Isaacson Makes Honor Roll

Senior fullback Nick Isaacson gained over 100 yards for the first time in his Harvard career last Saturday, and his performance didn't go unnoticed.

Isaacson rolled over Columbia for 124 yards on 15 carries, and although he failed to get into the endzone in the game, he did get onto this week's Ivy League honor roll.

The Milton, Wis. native, who said he likes to run inside, but also would love to take the ball outside, spun his way past the Lions' dizzy defense all day, and led Harvard to the best team rushing performance in the Ancient Eight last weekend.

The Crimson's plethora of backs (and of course, senior quarterback Mike Giardi) gained a league-high 337 yards on the ground against Columbia.

The conference's most impressive individual performance of the weekend, however, took place in Princeton, N.J. Tiger senior Keith Elias led the nation in rushing last season, and he lived up to that standard in his first game of this year.

Elias ate through the Cornell defense for 188 yards (including a career-best 72 yard touchdown run) and scored 12 of the Tigers' 18 points, while garnering offensive player of the week honors for his work.

On the other side of the ball, Brown linebacker senior Todd Hunter was named defensive player of the week for his interception, fumble recovery and nine solo tackles at the Yale Bowl.

Hunter and the entire Brown defense held the Elis to three points and sparked the Bears' 12-3 victory in New Haven last weekend.

And although freshman were eligible for the rookie of the week award this year for the first time ever, Pennsylvania sophomore defensive back Kevin Allen won the honor for his play in his first varsity start. Allen made a key interception of Dartmouth quarterback Jay Fiedler to seal the Quakers' 10-6 upset of the Big Green.

With that loss everyone's preseason favorite, Dartmouth, finds itself at the bottom of the Ancient Eight standings.

Ironically, perpetual doormat Brown is at the top of those standings.

Talk about a reversal of fortune.

In the first game of his last season, Harvard Coach Joe Restic saw his Multiflex offense look as good as it has in a long time.

Giardi received impeccable protection from the offensive line and executed Restic's offense to esoteric perfection, using playaction passes and the option to keep Columbia back on its heels.

After the game, Restic said Giardi allows him to pull out all the stops and show off the Mutliflex's dizzying complexity.

"How much of the Multiflex you put in at once depends on the quarterback that is in there," Restic said. "Mike Giardi will give you as much as you want."

Restic also said he was very pleased with the way Harvard dealt with the Columbia attack.

Although the Lions did break some big plays against the Crimson, Restic said, "When I looked at the scoreboard at the end, they only had three up there and that's what it's all about."