Who's Hu? Easy Answer Now

Every cloud has a silver lining. Harvard's bright spot during an otherwise dismal edition of The Game was Eion Hu.

Who's Hu? After this just-ended 1994 season, that question won't be asked too often.

A tailback who made his varsity debut this season, Hu should be a lock for Ivy League Rookie of the Year after rushing for 145 yards on 36 carries and scoring two touchdowns against Yale today.

The Leverett sophomore finished with 1,011 yards on the year, one of the best rushing seasons in Harvard football history. He became the second back ever to eclipse the 1000-yard mark.

With 11 touchdowns on the year, Hu also came close to the single-season record of 13, set by Mike Giardi '94 in 1991.

Still, records mean little to Hu now. He expressed disappointment after the 111th Game.

"I just felt really bad for the seniors," Hu said. "A lot of them were crying and there's nothing I could have done. I wanted to win this football game for all the seniors because it was their last game. I really appreciate how well the senior linemen have done for me. Without them, I wouldn't have broken a thousand yards this year. I really appreciate that. I am really going to miss them., I am just going to miss them a lot for the next two years."

Powerhouse on Offense

But Harvard's loss to Yale certainly cannot be blamed on Hu. With first-string quarterback

Vin Ferrara out and the Yale defense visibly geared toward stopping Hu, the 5'10", 195-pound New Jersey native played key roles on both of the Harvard scoring drives, and he almost singlehandedly drove the offense in the second half.

"If we did the same thing in the first half that we did in the second half, it would have been a much closer game," Hu said. "It would come down to the wire."

"In the first half, the linemen were making holes, I just wasn't hitting them," Hu said. "It was the 'big' Yale game and I was very nervous. In the second half, they were doing the same thing. I think our lineman had one of their better days and they weren't able to stop us. Then we did stupid things to end drives."

"He runs as hard as anyone in the league," Said Harvard coach Tim Murphy, who has been on Hu's bandwagon since the beginning of the season. In fact, when told by Harvard Sports Information Director John Veneziano that Hu had broken the 1,000-yard mark, Murphy was over-joyed.

"That's great, John," Murphy said. "I am really happy."

A look at Harvard's scoring drive in the third quarter, which pulled the Crimson to within 19-13, is indicative of Hu's stellar play.

Hu up the middle for nine. Hu around right end for one. Hu to the right for six. Hu to the right for seven. Two plays to backfield mate Kweli Thompson. Then back to Hu, this time for an 18-yard touchdown run around left.

After the grueling drive, the workhorse Hu fell to his knees gasping for breath on the sideline.

Although Harvard lost The Game and ended its season on a disappointing note, Crimson fans may be destined to hear more from Hu.

Named the WHRB Harvard Player of the Year at the conclusion of Saturday's contest, Hu can now look forward to two more seasons with the Crimson.

At the very least, everyone now knows who's Hu.