B. U. Terriers Cross the River

The bulletin board at Dillon Field House this week reads "Ivy Champs 9, B.U. 13," a not-so-subtle reminder of an unpleasant incident that took place at Soldiers Field last year.

As if kicking Harvard around in hockey wasn't enough, Boston University's football team decided to get into the act by pulling an annoying upset as well, embarrassing the heavily favored Crimson with a long bomb touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Terrier quarterback Greg Geiger picked out tight end Pete Kessel in the Harvard end zone some 45-yards from the line of scrimmage with 1:56 left in the game, and that was it. A "We got what we deserved' attitude pervaded the Crimson locker room after the game, along with unspoken resolution that next year would be different. Much different.

Next year has arrived, so to speak, and the Crimson will step onto Soldiers Field turf this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. with revenge in its heart and an unbeaten record in the back of its mind. Though last year's performance against B.U. was shuffled to the back of the bus in the midst of a championship season, the memory lingers on.

That memory has a number of component parts: a sputtering offense, a defense unable to stop the Terrier's ball control tactics and a bundle of mistakes that would stifle any team's best attempts. So with that in mind, coach Joe Restic has gone to work this week paving the way to a reversal of last year's game.

"They controlled the ball on us for the whole game last year," Restic said yesterday, "and if we're not careful they'll do it again. Their backfield is capable of doing anything if we can't contain the option play."

Restic's concern, not suprisingly, again centers around Geiger, a deceptively good thrower who likes to run as well. "Last week, we were primarily concerned with the option pitch, and not the U.Mass quaterback," Restic said. "Saturday, we have to concentrate on Geiger as well as his pitches to running backs."

In addition, Restic says, the defense had better be aware of Geiger's big play capabilities, the type that caught Harvard napping in the waning minutes last year. "You can't let things like that happen too often and expect to win a lot of games," he said.

Offensively, the Crimson will have to make some permanent adjustments due to the final resolution of the Jim Curry case this week. With the star punter-split end out for the season, Restic faces the task of fitting his replacements into the lineup smoothly.

Obviously, we have to use some people we didn't expect to need this year," Restic said, "and that requires quite a bit of extra work. Practice was very good this week, despite the disruptions, so there should be no problem."

The Terrier defense has performed well this season, particularly in its man-to-man coverage. Able to read keys very effectively, the linebackers have proven strong against the run, another matter for concern.

"If they press us in the line of scrimmage," Restic said, "and if they try to crowd us in order to stop the running game, we'll only have one alternative. And we'll use it." The reference is to Jim Kubacki's throwing arm, potentially the key offensive weapon in the field Saturday afternoon.

As for the running game, it is rounding back into form after some early problems with injuries. Halfbacks Tommy Winn and Mark Taylor should be nearly 100 per cent by game time. Tight end Bob McDermott is also recovering from a persistent injury, though he will also be ready to go Saturday.

Restic will be shuffling men in and out of the backfield against B.U.looking for the most effective combination. He may employ two different sets of backs against the Terriers the first few times Harvard has the ball, a luxury unavailable until now due to the many injuries.

If there is a current weakness in the Harvard lineup that concerns Restic, it is the kicking game. "To be honest, we expected to have one of the best around," Restic said. "Circumstances have left us hurting in the department, though Scott Coolidge did a spectacular job against U.Mass. There's still a lot of work to be done, however."

Restic's main concern is the kick-off problem, as yet unresolved with Curry's departure. The placement game is as strong as ever, with Mike Lynch handling the field goals and PATs.

The most promising aspect of the team's performance in the first two weeks of the season has been the development of some talented sophomores, specifically offensive guards Joe Cross and Mike Clark, and the work of junior guards Mike Rubinstein and Reid Cocalis.

With most singals go, Harvard settles into a grudge match against its favorite cross-river rival. Ivy Champs is fine, but it doesn't mean much on Commonwealth Ave.