Ithaca, N.Y. --Sitting in Cornell's Shoellkopf Stadium during the final minutes of Saturday afternoon's football game, you just knew quarterback Rod Foster was going to hit a receiver in the end zone to give the Crimson a win over the Big Red. After three weeks and three quarters of bungling. Foster was finally passing adequately and had already thrown for one touchdown in the final period.

With 45 seconds remaining in the game. Harvard was at the Cornell 25- yard line and driving. Foster took the snap, rolled right and, alas, there it was again--the underthrown pass. Cornell's Steve Lahr picked it off. The Crimson's fourth-quarter rally had fallen agonizingly short, and Cornell had won the crucial Ivy battle, 21-16.

What made the game even more frustrating for Harvard was the fact that Cornell had spotted the Crimson ten points in the first quarter. Just as in last week's Columbia game. Harvard looked very strong in the opening minutes. The Crimson running game was sharp, as rich Gatto spurted through the Big Red line and Steve hall rammed through it.

Ted DeMars scored the Crimson's first touchdown on a four-yard pitchout seven minutes into the game. Bruce Tetirick put the Crimson ten points up four minutes later with a 32-yard field goal.

While the Crimson offense was putting points on the board, the defense was giving not one first down to the Big Red attack, eight in the nation in total offense. Ed Marinaro, the nation's leading rusher, picked up only 17 yards in six carries during the first quarter.

But after 15 minutes, the situation suddenly worsened for the Crimson. If the first and last periods were Harvard's the middle two stanzas were just as certainly Cornell's and Marinaro's.

Awe-filled

Marinaro dominates a game as few few other players can. he gained 146 yards on 32 carries against Harvard, but this value to the Big Red attack cannot be summed up in his personal yardage statistics. Every time quarterback Mark Allen would even look at Marinaro, the crowd would let out a deafening roar. The Crimson defense reacted in a similar awe-filled manner, putting eight men on the defensive line.

Cornell quickly took advantage of this situation in the second period, electing to go at the point of lease resistance--the Crimson secondary. Allen, not known for an outstanding aerial game, began rolling out and passing, mainly to halfback Tom Albright.

The Crimson middle then was forced to open up, and Marinaro gained 70 yards in the period. Cornell scored twice and went into the locker room at halftime with a 14-10 lead.

Cornell dominated the third period, alternating Marinaro up the middle and Allen on the roll out option. Harvard got a break when Allen fumbled on the Crimson six yard line after an 80-yard drive. But the Crimson offense very sluggish since the first few minutes of the game, just couldn't get anything going.

The Big Red finally scored with 46 seconds left in the quarter on a beautiful 27-yard dash around left end by reservd quarterback Barret Rosser.

Then came the late-game revival of the Crimson. Now down, 21-10, Harvard started 20-play drive at its own 25-yard line. The Crimson would not be denied, as it came through on two fourth-down situations inside the Cornell ten Foster his four of seven passes during the drive, the last one a seven-yard strike to Denis Sullivan for the touchdown.

With the score 21-16 and only eight and a half minutes in the game, Joe Restic elected to go for two points after the touchdown as one would have been worthless. Foster was tackled less than a yard short of the goal line on a keeper.

Harvard had two more shorts at the win in the waning minutes, once stopped on a fourth-and-seven situation at the Cornell 13 and again foiled in the final minute at the 25.

The victory left Cornell 2-0 in the league competition and 4-0 overall, The Big Red is now in the Ivy driver's seat, crowded only be Dartmouth, the only other undefeated team in the league.

Harvard in now 2-2 on the year and 1-1 in league play. The Crimson must best Dartmouth, in the Stadium this Saturday to have any hopes of the Ivy crown.

Foster's 77 yards passing in the fourth quarter marked his best passing display of the season, but the afternoon's work was once again unsatisfying for him.

"Sure, I hit a few passes, but not the ones that really counted," said a downcast Foster after the games.

Ted DeMars again had a good day at halfback for the Crimson, picking up 96 yards on 15 carries. Gatto rushed 19 times for 77 yards.