdown, Sophomore Tom DeMars broke loose for a 44-yard gain and plunged over from the one five plays later.

Although the Crimson produced four touchdowns and 320 yards in total offense, the offensive line looked weak until Foster loosened up the Northeastern defense with roll outs and completed passes.

Foster worked better with the second backfield, Crawford and Steve Hall, than he did with the first. He pointed out that "the second unit guys knew my style and moves better. I'm just quicker and faster that the other guys."

He became quicker and faster over the summer by running chasing drills with the Dallas Cowboys' Jethro Pugs. Pugh chased, and Foster ran.

No Powerhouse

The defense smothered Northeastern, but the Huskies were not exactly a powerhouse. Northeastern failed to score after a bad snap from the Harvard center was fumbled by Foster on the Harvard one-yard line.

Poor Crimson kicking coverage set up Northeastern's only score. On the kickoff following Harvard's first touchdown, the Huskies Dennis Kelley ran right up the middle into an open field before being caught at the Harvard five.

Walt Quigg had run through the same hole for 40 yards against the Crimson on the second half kickoff.

Harvard captain Gary Farneti, who along with Brad Fenton led the team in tackles with six, said after the game that the Crimson's defensive lapses on the ground were due to miss timed stunts.

The Crimson secondary was beaten a few times in the first half because of confusion with its zone coverage. The defensive backs did improve as the game went on, however, intercepting two passes.

Stove Harrison, a back who was the Crimson's second leading rusher as a sophomore last year, touched the ball only once all day. Yovicsin said after the game that Harrison will see more running action in the future as the Crimson continues to unveil its new offense.