Like the boys who write bad melodramas, Harvard saved its punch for the last few seconds Saturday, and beat Brown, 19-7.

A spectacular series of breaks and some heads-up Harvard play broke up a close game in the last 15 seconds.

Until then the booming punts of Brown's Pete Randall had dominated the second half, pinning Harvard within its own 20-yard line for almost the entire 30 minutes. Only a complete second-half offensive collapse by Brown kept Harvard in a precarious 10-7 lead.

Four times in the half the Bruins took over with the ball in Harvard territory. Another time they started from their own 45. But the best passing team in the league, going against the worst pass defense, accumulated just one first down in the half, and never posed a serious threat, even before a case of the galloping wobblies struck in the last few minutes.

Last-Minute Collapse

The collapse started when Brown rallied for one last-ditch effort to win the game, with two minutes left and Harvard clinging to its three-point lead.

With the ball on the Brown 35, senior quarterback Jim Dunda dropped back to pass. Harvard's Dave Davis, a defensive terror all day, rambled into Dunda and detatched him from the ball. In the scramble, someone kicked the fumble back towards Brown's goal line; the Bruins' Paul Coughlin fell on it at the 4.

Dunda did throw a 20-yard pass to Bill Carr a play later, but a penalty nullified it and moved the ball to the 2.

On the two previous plays Harvard end Paul Barringer had been playing head-to-head with Brown split-end John Parry, trying to hit him at the line of scrimmage and keep him from com- pleting his pattern. Now Barringer ignored Parry and cruised in on Dunda from his spread position. No blocker touched him and he dumped the Brown passer eight yards in the end zone for a safety.

That ended Brown's chances, but the Bruins had one final insult coming. The rules say you can either punt or kick off from your own 20 after a safety; Brown chose to have Randall punt and Wally Grant gathered in the 60-yard boot on his own 18.

Down the sideline he sprinted to the 30, eluding one man and cutting back across the field. He burst between three Brown players and was gone, gaining yardage on his pursuers with every step. Grant turned in the dash in 12 seconds, pretty good time for an 82-yard run with several detours. Maury Dullea's second conversiton made the final score 19-7.

Grant Sets Up Score

It was Grant, too, who set up the score that sent Harvard ahead. With a minute left in the first half and the game tied, 7-7, Brown's punter Randall got off his worst kick of the day from his own 20.

The punt was short and wobbled dangerously close to the left sideline. Grant took it on the run and found himself behind a phalanx of blockers. He plunged straight ahead for 35 yards, then tried to sidestep Randall and brushed the sideline with his foot at the Brown 12.

Three quick running plays moved the ball only to the 8 and Dullea came in to kick his third field goal of the year, a 26-yard job.