It's a shame that the Harvard freshman football team can't close its season against Tufts or Princeton instead of Yale. Once every few years the Elis recruit a great freshman team, and this is one of those years.

At 2 p.m. today in New Harven, the Yardling will battle the undefeated Yalies in what promises to be the offensive duel of the year. Actually, it could boil down to a battle of stars; Crimson scatback and captain Vic Gatto against Bullpup passing wonder Brian Dowling, the finest freshman quarterback at Yale since Tom Singleton.

Gatto has established a new freshman scoring record, 42 points, in leading the Yardling to a 3-1-1 record. The gnomish halfback has scored on a 95-yard kickoff return and several open field dashes from scrimmage. He has also been effective as a power runner, pass receiver, and tenacious defensive corner back.

Dowling has thrown seven touchdown passes this year. He was 10 for 16 against Columbia, amassing an unbelievable 235 yards. In that game he hit Norm Davidson with two scoring bombs of 75 and 45 yards.

He only completed four passes against Cornell. But two of them connected for 69 and 59 yards, setting up both Yale touchdowns in the Bullpups' closest game of the year.

Comparative scores are usually useless in picking freshman football games. But Harvard lost a last minute thriller to Brown 40-35 while the Elis pulverized the Baby Bruins in their season opener 33-8.

Harvard will have to score heavily if they hope to win. The Yardlings will depend on the running of Gatto, John Tyson, and Joe McKinney, and the passing combination of quarterback Will Stargel and burly end Steve Ranere. Center Charlie Ames anchors a big offensive line that should give Stargel and his understudy, George Lalich, plenty of time to spot open receivers.

Before the Brown game, coach Henry Lamar said he thought that the defense was the Yardlings' major asset. However, the line was impotent against Brown's running attack and the secondary wasn't much better.

Two Units

Lamar uses two unite on both offense and defense. Against Brown, injuries forced him to substitute individuals instead of entire units, and the defense collapsed. However, John Tyson will return to the secondary today and the Yardlings could be the first team to blunt Yale's vaunted passing attack.

The Bullpups, like any other all-star team, have a very weak secondary. If Stargel and Lalich can hit Gatto and Ranere with a few long bombs and Gatto, Tyson, McKinney, Stargel can hold Dowling to 150 yards in passing yardage, the Yardlings may be able to stage an upset.