Harvard's loss to Penn last Saturday may prove more than just a temporary setback in the Ivy Race. If the injuries that Harvard sustained don't clear up rapidly, Harvard's title chances will be severity hampered.

Most prominent among the new causalities are quarterback Jimmy Stoeckel, defensive tackle Ed Vens, and offensive guard Bill Ferry. All three started in last weekend's game, and have to be considered vital to the Crimson's title hopes.

The loss of Stoeckel was particularly untimely, as he had stepped in for Fris Crone after Crone's shoulder injured in the Dartmouth game, proved more seriously damaged than had originally been thought.

Stoeckel injured his ankle on the last play of the third period as he attempted to score on a bootleg play around right end on fourth down. The junior signal caller was malted for a three yard loss on the play. Stoeckel immediately left the contest, and his ankle "really pulled up" according to Crimson coach Joe Restic Stoeckel is not expected to be available for action this week against Princeton.

The loss of Stoeckel puts more pressure than ever on Restic's quarterback corps, because Crone is still having problems with his throwing arm due to a sore right shoulder Restic said yesterday that Crone's injury is a bursar on the top of the shoulder and as much deeper than first expected.

"Crone just can't get the ball out there long." Restic said, "He couldn't follow through at all last week and he still be hindered in his motion.

Restic doesn't yet know how much Crone's condition will improve by this weekend, but he said yesterday that he expects the senior quarterback to be ready.

Nevertheless, the Harvard coach doesn't want to rush Crone back into action prematurely. "I'd hate to put him in where he might get trapped and try to throw long and end up tearing the shoulder out," he said.

Ferry's injury -- painfully banged up ribs -- could be even more serious to the Harvard team as a whole than those of the two top quarterbacks. Harvard has big problems in the offensive line and Restic has been forced to do more juggling than the Zambini Brothers of Ringling fame. Ferry, one of Restic's starting tackles at the first of the year had been moved to guard to fill in when both Bob Kircher and John Friar started making regular calls to Jack Fadden's training room.

At this point in the week, Restic doesn't figure to have Ferry for Princeton, and without him, the Crimson coach has a real problem in his already-depleted offensive line corps.

Vena, a three-year starter for Harvard, went off on a stretcher Saturday after injuring his right knee. But Restic does not expect that the injury will keep the veteran tackle out of the lineup against don't know about the other two," Restic said yesterday.

Saturday's loss was not without its bright moments, however. Right defensive end Mike McHugh played another sparkling game. McHugh made 12 tackles, assisted on another, and sacked Penn quarterbacks three times for a total of 20 yards.

Another surprising performance was authored by the Crimson secondary. They held Quaker split end Don Clune to 71 yards receiving on four catches and shut him off as a deep threat. If the 71-yard total is not impressive in itself, it becomes so when compared to the 284 receiving yards that Clune ran up over Harvard last year.