A Few Gridiron Ponderings

Reflections on an opening day debacle:

* Does Harvard's 20-13 overtime loss to Columbia bring back unpleasant memories of a year ago? Perhaps, but it's far too early to start drawing those comparisons. Saturday's game at Baker Field was just the first of 10 this season.

Yes, the Crimson (0-1, 0-1 Ivy) blew a 13-0 halftime lead and has many areas work on, but plenty of positives came out of this one as well. Relax, Crimson fans, this is not last year's team.

* Outstanding is the best way to describe Harvard's defense. The Crimson's front four controlled the line of scrimmage all afternoon, and the linebackers were making plays all over the field.

How 'bout some stats: A mere 186 yards of total offense for Columbia, including a woeful 53 yards on the ground, three sacks, fumble and an interception. Yeah, but the Crimson gave up 20 points, you say. True, but 10 of those points came off of turnovers, one on Harvard's own 19-yard line.

Overall, a splendid defensive performance.

* Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers...oh yeah, and one more turnover. Harvard gave up the ball four times on Saturday (three interceptions and a fumble), and you can't win many games doing that. The Crimson must do a better job of holding onto the ball if it is to make a run at the Ivy League title.

* Harvard's offense did an excellent job of capitalizing on turnovers, converting their two takeaways into 10 points. However, they must improve their scoring in the red zone.

The Crimson twice had to settle for field goal attempts after having first-and-goal situations; either instance could have yielding six points instead. The game should have never gone into overtime.

* And how about the tale of the tape, football, style: Harvard outgained Columbia in total yards 312 to 186 and had a whopping 244 yards rushing. But the only stat that counts is points, and the Lions had the edge in that department.

Some key individual performances:

* Let's start on the defensive side of the ball where a couple of freshmen wasted no time in making their presence felt. Isaiah Kacyvenski anchored a stellar linebacking crops and led the team with six tackles and three assists.

Meanwhile strong safety Aron Natale recorded 5 tackles and an assist of his own including a sack of Columbia quarterback Bobby Thomason which resulted in a fumble recovered by the Crimson.

* The youth movement continued on offense where freshman running back Chris Menick seems poised to take the reigns of the Harvard running game from the stellar Eion Hu. Menick rushed for 91 yards on 25 carries and showed a knack for finding the hole.

* In his first career, start, junior quarterback Jay Snowden had a disappointing day (10 of 24, 68 yards, three interceptions). However, he did showcase his outstanding mobility and superb arm strength. Give this guy a couple of weeks to get comfortable in the staring role, and watch him emerge to put up some good numbers.

* Despite special team difficulties, don't overlook sophomore place kicker Ryan Korinke's fine performance. Korinke made field goals of 23 and 38 yards and put some kickoffs deep into the end zone. What about the block, you ask? Simple. Not his fault.

* Finally, congratulations to senior running back Eion Hu on becoming Harvard's all-time leading rusher with another fabulous display of power and athleticism. Hu amassed 118 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries to bring his career rushing yard total to 2,230

In characteristic fashion, Hu had said the record didn't matter to him without a victory and gave all the credit to his offensive line. Always humble and consistently dominant, the greatest running back in Harvard's 123 yards of football deserves all the accolades he receives--and he also deserves the only thing he wants, an Ivy League championship.