Gridders to Invade Ithaca

If recent history repeats itself, today's Harvard-Cornell football game at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, N.Y. will be decided by some funny bounces.

Two years ago, the Crimson Express was on its way to an 8-2 season and an undisputed Ivy League title. But its stop in Ithaca was nothing but a heartbreak. Leading 17-15 in the last two minutes of the game, the Crimson was forced to punt the ball away. A few plays later, wide receiver Shaun Hawkins played hot potato with the ball in the end zone before clutching the desperation pass for the dramatic, go-ahead touchdown.

Harvard's 29-17 loss two years ago was topped last year at the Stadium, when the Crimson's hopes for another Ivy title run vanished as swiftly as the snaps which flew over the head of Harvard punter Alan Hall. Two poor snaps gave Cornell two fourthquarter safeties, four points--just enough to win, 19-17.

And today, Harvard (1-3 overall, 1-0 Ivy) looks to avenge those two losses--those funny bounces--against the only team in the Ivy League it has not beaten in the last two years. In fact, Harvard has not been victorious against the Big Red (2-1, 0-0) in four years--a fact Harvard Coach Joe Restic would like to change and, in the process, pick up his 99th career victory.

While Harvard has been involved in run 'n gun, high-scoring affairs--with most of the scoring being done by its opponents--Cornell has been relying on the controlled running and short passes of quarterback Chris Cochrane and a solid defense, led by All-American linebacker Mitch Lee and the best secondary in the Ivy League.

Cochrane rushed for 57 yards in the Big Red's 24-23 win over Lafayette last week, but he has passed for only 346 yards and two touchdowns this season. The junior signal-caller has also thrown eight interceptions. The Cornell offense is geared around the ground attack of fullback John McNiff (58 rushes, 254 yards), halfback Rob Buccini (30--109) and Cochrane (18--71). The Crimson defense has had trouble stopping the rush this season, allowing an incredible 240 yards per game on the ground at a clip of 4.7 yards per carry.

But it is Cornell's defense which draws rave reviews from Ivy League pundits. Lee was listed by The Sporting News as the best linebacker in Division I-AA. This year, Lee has already recorded 42 tackles, two sacks and one blocked kick in the Big Red's first three games against Bucknell, Northeastern and Lafayette.

Cornebacks Paul Tully and All-Ivy Evan Parke, and safeties Mike Brown and Eugene Dallas form the most experienced defensive backfield in the Ivies. Both Tully and Parke started last year, while Brown and Dallas saw extensive playing time as well. The quartet could provide headaches for Harvard quarterback Tim Perry, who is ranked 20th in I-AA in total offense (215.3 yards per game).

Restic likes to run the ball--and against the Big Red, it's probably the best strategy--but his 1989 Crimson squad has had a nonexistent running game, at least since halfback Jim Reidy went down with an ankle injury three weeks ago. Amazingly, Reidy is still the club's leading rusher (28--166), despite missing three of the club's first four games. The senior running back made the trip up to Ithaca Thursday and is listed as questionable for today's game.

And without a running game, Harvard's burden of scoring points--and with the defense surrendering 37 points per game, it has been a burden of Atlas-like proportions--falls squarely on the right arm of Perry. The senior quarterback has passed for 844 yards and seven touchdowns, but has also thrown seven interceptions and has still not developed the ability to avoid the sack.

Perry's favorite target, receiver Mark Bianchi, who dislocated his finger last week against Lehigh, also made the trip with the squad and is likely to play today.

Today marks the first Ivy-only slate of the season. In the three other Ivy games of the day, Penn hosts Brown, Columbia travels to Princeton, and Yale hits the road for the first time of the season when it faces Dartmouth.

On the Ivy League leaders board, Harvard is the team's top offensive team, thanks to a 460-yd. day against the Lions during the first week of the season. The Elis are the top defensive club in the league, having allowed only 210 yards against the Bruins.

Columbia tight end Matt Less already has 19 receptions in two Ivy games, although the Lions have yet to win a game.

Princeton's Judd Garrett has racked up 376 yards in two games and is the league's leading rusher. Penn's Bryan Keys is second with 147 yards.

The Columbia game propelled Perry to the top of the quarterback leader board. Perry completed 10 of 14 passes against the Lions, good enough for a rating of 152.