The Crimson football team vaulted into a tie for third place in the Ivy League Saturday, when it staved off a fourth quarter rally by Columbia, pushed over two touchdowns itself, and went on to win, 38 to 22. The Lion threat to repeat Cornell's upset victory of the previous week toughened the lax and complacent Crimson eleven, and irked it into running up the highest Crimson score since the varsity's 60-6 win over Massachusetts in 1955.

As in all its games this year, the Crimson picked up an early lead in the first half, and then came out in the second lethargically daring the opposition to catch up. Columbia capitalized on the second half hangover with two scores, whittling the Crimson lead to six points.

With 12,000 fans loudly voicing their fear of another upset, the Crimson finally revived. Halfback Larry Repsher gathered in the kickoff, scampered up the sidelines to the 40 yard line, and set off a scoring drive which put the game happily out of reach. Charlie Ravenel accounted for the last 12 yards with an electrifying sprint off left tackle.

Less than two minutes later, guard Bill Swinford picked off a Lion pass at midfield, and carrying the ball like a loaf of bread, sped to the Columbia 19. On the next play Bruce MacIntyre slammed through a gaping hole in the Lion defense and cut through to the goal line.

Maclntyre Scores

As the crowd moved to the exits, the Lions' second string quarterback, Dick Sakala, shattered the Crimson pass defense with five aerials good for 65 yards and the final touchdown.

Though nobody paid much attention to this last score, it was quite significant to the Crimson's hopes for the future. In the second half, Sakala and Tom Vasell penetrated the Crimson secondary almost at will.

Without a strong ground game, the Lions didn't have enough power to win, but Dartmouth, with Bill Gundy throwing and Jack Crouthamel running, does. The line must improve its pass rush and the backfield its covering, if the Crimson is to stay in the first division.

In the first half, the varsity won the toss, took the kick, and moved 86 yards for their first score. Chet Boulris, who put on his best performance of the year, Larry Repsher, and Sam Halaby alternately sliced through the reeling Columbia line, which Ravenel masterfully spread out with his slot and split end formations.

Columbia's own offense was negligible before halftime. Only once did the Lions penetrate into Crimson territory.

The much talked about muddle huddle seemed to confuse no one but the Lions themselves, as the Crimson defensive platoon mockingly tried to steal Vasell's signals. The one time Columbia ran from the split offense, halfback Russ Warren took a pitchout from Vasell and was stopped cold on the line of scrimmage.

Midway in the second quarter, captain Hank Keohane recovered another Vasell fumble on the Crimson 27, and after 13 plays the score was 14 to 0. Halaby bulled over on fourth down for the six points.

After returning from the halftime break, the Crimson was obviously not the same team it was earlier. The line, which had thoroughly controlled Columbia in the first half, was out hit and out run by the Lions, and the Crimson backs, not sure of their blocking, no longer hit into the holes with the same abandon.

A punting duel between Boulris and Warren brought the Crimson back deep into their own territory, when the "Jet" finally got off a booming kick which carried 56 yards to the Lion 14. Shortly thereafter, the Lions committed another of their many blunders, when Don Savini lost the ball and Boulris recovered. Two plays later, Ravenel rolled through right tackle for what proved to be the deciding touchdown, though it marked the beginning of the frightening Lion rally.

If the Crimson players proved anything, it was that they could take good advantage of an opponent's mistakes, and when sufficiently inspired that they could produce a well planned and vicious scoring drive. Against the succession of tough teams to come, however, this may not be enough