At mid-season, freshman football coach Henry Lamar ruefully offers penalties, fumbles, and the smallest player turnout in years as reasons for the Yardling's disappointing record, of one win and two losses. But he sees cause for cheer in a rapidly-improving team.

"Penalties have just killed us," Lamar said. "We had two touchdowns called back against Dartmouth last week, and one each in the Columbia and Holy Cross games. The mistakes have been in downfield blocking, in having an illegal flanker, and in one case a forward lateral beyond the ine of scrimmage. No team can expect to win after blunders like that," he said.

Few Players

Lamar has the smallest turnout of players in years, 82. He attributes this to "the All-Americans we were supposed to have out. They never showed up, but the rumors frightened away some good prospects."

Actually, things have not been quite as bleak as the record would suggest. The freshmen's first contest, against Columbia, was a 7-3 win which featured a hardy Crimson defense, though the offense seemed one-sided. It centered on halfback Richie Szaro, the swift and shifty fellow who has scored four of the Yardling's five touchdowns so far this season.

Against a highly-touted Holy Cross team, the Yardling's performance reached a low point. The visitors from Worcester walked away with the game 27-6, intercepting four passes and recovering three Harvard fumbles.

Dartmouth

Dartmouth proved a different story. Harvard lost by just one touchdown, 28-22, and quarterback Bill Kelly's passing and fullback Pete Varney's line smashes provided complements to Szaro's running for the first time.

"We're getting better," Coach Lamar promises.. "It's tough for players from all over the country to work together under one system of plays, but we're beginning to play as a team." He declines to predict the outcome for the second half of the season. All three games--against Princeton, Brown, and Yale--promise to be battles; that much he foresees.

Varsity Material

Who looks like good varsity material? Lamar mentions Szaro, Kelly, guard Dave Farneti, and defensive end Chris Doyle. "But you can never be sure. Too many factors have to be considered. We will make some real contributions to the organization, I assure you. Meanwhile, though, we're hoping to win a few games right now."