Football fever soars to its mysterious heights with every first autumn chill and the advent of an opening game, regardless of the team's prospects for the coming season. In the years just past these prospects have been dubious, to say the least, with strained optimism frequently buoying up the hopes that some heavy tackle now to the squad "will pan out later" or some tolerable looking passer "will complete a few in actual combat." This year the optimism is not strained. While leveller heads will insist that every team in the country is loaded, that the best bet on nine out of any tea games this fall will be even money, and that the Crimson in particular may, well be outweighed by every eleven it faces, even Western Maryland and Dartmouth, the average follower of Dick Harlow's 1947 forces is bound to succumb to a feeling of exuberant hope.

For one thing, there are many familiar faces on Soldiers Field from three Successful Crimson teams of last year. A Varsity which won seven of nine games has returned 20 lettermen, including the outstanding halfback threat Thomas (Chip) Gannon, who runs best to port and hurls passes lefthanded. There is six-foot-three 200-pound plunging fullback Captain Vince Moraveo who averaged six yards a line buck in one contest last fall when a three-yard plunge for a touchdown brought his average down, and whose virtual loss from the Yale game with an Injury was a mortal blow to the team. There is Ken O'Donnell, brother of last fall's captain Cleo, who played only on the defense last season because his arm was in a cast and earned his cognomen "radar" as one of the leading pass-Interceptors in the country, and who this year shapes up as a potential runner and passer on the offense. Returning also are such capable performers, in the 1946 backfield as Leo Flynn, Paul Lazzaro, Jim Noonan, Paul Shafer, Bill Henry, and Frank Miklos.

There are several other sources of talent. From last year's Freshman team, seatback Hal Moffle and potential passing threat Jim Kenary have already become important cogs in the new backfield. "Fleet Gibby Warren, who showed well in the B. C. scrimmage, comes from the Jayvees, while halfback Chuck Roche, star of the 1945 informal team, returns to action. From Tufts as a transfer student comes 210-pound fullbacks Sam Adams.

Dick Harlow will have this wealth of backfield material to draw from in filling such vacancies as that left by last year's captain Cico O'Donnell, but his line is harder hit. Gone are star tackles Eddie Davis and Ned Dewey and outstanding center and the line-backer Jack Fisher, and these men will be hard to replace. Candidates for the tackle positions are speedy Howie Houston, 215-pound Chester Pierce, Ron Garvey, and Dean Markham from among the lettermen, Doug Bradlee and Alan Stone from the class of '50, and big John Gorczynski, a transfer from Pitt and St. Louis University who was ineligible last year.

Prospects for the vital center slot are letterman Chuck Glynn, and former Freshmen Bill Hickey and Don Stone. The latter attracted favorable attention in the B. C. scrimmage. At guard there are several excellent prospects, including last fall's regulars Emil Dravaric and Nick Rodis, strong contender Bob Drennan, and scrappy Jim Feinberg among the lettermen, 1945 regular Howie Foster, and last year's Freshman captain Dick Guidera.

Heavy competition among a number of good players shapes up too for the starting end assignments. Experienced Varsity wingmen John Fiorentino, Wally Flynn, and Walt Coulson are supplemented by lettermen Tom Felt and Bob Kennedy. Also rising from the ranks are former Jayvee Red Hill and last year's glue-fingered Freshman Armando (Stretch) Mazzone.

Naturally the true test of this team will come under actual playing conditions, and year after year the pre-season speculators are ruthlessly contradicted by the passage of time. But if the lengthy scrimmage in the Stadium Saturday against Boston College is any indication, the 1947 Crimson outlook is favorable. The Eagles' 228-pound live and classy quarterback Ed Clasby notwithstanding, it is giving them the better of it to call that contest a draw.