Dog Day Afternoon: Hardly a Laughing Matter for Crimson

I've been thinking all week about a light way of approaching this afternoon's invasion of Harvard Stadium by the Boston University Terriers. I wanted to poke fun at a school that draws a meager 100 or 200 fans to its Saturday afternoon brawls. There's something quaint about the way the Terriers battle an Astroturf in makeshift Nickerson Field, nestled amid the three high-rise party factories commonly known as West campus.

The B.U. world, stocked with more than 20,000 wandering undergrads, harbors mysterious schools known only as SPC, SMG, CLA, etc., and--of course--the ever-popular CBS--College of Basic Studies, affectionately called NBC (No Brains College). Mixed liberally through this diverse student body is the ever-present JAP contingent--bringing Boston the most luxurious designer fashions that Westchester and Long Island mommies and daddies can afford.

Surely, I thought, there was plenty of mirth in this sacred land across the Charles River. But then I thought about football, and the humor of the situation quickly escaped me. There was, in fact, nothing funny at all about B.U., Harvard or anything connected with the two--so long as football is involved.

Yes, folks--this is no laughing matter. When a 3-0 B.U. rampage squad marches into the Stadium at 1:30 this afternoon, no one will be laughing--especially those of us on the Harvard side of the horseshoe.

At 1-1 and in search of a quarterback, Harvard has severe problems. Mike Buchanan has talent: Joe Restic was absolutely right to praise the Alabama option-specialist for the job he did as a sudden fill-in last week against UMass. It was a harrowing situation for an inexperienced signal-caller. But Buchanan no longer is a fill-in: he is the man. And he could have used a nice, easy, non-League game this week to get a feel for the Harvard attack. The Harvard team in general could have used a breather, to regroup and sort out the upheaval caused by the loss of starting senior quarterback Burke St. John, out indefinitely with knee ligament damage.

But nooooooo. This will be anthing but a simple non-League week for Harvard. The Terriers, currently No. 3 in Division I AA and piling up points like ravenous grizzlies preparing for winter, are massive, multi-dimensional, and riding the crest of a three-game winning streak. Third-year coach Rick Taylor has amassed a group of beefy boys, with the B.U. offensive line averaging well over 230 pounds a man. For Harvard, not known for its awesome size, the test of what has thus far proved a stellar Crimson defense should be crucial.

The game will swing on a few key factors:

JIM JENSEN--Not the newscaster, but a 6-ft. 4 3/4-in. Terrier quarterback who leads Division I AA in passing efficiency with a 63.8 per cent rate (30 of 47, no interceptions, 412 yards and five TDs).

MAL NAJARIAN--The compact back who last week set new B.U. records for most career yards(1904), most yards in a single game (244), and most career rushing attempts (405) comes off a 244-yd. effort on 41 carries against dismal Northeastern.

THE HARVARD DEFENSE--Joe Restic must be thanking God each night for his defensive stalwarts. Columbia and UMass totaled just 143 yards on the ground in the first two weeks. The backfield has played well coming up to stop the run, though the secondary did show some strain against UMass' Mike McEvilly and Kevin O'Connor.

THE MULTIFLEX--The Restic brainchild will not be back in full bloom with Buchanan still just learning the ropes. St. John had a very good grip on the system of infinite-shift confusion, but Buchanan can be expected to stay with a relatively simple option offense more than anything else. The problem, as Restic has said since early September, is that the Crimson lineman do not have the size to "blow out" the opposition. With the Flex, where everyone is shifting, the Crimson can take advantage of motion to offset much of the size disadvantage. But from the power-I or other such conventional formations, Harvard will be moving straight ahead and may find it tough to open the holes.

Of course there are endless questions about Buchanan. But perhaps the best thing that can be said in this area is that the sophomore deserves a chance--a chance when he's in control from start to finish.

Harvard will need a good game from its runners. The team has to post some sustained ground drives to give the defense a chance to rest. Najarian must be stopped--or at least muzzled. B.U. is a power team. In three games the Terriers have racked up 100 points and more than 1100 total yards. Harvard, by contrast, has scored 33 points and racked up 600 yards.

The odds favor B.U. The stats favor B.U. All common sense favors B.U. But bettors beware. How can you favor a terrier team whose tight song is "Dum, dum, da dum--screw B.U."? I see an encouraging day for Buchanan, a bonanza for Paul Connors, a surprise from Rich Horner, another solid defensive effort, and a 26-24 Harvard win.

And if I'm wrong, I'll put an eclair in my own ear next week.

And finally, the Pope John Paul II commemorative Ivy predictions:

PENN at COLUMBIA--Possibly even more tedious than last week's Columbia-Lafayette recess. The Pope was much livelier in New York than in Philadelphia this week, though, so Columbia should take it, 5-4, with a bases-loaded triple in the ninth.

BUCKNELL at CORNELL--The Big Red could be the big surprise in the Ivies this year. Bucknell will be a big massacre: Cornell, a big 44-17.

HOLY CROSS at DARTMOUTH--You've got to love making the animals in Hanover feel like pasture decoration. In the spirit of John Paul II's American visit: Holy Cross, 22-12.

PRINCETON at BROWN--Brown showed it was for real last week with a convincing win over Rhode Island. The Pope never would venture into New Jersey, so the Tigers have no chance: Brown, 27-13.

COLGATE at YALE--The Red Raiders will fail the Crest test in front of thousands in New Haven. An undefeated Eli squad can celebrate again: Yale, 31-20.

LAST WEEK: 4-4 (I missed the pregame briefing at the Hong Kong.)

SEASON: 7-5, .583 (Heading back over .600 thanks to the inspiration of the Supreme Pontiff.