Gridders Prime for Opener...

Joe Restic is psyched. "I have to be v-e-e-r-r-y pleased," the head football coach said in a measured, very certain tone yesterday.

Wayne Moore is psyched. "We," the halfback said very definitely last night, "are going to do much better than we were predicted to this year".

And Steve Potysman is psyched. "Right now," the senior captain said last night, "Columbia is in for a real test."

When you get right down to it, the Crimson football squad is psyched. Three days before the Columbia opener (1:30 p.m., at The Stadium), at the midway point of the fourth week of preseason, things are finally starting to come together.

And so amid the tentativeness that accompanies practice sessions early in the week before any game--and especially an opener--confidence is in the air for the first time this fall on Soldiers Field. The Harvard football team thinks it's going to win against Columbia, and it thinks it's going to win big.

As late as last Friday, the outlook looked less than rosy. But after an encouraging intrasquad scrimmage Saturday and two crisp practice sessions Monday and yesterday, the green defense has begun to look less green, and the explosive offense has begun to look more explosive.

"Anytime we can get a jump on the week and work on a lot of things, I'm pleased," Restic said.

The reason for the improvement is clear--gaps are being filled, and people are starting to produce.

Defensive tackle, defensive end and safety remain unsettled, but for the first time Restic has some folks to work with there.

And bright spots have been popping up all over the place. On defense, sophomore Bob Woolway should move in alongside Craig Beling at linebacker, and all kinds of things are happening on offense.

Larry Brown looks as sharp as ever at quarterback, there's a herd of offensive backs all set to make some divots, and the receiver corps of Paul Sablock-John MacLeod-Rich Horner has done nothing but impress.

And if you're wondering whether the foundation for offensive fireworks is there, the line is, in Potysman's words, "awesome".

On the debits side, (just checking tosee if you Ec 1500 students are awake), a couple nagging injuries and the ongoing search for a punter could cause problems.

The walking wounded list includes Dan Binning (defensive end), Brian Silvey (offensive tackle) and Scott Groper (punter). And two players have been lost for good--halfback Ron Jellison, who suffered a scull fracture, and defensive tackle Frank Kane, who quit.

But Restic is looking to a bunch of ballplayers--most of them sophomores--to put it together in the next three days' practice and plug the holes.

"I just hope that some of the people who aren't in the picture yet will get in there, so we'll be able to use them early," Restic said yesterday.

So you may not want to sprint out to your bookie's place with a couple fresh bills just yet, but the team is psyched and vastly improved since the start of camp.

And there's one barometer that may be the best indicator of all. In the course of a short phone call yesterday, Restic said "I have to be pleased" four times. So, hey, you have to be pleased.