If Democrats could establish a parallel between predictions about the Presidential race and about Harvard football games, then there would be no question but that Adlai Stevenson will be the next President of the United States.
For the fourth time in five games this season, the eight-point favored Crimson made the "experts" look ridiculous by dropping its third game of the season, 28 to 14, to a hard-hitting University of Pennsylvania eleven. Previously, the varsity had beaten Cornell, when it was picked to lose, and lost to Tufts and Columbia when favored to win.
Much has been said about the "battered" men of Penn, who had lost 19 straight games before beating Dartmouth this season, and who just one week ago had been trounced by Navy, 54 to 6. On the Harvard Stadium field Saturday, however, the ones who were battered were Lloyd Jordan's men, and not Steve Sebo's.
Penn Line Dominates
Led by a sophomore-dominated line, which was as strong as the Crimson will face in its remaining three games--against Princeton, Brown and Yale--Penn was always ahead, and except for some tense moments in the fourth period, never was in trouble.
The sluggish Crimson team did an adequate job offensively, with Walt Stahura and Babe Simourian once again standing out. Each scored a touchdown, and each played almost the whole game, although Stahura had to be taken out at the end with a knee injury.
But the defense, certainly not the Crimson's strongest point this season, was its poorest ever. The forward wall was constantly outcharged, allowing the Quakers to collect 231 yards on the ground, and the varsity pass defense, performing with its usual looseness, allowed Penn to complete two touchdown passes.
The loyal Crimson fan, however, was not overly surprised by the varsity's showing Saturday, for while Harvard may have been favored, a good number of fans, knowing the team's performances in the past when a "big" game was coming up, secretly expected a loss.
Thus, with this reasoning, Harvard should defeat Princeton and Yale, and lose to Brown, just as it won its "big" games against Cornell and Dartmouth, while losing on alternate Saturdays to Tufts and Columbia.
The turning point in the game was the start of the fourth period, with Penn leading 21 to 14. The Crimson had just scored after a 15-play march, but Penn, sparked by Frank Riepl's 40-yard run, had a first down on the Crimson four-yard line. Everyone in the Stadium knew another touchdown would clinch the game, while a successful goal line stand could give the Crimson impetus for the tying touchdown.
On the first play, Neil Hyland tried the left end, but Jim Joslin, coming up from the secondary, stopped him cold. Again, quarterback Dick Ross gave it to Hyland through the left side, and again Joslin hit him, this time on the two. On third down, and two to go, Joslin crashed through, and hit a frustrated Hyland, back on the five, for a three-yard loss.
So with every fan on his feet, Penn lined up for the fourth down attempt, just five yards from the goal. The Quakers moved into a single-wing formation, and Riepl took the snap from center, and tossed a lofty pass to quarterback Ross, free on the goal line.
If it were a mistake not to expect a pass in that situation, then the Crimson also made a mistake in winning the toss at the start and electing to take the wind at its back, and thus kick off, rather than receive. For Penn took the kick-off and moved straight to a touchdown. Hyland had returned the kick to the Harvard 47 on a great run, and 12 plays later Ross sneaked from the two.
The key play in this drive was a fourth-down-and-eight-to-go pass on the Crimson 33 from Riepl to Ross, good for a first down on the 21. This was the same play used in the fourth period for a score.
Later in the same period, after Penn had intercepted a Simouran pass at midfield, the Quakers moved in eight plays for a score. The touchdown was a 20-yard pass from Ross to end Dick Schaefer all alone in the end zone. Actually, Ross' bootleg execution fooled the whole defense, allowing Schaefer to get beyond both Simourian and Joslin.
In the second period, Harvard, which had been attempting to pass with little success, decided to concentrate on its ground attack. It scored in 12 plays on a 75-yard drive. Stahura led this march, carrying the ball five times, including the final one for the touchdown. With a third and two on the nine, Strahura, out of a single-wing set-up, cut around right end for the score.
Hyland Scores
But with incredible speed, Penn scored its third touchdown, only two minutes later. After Hyland returned the kick to Harvard's 46, Hyland smashed off left tackle for 14 yards, and two plays later, carried around end, down to the one yard line, before Stahura forced him out. Hyland went over for the touchdown himself. Riepl kicked the third of his four extra points and Penn led at the half, 21 to 14.
The third period was Harvard's best. It retained possession of the ball for most of the quarter, and moved for its last touchdown. It was a well-earned touch-down, with Simourian, who did most of the running, finally scoring on a plunge from the two.
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