Harvard Kicks Off Season Against Holy Cross

"If we can move the ball against Holy Cross," Joe Restic says, "we'll move it on anyone in our league."

After Harvard's football team takes to Soldiers Field today at 1:50 p.m. to face the Crusaders of Holy Cross, Crimson coach Restic will have a lot of questions answered. The first, and the toughest, will be about exactly how strong Harvard's offense is.

Facing a Crusader squad that manhandled Brown last week, Restic must hope that a potentially powerful running attack, led by fullback Neal Miller, will live up to its advance billing.

Complimenting the bruising Miller (661 yards gained last season) in the backfield will be senior left halfback Alky Tsitsos (319 yards) and right halfback Ed Cronin.

Instrumental in making the offense go will be the performance of new quarterback Milt Holt, a senior from Honolulu, Hawaii. Holt saw limited action last year playing in the shadow of Jim Stoeckel, who was selected as the Ivy League Player of the Year.

Once again the primary target for the Crimson signalcallers will be the amazing Pat McInally, All-American candidate at split end. McInally set a bunch of Harvard records last year, including most game receptions (13), most receptions in a season (56), and most touchdown catches (7).

The next set of questions arises from the status of the Crimson's injured players. The most notable problem is at tight end, where one of the best in the Ivies, Pete Curtin, has been sidelined for the next few weeks with torn ligaments in a finger. Curtin last season pulled in 26 passes for 363 yards and one touchdown.

Taking Curtin's place at end will be Bob McDermott, a 6-ft. 1-in., 190-Ib. sophomore from Quincy, Mass.

Other notables on Harvard's list of walking wounded are Neal Miller, suffering from a bad ankle, and linebacker Eric Kurzweil. Tackle Brian Hehir is also a tentative starter.

The last insecurities on the team involve the defense, though the relatively weak Holy Cross offense, which gained only 193 yards last week, may not test it too severely. Senior tackle Bob Shaw, an All-Ivy and All-New England performer last season, leads a relatively small defensive line that averages about 205 lbs. per man.

Linebacker Kurzweil and adjuster George Newhouse are the core of a strong defensive middle. In the backfield, Restic looks to junior Fran Cronin to fill the shoes of All-Ivy safety Dave St. Pierre.

The ultimate question here is how far the Crimson will go this year. Seldom does a win or a loss in its opening game determine whether an Ivy squad will win the Ivies. What Restic and Harvard's fans will be looking for, though, is glimpses of the talent that made the Crimson 7-2 last year, and a good showing from the sophomores and juniors like McDermott, who are filling in at key spots.

With Curtin returning soon, and Miller and Kurzweil expected to return to top form, Restic can look forward to a tough, exciting fight for the Ivy title.

As for now, the problem is Holy Cross. What is known is that the Crusaders are an opportunistic team, as last week's nooffense, 45-point win shows. The matchup between All-Americans Pat McInally and John Provost (four interceptions last week) could hold the key.