Harvard Meets Cornell Today

Even though everybody has been concentrating on the Red Sox the past two weeks, yes, there is a Harvard football game tomorrow. The Crimson travels to hayseed country, Ithaca, N.Y., to take on the Big Red of Cornell in a crucial encounter for the Johns.

If the past is any indication of the future, today's battle promises to be one of those free-swinging, knock-down-drag-out affairs. For the last few years Harvard and Cornell have staged wild scoring contests, including a 39-27 come-from-behind victory last year by the Crimson before 32,000 at Harvard.

Cornell has back this year most of its offensive stars except nationally-ranked total-yardage quarterback Kevin Sigler, but that's a big exception.

Returning is the bulwark of the Big Red running game, bruising fullback Don Fanelli. Anyone who has seen the 215-lb. back perform in the last two years against the Crimson knows that Fanelli is probably the best all-around runner in the Ivy League.

Injuries and Plague

He was the leading rusher for Cornell for two straight years through the middle of the season and led the nation in spring last year for a while. But injuries of various assortments have plagued him throughout his career and prevented him from achieving the greatness he deserves. This year Fanelli is again starting out at full tilt, and he will be the toughest challenge that the young and inexperienced Crimson front wall will have faced thus far this season.

Sigler's loss and first-year Cornell coach George Seifert's inability to come up with an adequate replacement has kept the Big Red from utilizing its excellent wide receiver Bruce Starks to the full extent.

Starks

Starks rates right up there with Gary Fencik of Yale and Tom Fleming of Dartmouth as one of the tops in the Ivy League. Last season Starks caught 47 passes for 619 yards to rank fifth in the nation.

So it appears that the Harvard defense will have its hands full with the Big Red offense. The Crimson defensive line, which looked promising in the first game against Holy Cross, has been looking worse, rather than better, each of the last two weeks. To stop Fanelli will take an effort beyond which the front wall has shown it is capable of.

Complicating the situation is the loss of key operative safety Fran Cronin didn't even make the trip to Ithaca because of cracked ribs.

Also, linebacker Eric Kurzweil is having shoulder problems, which seems to be one of those nagging injuries that football players must endure. It would heal itself if Kurzweil could have two weeks of rest, but under the grind of the schedule the shoulders were reaggravated each week.

What all this means is that if the linebackers have to help out on the pass defense because Cronin is gone, then the forward line will have to hold its own against Fanelli and the running game. And with a sub-par Kurzweil, that could be tough.

"We've seen a new installment of Cornell's offense each week," according to adjuster George Newhouse. Speaking of the Big Red's new Wing T attack, Newhouse said, "They don't do anything fancy. They're very stereotyped. You know what they're going to do when they line up and you know what they're coming at you with. They challenge you to stop it."

A Foregone Conclusion

It's a foregone conclusion, on the other hand, that Harvard's offense with Jim Kubacki at the helm will put some points up on the board. Cornell has not had a strong defense since All-East middle linebacker Bob Lally graduated a few years back, and it's the Big Red defense that is to be held accountable for Cornell's 1-2 record thus far this season.

The Harvard offense scored 35 points on Columbia last week, and with both receiver Jimmy Curry and halfback Tommy Winn recovering from injuries, the Cornell defense should prove no obstacle to Kubacki and Co.

The Cornell game is always a pivotal game for Harvard. Last year, and the year before, Harvard had tough, hard-fought games with the Big Red, and victories both years established the Crimson as Ivy League contenders.

'A Turning Point'

"The Cornell game always seems to be a turning point for us," said Newhouse. "We get off to slow starts early in the year, but then really seem to put it all together against Cornell. A big win against them always puts us in a good frame of mind for Dartmouth the following week, and really sends us on our way."

Harvard traditionally has had tough luck in Ithaca. Harvard won a close one two years ago, 21-15, but in its last five appearances in the pastures has managed only a 2-2-1 record.

So whether Harvard will be a legitimate Ivy contender or be in for a long, long season, should become manifest out in farm country today. But to be honest with you, I'll be at Fenway this weekend.