Football Wins One With Flair

HANOVER, N.H.--The Harvard football team's 20-7 domination of the Big Green marked its second straight victory in Hanover, the first time in the modern history of the rivalry that has happened.

But behind the impressive statistics Harvard (4-3, 3-1 Ivy) laid down were a number of sub-plots that gave a little Halloween drama to this otherwise tepid rout.

Wilford's Cameo

Junior quarterback Brad Wilford, who came in as a halftime replacement for junior Rich Linden in the 20-14 win over Holy Cross, got one series in the first quarter.

Wilford entered with 2:41 remaining and misfired on his first pass. On third-and-10, he threw a fireball that sophomore receiver Josh Wilske caught out of fear for 12 yards and a first down.

Wilford had another first-down pass, a 13-yarder to junior running back Chris Menick, but he could not convert on a second third-down opportunity. The drive went 36 yards, so Wilford showed again that he can lead the team in a substitute role.

"I planned on doing it before the game--him getting a series in," Harvard Coach Tim Murphy said. "It's basically a reward, it's basically we have confidence in him, and if he was playing any other position, he'd be playing a lot."

Wilford completed 10-of-16 passes for 98 yards after subbing in for Linden against the Crusaders and sparked the offense.

But last week against Princeton, Linden started, and he responded to the benching with his best game of the season, 15-of-28 for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Wilford did not get any playing time.

Give and Take

For the second consecutive week, the Crimson won the turnover battle, collecting a fumble and forcing two late interceptions to seal the win.

Last week against Princeton, Harvard converted a third-quarter fumble into junior placekicker Mike Giampaolo's game-tying field goal, then junior defensive back Ben Green's interception snuffed out a potential game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter.

Saturday, Big Green punter Wayne Schlobohm took a snap in Dartmouth territory off one hop but could not get off a kick and carried left. The ball inexplicably popped out, Garo Yepremian style, with the nearest defender several yards away.

Junior linebacker Jeff Svicarovich recovered at the Dartmouth 32-yard line with 0:42 remaining in the first half, and Giampaolo kicked a 34-yard field goal for a 10-0 halftime lead.

Although the Crimson's prevent defense allowed Dartmouth 130 fourth-quarter yards, interceptions by junior safety Aron Natale and senior safety Derek Yankoff deep in Harvard territory stopped two Big Green drives.

Junior running back Chris Menick did have a brief butterfingers relapse, losing the ball on a pitch right in the first quarter. But overeager Dartmouth end Dan Hutchinson booted the loose ball while attempting to scoop it up. He kicked it 15 yards downfield, where the Crimson managed to recover.

Harvard has now gone eight quarters since turning the ball over, and quarterbacks Linden and Wilford have not been intercepted since a 21-17 loss to Lehigh in Week Three. In fact, Harvard has not been intercepted in a win this season and has a plus-five takeaway ratio in its four straight wins.

I Wish I Were Special

Special teams were once again good-news, bad-news for the Crimson.

On the bright side, Giampaolo was good on both his field goal tries, a wobbly 34-yarder that was on its last legs as it cleared the crossbar and a much sharper 43-yarder that had a good ten yards to spare and tied his career long.

His punts averaged a capable 36 yards-per-kick but got a great deal of help from a 48-yard bouncer in the second.

Sophomore running back Chuck Nwokocha provided some spark returning kickoffs, getting 62 yards on two runbacks, including a 36-yarder on the opening kickoff which provided the field position for Harvard's first touchdown drive.

But for one week, the Crimson seemed to miss Colby Skelton '98's punt returns more than it did his pass receptions. Junior Terence Patterson only returned two Schlobohm's seven punts, and those for a measly nine yards.

Two second quarter punts that Patterson let fall were downed at the Harvard 5- and 1-yard lines, resulting in three-and-out drives.

Wilske OK

Harvard got a scare in the fourth quarter when sophomore receiver Josh Wilske was injured and had to be helped off the field. He was blocking on a run by junior running back Chris Menick.

"He is going to be OK," said Harvard Coach Tim Murphy after the game. "I mean, he got whacked good, and I think he might have been out cold, but I just talked to him down there, and he's completely coherent."

Wilske has emerged as Linden's favorite target and leads the Crimson in receptions with 29 and receiving yards with 330. Wilske finished with six catches for 53 yards Saturday.