Harvard's 1942 gridiron campaign opens with an explosion of fireworks this afternoon when an inexperienced Crimson eleven crashes head-on into Lt. Commdr. Jimmy Crowley's squad of seasoned and hardened football experts. Recruited from All-American and professional ranks, the North Carolina pre-flight school has gathered together a talent-laden powerful aggregation which, on paper, looks to be well out of the class of any college team.

The Navy has a tradition of playing to win--the-come-back-with-your-shield-or-on-it spirit--which, combined with the determination of the as yet untested Crimson eleven to give a good account of itself in its first encounter, should make for a fine ball game.

Resplendent in shining gold pants and blue jerseys, the Navy pranced onto the Stadium grass yesterday with all the spirit of a high school squad, and ran through signals in a snappy, precise manner. Earlier the Crimson, with an equal amount of zip and drive, had pranced through plays, and had a look at some of Crowley's favorites. After the signal drills, sideline observers expressed the opinion that, while the Crimson gridders were more skilled at handling the pigskin, the Cloudbusters had it all over them in individual power and ability.

Opinion No Surprise

That conclusion is no surprise to anyone, for not one of the starting team today was on the line at the opening kickoff in the Yale game last fall. Gone is the stalwart line that proved itself impervious to all the big guns such teams as the Midshipmen could muster last year; a forward wall which many dubbed the greatest in Harvard history. And in its place today there is a front line which boasts only three lettermen; three are Sophomores, and the other, Len Cummings, was on pro last year.

At the pivot post, lanky Jack Fisher should give a good account of himself for all his lack of game experience. Flanking him will be two more second-year men, chunky Sid Smith and Boston's Charlie Gudaitis, whose Cinderella rise to the first-string end on Chief Boston's Yardling eleven last year caught the fan- cies of the in-town sports editors.

George Hibbard, first-line sub for mammoth Vern Miller, and Russ Stannard, who should be one of the stand-out linemen in the nation this year, will be the bulwarks of the emerald barrier, while acting Captain Bill Barnes and Cummings, subbing for injured Don Forte, complete the roster. Whether they can stand up under the block-busters that Sleepy Jim will hurl at them is yet to be seen.

Behind the line Swede Anderson should continue to hit with crushing force; he has been throwing crisp and accurate blocks all fall, and should ably fill the shoes of George Heiden.

Stacked up against the array of luminaries in blue and gold, the Crimson becomes a prohibitive short-ender. But the Harlowmen have played the role of the "hopeless underdog" many times before this, and more than once have hammered out an upset that left the experts hanging on the ropes