Restic thought the offense moved well, and despite several dropped passes, Foster and Crone managed to produce 23 points. Foster started the first and third quarters, while Crone went most of the way in the second and fourth. Crone had the hotter passing hand, and moved the team better overall, but Restic will not decide Saturday's starter until late this week.
Minor injuries have plagued the Crimson during preseason work, but the only serious casualty is last year's leading pass receiver, junior Bill Craven, who pulled a hamstring on the first day of practice and then repulled when he tried to come back too soon. Craven could be out until the first Ivy League game against Columbia two weeks from now. Taking over for him is senior Denis Sullivan, who is taller (6' 3") and just as fast as Craven.
Tight end is a wide open position, with surprising depth, as fifth-year senior Steve Zakula, and juniors John Hagerty and Howard Keenan are battling for the starting role. The starting offensive line is set, except for one position, but depth is a real worry there.
Four returning starters--center Skip Starck, guards Jerry Hevern and Frank Veteran, and tackle John Ferullo--anchor the line, but left tackle is a question mark. Sophomore Monte Bowens and Tim Manna (6' 3", 235 and (2", 230 respectively), are sharing time at tackle, with Bowens the probable starter on Saturday.
Hevern, the only All-Ivy returnee on this year's team, and Veteran missed practice with minor injuries earlier in the week, but both should be ready to go Saturday. Three sophomores--Mark Bauer, Bob Kirscher and Bob O'Neal--back up the four seniors starters.
The offensive backfield is the Crimson's strong point, as usual. Foster and Crone are the leading candidates at quarterback, and both have the ability to win any game for the Crimson. But Restic emphasizes that he will substitute players to utilize the upmost of their ability, and this extends to quarterback. It is possible, though not probable, that Restic could use all four of his quarterbacks at various times in a given game(like, say, Saturday's.)
At halfback, 1970 rushing leader Ted DeMars is atop a covey of talented runners, including senior Steve Harrison, juniors Vic Gatto and Chuck Krohn, and sophomore Nick Leone. Leone, along with Stoeckl and Bowens, has been the most impressive sophomore in preseason practice, according to Restic.
Last year's starter Steve Hall, a junior, returns at fullback, although he twisted an ankle in the UNH scrimmage. Sophomore Bucky Staggers and senior Sid Williams, who has had problems with his eligibility, back up Hall.
On defense, Harvard returns six starters. Senior Mark Steiner and junior Ed Vena are the tackles, while Senior Spencer Dreischarf is the "Mike Man," playing both middle guard in a down set or middle linebacker in a split set. Vena is just recovering from an abbreviated version of "Holy Cross Hepatitis," and may not be full speed this week, but he will start. Vena's misfortune was the team's misfortune, since everyone had to have a painful hepatitis shot neatly placed in the posterior area by a large hypodermic needle.
At defensive ends, the Crimson will go with sophomore Mitch Berger (a high school All-American) and veteran Mike McHugh. Junior Phil Robinson is just coming back from a virus which kept him out during preseason and he should figure into the starting picture soon.
The linebackers are paced by lettermen Jack Neal and Mark Ferguson, with Dreischarf and Ignacio joining them for a four-man mid-line on some sets. Ignacio floats between linebacker and defensive back in a capacity tagged "adjuster." In the deep backfield, he works with returning starter Steve Golden, a junior. Several other backs are possible starters on defense; they include junior Barry Malinowski, seniors Tobin Harvey and Tim Bilodeau, and juniors Mike Murr (switched from offense this week) and Wes Shofner.
The kicking game is another strong spot, with Foster and Stoeckl to share the punting duties, and two newcomers--junior Phil Faust and sophomore Bruce Tetirick has not place-kicking time. Tetirick has not missed an extra point in 60 consecutive attempts, while Faust is a soccer-style kicker who Restic says has a strong leg.
Harvard tied UNH, 13-13, in a scrimmage at this stage of the season last year and that fact alone is encouraging to Restic and the team. While putting in a new system, the Crimson has managed to reach about the same point as a year ago when they were working with a 14-year-old established system. Many of the players feel--and Restic agrees--that they only reason that the Crimson didn't completely outclass UNH last weekend was that everyone was still thinking too much about assignments, rather than carrying them out instinctively.
The emphasis this week will understandably be on honing a more restricted number of offensive and defensive sets, but the result will still be a wide-open, fast-moving game on Harvard's part Saturday. Talking to Restic and the players, the predominant feeling is one of enthusiasm; there is also an aura of confidence that things will fall in place as the season progresses.
"We may be a little rusty the first few games, but if the defense can pull us through until we get out timing down on offense, we should be a contender by the middle of the schedule," Restic forecast yesterday. Barring a major deviation from plan, the defense should begin to do just that Saturday, and Restic won't have to abandon excitement for winning.