J. Bennington Peers III called it just right in the program for last Saturday's 87th Harvard-Yale game. "Certainly Yale can hope," he wrote, "for nothing more than a 14-12 loss."

It took a hardly-noticed safety on the final play of the game to realize that prediction, for a fittingly dramatic stand by the Crimson defense a minute earlier had seemingly clinched a 14-10 upset and a second-place tie with Yale in the Ivy League standings.

On third down from the Harvard 12 yard line, sophomore Eric Crone-who had performed so brilliantly under pressure all day-dropped back into the end zone thinking the game was over.

Luckily he was mobbed by several hundred delirious fans, else he might live flung the ball into the air, setting up a Yale touchdown. As it was, the frantic Yale defensive line rushed into the crowd and downed Crone for the two points.

"I thought the clock had run out before the ball was snapped," Crone explained after the game. That hardly explains what he was doing in the end zone, but it likes little difference in retrospect.

Unless you ?ppen to be a Yale devotee, that is. Technically, Harvard should have punted from its own 20 following the safety, despite the fact that the clock had run out.

Amidst Confusion

Amids the confusion, Harvard fans poured onto the field and both teams headed for the locker room. Most were unaware of the bizarre finale; Harvard coach John Yovicsin said afterwards, "I didn't realize it was a safety. In fact, I didn't even see Eric in the end zone."

A Crimson punt with no time remaining would not have made any difference either. The Harvard defense, which played beautifully throughout

the game, was not to be denied this last victory over Yale.

It was the first outright win over the Eli for this year's seniors, not counting the 29-29 victory two years ago. "It feels great, absolutely outasight," captain Gary Farneti said in the locker room after the game.

Farneti spearheaded what had to be the Crimson's finest defensive effort of the season; together with Chris Doyle and Brad Fenton and just about every one else on the defensive unit, Farneti stopped Eli drives time and again in crucial situations.

"We were psyched" Farneti grinned. "Man, I just cleaned up after the rest of the defense. Our containment was fantastic."

"I felt like part of a wall," middle guard Spencer Dreischarf said. It was Dreischanf who recovered a Don Martin fumble at the Harvard 44, halting an

STATISTICS

First Downs 13 10

Yards Rushing 170 227

Yards Passing 53 27

Passes 5-19 4-19

Interceptions 0 0

Punting 9-28 6-35

Fumbles 2 4

Yards Penalized 50 29

Eli drive following the Crimson's first score in the second period.

Earlier, the defense had risen to the occasion in two critical first quarter situations. Crone made one of his few mistakes of the game when, still a bit apprehensive about starting, he fumbled the snap on the second play from scrimmage.

But Yale netted only three yards from the Crimson 34, and Harry Kleban off muffed a field goal attempt from the 31. The Elis marched to the Harvard 38 on their next possession (a colossal four-yard drive) before Mark Steiner recovered a stray pitchout from quarterback Joe Massey to Martin.

Partly because of injuries, but mainly because of the Crimson defense, Yale resorted twice to backup quarterbacks. The third man to face the defense, sophomore Roly Purrington, was the most effective. Yale completed only one pass until the fourth quarter.

It was in the final period that the defense passed the most severe test. Chuck Sizemore had tried his hand at quarterback in the third period, and on his first play from scrimmage, Martin scooted 62 yards for Yale's only touchdown. It was the only defensive letdown of the day by Harvard.

When Klebanoff added a 23-yard field goal soon thereafter, the Bulldogs still had a full quarter to close the shortening gap. As Purrington drove the Elion a final thrust to the Crimson 25, the burden lay solely with the defense. The drive was stuffed on a desperate fourth and six swing pass to Martin that was overthrown.

Crone-though unspectacular as a passer, completing five of 19 for 53 yards-consistently converted on key third downs, and only bad luck prevented him from putting the game away in the second half.

Yovicsin bowed out with predictable grace after the game, but a furious Carm Cozza was nowhere to be found. The Harvard band marched to President Pusey's house after serenading the team, and Pusey was so excited he came out on the front porch and joined them on cymbals.