Linden Expected to Start vs. Princeton

The Harvard football team's 20-14 overtime victory last Saturday marked the end of the Crimson's non-Ivy League schedule. It marked the end of games Harvard can lose and still repeat as Ivy champions. And it marked the end of junior Rich Linden's unquestioned tenure as starting quarterback.

Tomorrow, Harvard (2-3, 1-1 Ivy) travels to brand new Princeton Stadium to battle the Ivy-leading Tigers (3-2, 2-0 Ivy). A victory launches the Crimson into the thick of the title hunt.

A loss at Princeton tomorrow would be Harvard's second in the Ivy League and would virtually terminate any title hopes. Only two times has a team with two losses won the Ivy championship, and there was a tie at the top both of those years.

"Everyone is aware that this is a big game," junior tailback Chris Menick said. "Not only is it Harvard-Princeton, but we can knock Princeton out of first place."

Harvard will enter an environment unlike any it encounters except for the Yale game. The Harvard players said they expect a sell-out crowd to greet them at Princeton's new stadium. The crowd should motivate both sides in the game.

"This is it. We are in control of our own destiny," Linden said. "Harvard-Princeton is almost as good as Harvard-Yale."

The biggest question for Harvard this weekend has been at starting quarterback. Despite energizing the Crimson offense by completing 10-of-16 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown in the second half, junior Brad Wilford will probably remain the backup quarterback, according to two offensive players.

Coach Tim Murphy is likely to stay loyal to Linden, who has started since his freshman year. He is only averaging 95.2 passing yards per game this year, however. Linden threw 10 passes in the first half Saturday and completed five for 50 yards before getting replaced.

"We are going to have to throw the ball to win," Linden said. "I am still confident in my ability as a quarterback."

Whoever starts will have to contend with a very aggressive Princeton defense that executes its system well. The Tigers blitz heavily and vary their formations to confuse and overwhelm the offense and have two shutouts this year.

The scheme has resulted in a fearsome pass rush. The Tigers have already recorded 26 sacks this year after recording 29.5 in 1997. Junior defensive end David Ferrara has led the way, bringing down the quarterback 8.5 times.

However, the Tigers also graduated the bulk of their secondary. Because of Princeton's blitz-heavy package, teams have been able to throw the ball effectively if they can avoid the pass rush. Princeton has allowed an average of 260.8 yards per game through the air, including 442 yards in a wild 31-17 win over Brown.

"We know their defense is very good," Linden said. "They know their scheme very well, but we should be ready to go."

If the passing attack stalls, Harvard will be hard pressed to compensate with the run.

The true strength of the Princeton defense lies in its ability to stop the rush. Opposing teams have run for a mere 56.4 yards against the Tigers--second overall in Division I-AA. That translates to just 1.9 yards per carry.

Harvard is still likely to feature star Menick. Menick has finally regaining last year's form and rushed for 167 yards against Holy Cross and 176 the week the before against Cornell. Menick has moved into third place on the Crimson's all-time rushing list.

The game may revolve around Harvard's ability to run. Holy Cross boasted a strong rushing defense, and Menick was able to carve through that defense for two rushing touchdowns, including the 16-yard game-winner in overtime.

Menick has really been sprung with the cohesion of Harvard's offensive line. The elephants up front have finally coalesced into a unit opening holes for the run and giving Linden and Wilford time to throw the ball.

"The offensive line is doing a real good job," Menick said. "They have really worked hard in practice and put the intensity needed to win. My job is to follow them."

The Princeton attack features a revitalized rushing game with no clear number one running back. Four players--senior Nathan McGlothlin, juniors Derek Theisen and Damien Taylor, and sophomore Kyle Brandt--have each taken turns leading the team in rushing. This four-headed monster is on pace for 1,322 yards, which would be the Tigers' highest total since Keith Elias racked up 1,731 in 1993.

The passing half of the offense does not impress as much as the rushing. Senior quarterback John Burnham has quietly had a fine season, his first as a starter. He has only thrown one interception in regulation play for his career but has thrown two in overtime.

"Overall, we are not focusing on the passing game," senior cornerback Glen Jackson said. "We are just trying to shut everything down."

The Harvard defense has really come alive and asserted itself over the past couple of weeks. Led by captain Brendan Bibro and junior linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski, the Crimson defense shut the Crusaders' attack down in the second half. It allowed only one touchdown, which came off a fumble return to Harvard's 11-yard line, and 73 total yards of offense. The defense held Holy Cross to three-and-out in overtime.

"Over the last weeks, we have really brought it together," Jackson said. "We are starting to work well as a team."

Harvard has really improved its play over the past two weeks. After a miserable 0-3 start, the Crimson is gathering some momentum thanks to a two-game winning streak.

The Crimson will need to sustain all that momentum and more in order to win at Princeton Stadium, which is expected to be packed with 27,800 screaming fans.

"This is the most important game of the season right now," Jackson said. "With the atmosphere in the building, we are all the more excited."

If that atmosphere echoes through the stadium when the final whistle blows, those fans will not only be cheering a Tiger victory but also the effective end to Harvard's title defense.