Harvard Delivers Offensive Barrage

Harvard's thrashing of Holy Cross Saturday brings it to 4-1 on the season, a mark it has not enjoyed since 1987, which, coincidentally, is also the last year a Harvard team captured the Ivy League title.

If you like smash-mouthed, high-action football, Saturday did not disappoint. As a team, the ninth-rated Crimson offense churned out 623 yards and 33 first downs Saturday, both all-time Harvard records.

This came on the behemoth shoulders of sophomore halfback Chris Menick, who himself turned in the second-best rushing performance in Harvard history.

Menick's 261 yards on 34 carries ranks behind only the 323-yard performance by Matt Johnson '92 in 1991. Menick has tallied 626 yards through five games and is clearly on pace to become only the third 1000-yard rusher in Harvard history.

Menick carried the ball on 34 of 60 rushing attempts, had three rushing touchdowns, and with his two receptions, saw the ball on more than a third of Harvard's 97 plays from scrimmage. But Harvard's version of the clydesdale could not be slowed.

"Tired is mental," Menick said. "If you convince yourself you're not tired, you feel a little better out there... If its up to me, I want to stay in [the game]."

This wrecking-ball running game was complemented by yet another superb performance by sophomore quarterback Rich Linden and the receiving core.

Linden completed 21 passes on 37 attempts for 272 yards and a touchdown Saturday, bolstering his 148.2 quarter back rating entering the game, which placed him 16th among Division I-AA passers.

After suffering from a barrage of aerial attacks in previous weeks, the Crimson secondary was forced to step up in a big way, as the Crusaders threw the ball 44 times Saturday.

Furthermore Harvard's pass rush could record only one sack on the day, and rarely put pressure on the Crusaders' quarterback-by-committee scheme in which three players saw significant action.

The secondary, however, responded to the challenge. The backs yielded only one pass play of more than 21 yards on the day, and only three plays of more than 12 yards.

The day was highlighted by a fine performance out of junior cornerback Glenn Jackson, whose diving knockdown on a fourth-quarter slant play likely saved a touchdown.

As it has throughout the season, the offensive line opened the way for the offensive assault.

Whenever the line has been able to keep defenders out of the backfield to allow Linden time to throw and Menick space to pick a hole, the offense has clicked.

Linden is not an exceptionally mobile quarterback, and when the pocket has broken down, Linden has looked awkward and more often than not, goes down with the ball.

Evidence of this is the four sacks Linden endured Saturday in a game in which he rarely seemed under duress.

"The offensive line [was very important today]. I had a lot of time to throw the ball, and that opens up so much for us," Linden said.

At times, Linden did look better when in trouble Saturday, in part due to a well-conceived scouting report. Linden tucked the ball for substantial gains several times in the first half, including one of 16 yards.

"The coaches mentioned that [Holy Cross's] linebackers have a tendency to fly out [wide on the field]," Linden said. "So we talked that there might be huge [holes in the middle]."

Among the few areas of concern after Saturday's contest is the injury and depth situation, especially on offense. After losing several linemen in previous weeks, junior starting tight end Chris Eitzmann went down with a medial collateral ligament sprain, leaving senior Tom Giardi as the Crimson's only experienced threat at that position. Giardi stepped into the role quickly, making four catches for 46 yards and the Crimson's lone receiving touchdown Saturday.

However the tight end has been a featured receiver in the Crimson attack. Linden has completed 14 passes to the his tight end this season, accounting for four of Harvard's 10 passing touchdowns.

Giardi will have to continue to play well at this crucial, and now quite shallow, position if Eitzmann's loss is not to be sorely felt.

The tale of the tape: aiding Harvard's dominance of both lines Saturday may have been long sittings at the training table and simple physics.

Harvard's offensive line, which averages 278 pounds, outweighed Holy Cross' defensive line by almost 50 pounds per man, while the Crimson's defensive line actually outweighed the Crusader's offensive unit by about six pounds per player.