Gridders Heading For Tough Time In Pennsylvania

You don't have to be a football genius to know that the odds are against Harvard this afternoon when it takes on Pennsylvania.

You don't have to know that the Quakers have a better record than the Crimson.

You don't have to know that Pennsylvania has fared significantly better than Harvard against every single common opponent between the two teams this year.

And you don't have to know that the Quakers are coming into the game after a close, heartbreaking 20-14 loss to league-leading Princeton, a team which thrashed the Crimson earlier this season.

All you have to know is that the game is being played at Penn's Franklin Field. Period.

Throughout the years, the Harvard-Pennsylvania game has had an eerily strong tendency to go to the home team. In fact, not since 1980, when the Gipper and Nancy were beginning to move their china into the White House, has a visiting team been victorious. In that year, the Crimson knocked off the Quakers, 28-17.

Despite the pattern of history, though, Harvard (2-6 overall, 2-3 Ivy) probably has a better chance of knocking off the Quakers than it has all season. This week, the Crimson has momentum.

The team is coming off of a 29-19 victory over Brown last weekend, a win which snapped a six-game Harvard losing streak and assured that the Crimson wouldn't end the season in the cellar.

But Pennsylvania will be a tough team to top. The Quakers are 5-3 on the year and 3-2 in league play. Even more, they are 3-1 at home.

Hold Back the Rush

To win, Harvard's rush defense--which has performed well this year--will need to stop Pennsylvania senior running back Sundiata Rush. Rush ranks third in the league in rushing behind Yale's Keith Price and Princeton's Keith Elias as he has run for 600 yards on 120 carries in five games in league play this season.

Also, it will have to neutralize Quaker quarterback Jim McGeehan who, despite putting up mediocre numbers, has put in a few solid performances for Pennsylvania.

But, if anything, the key for Harvard will be its ability to make the Multi-Flex do what it did against Brown last week: flex.

Ranked Third in 'D'

Though Harvard junior quarterback MIke Giardi confused and outwitted Brown last week, the Quakers' defense has been dominant this year. It's ranked third in the league in team defense, having given up only 296.6 yards a game in five league games.

Furthermore, Penn has ranked fourth in Division I-AA in overall defense through all of its games this season.

Despite the home-field disadvantage and despite the relative strength of the Quakers, though, when Harvard dons its Crimson helmets and its greenish-gold pants this afternoon, it can take solace in one simple fact: win or lose, there's always the Yale game.

And it's at home.

SPORTS CUBE PREDICTS Jay K. Varma, Sports Editor Harvard  14 Pennsylvania  10 Julian E. Barnes, President Pennsylvania  10 Harvard  7 Sean Wissman, Sports Staff Writer Pennsylvania  31 Harvard  7 Dante E.A. Ramos, Design Editor Pennsylvania  34 Harvard  20