"Any success that we will have this year is dependent on the help we get immediately from that group from the freshman team," Restic says. "We have just got to have it."

Defense

Restic figures defense will be the Crimson's strong suit this season. The veteran talents of Mike O'Hare (tackle), Sandy Tennant and Bob Kristoff (inside linebacker), Mitch Berger (end), and Crimson captain Dave St. Pierre (safety), should make Harvard solid, though not impregnable, on defense.

Tennant and Kristoff will make up the hub of the Crimson defense. Tennant, a tenacious and aggressive fireplug, threw his 5 ft. 10 in., 210-pound frame into 73 tackles in 1972, (49 unassisted, 24 assists) to lead the Crimson.

Kristoff, bowlegs and all, logged 243 minutes of playing time last Fall and tied for the team lead for unassisted tackles with 52. He also recovered four fumbles and intercepted a pass. Kristoff and Tennant team up to provide Harvard with as strong a pair of inside linebackers as anyone in the Ivy League can offer.

Restic must of course find a replacement for Mark Ferguson at the outside linebacker spot. At present no one has the inside track on the position, either from eye-opening talent or experience. Jon Hall, John Keough and Eric Kurzweil all have a shot, and a dark horse could be Brian Baslik. Baslik, a rough and tumble performer his freshman year, is returning to Harvard this Fall after a year off. Despite the question mark at Ferguson's old spot the LINEBACKING looks VERY STRONG.

Next in line on the Crimson D, as far as strengths go, is the end position. Restic is touting his defensive end pairing as one of the most efficient in the Ivies. "We will probably have the best pair of ends in the league," he says. Which may be true, but this prognostication depends on the success of one man coming back from knee surgery and the ability of a freshman to adapt to varsity ball.

Mitch Berger, who started as a sophomore and won All-Ivy honors, hurt his knee in the second game of the season last year and missed the entire campaign. Since surgery last fall, Berger has undergone rigorous therapy and conditioning exercises. If he's back to par, he will give the Crimson a tough and hardnosed performer at one end.

The other end is up for grabs. Since Mike McHugh and Fred Smith have both graduated, Restic must come up with another starter. Peter Mee, a 6 ft. 4 in., 215-pound sophomore, seems to have the inside track on the starting position. But if Mee fails to make the adjustment from freshman to varsity competition, JV veterans Joe Mackey and Hardy Wiedemann will get the call. Outlook for ENDS: GOOD TO EXCELLENT.

At tackle Mike O'Hare will be the bulwark. The second leading tackler among the defensive linemen last year, O'Hare had 38 unassisted tackles and eight assists to his credit. O'Hare is a good pass rusher, and should lead the Crimson effort in that department. O'Hare played more than 230 minutes last year.

The other tackle is a large question mark. The best bets are Justin Harrington and Bob Shaw who played JV most of last year and have a combined total of 20 minutes varsity playing time between them. Harrington improved last season and Shaw saw regular action on the varsity specialty teams, but neither has the experience to match and complement O'Hare. TACKLE looks FAIR TO GOOD.

The rest of the defense, i.e. the secondary, looks very hazy and gray The loss of Steve Golden, Bert Broyer and Rich Bridich left a vacuum at adjuster which still exists. Sophomores Ted Jadick and George Newhouse might fill the gap, but neither has proved he can handle the job. Restic has even talked of scrapping the adjuster altogether and throwing in another defensive back.

From the state of the rest of the defensive secondary that might not be a bad idea. Dave St. Pierre is solid at safety and is coming off a strong season. St. Pierre moved into the lineup last Fall during the B.U. game and went on to lead the team with four interceptions and 45 unassisted tackles. Although he is a sure tackler, St. Pierre has only average speed at best. Nevertheless, he has the safety slot sewn up.

Joe Sciolla is the only returning letterman at defensive halfback. A spot player last year, Sciolla looked good in third-down passing situations when he came in to shore up the aerial defense and should end up as one of the starters for the Crimson this Fall. Still, Restic has to find two other people to work at halfback (only one if he finds an adjuster). Mike Page, who was injured last year, and Alex Costello are two possibilities, with freshmen Jon Judge and Barry Cronin also in the picture.

Restic thinks that Page "could be a real addition to the secondary," despite missing all of last year with injuries. Cronin is probably the fastest of the backs and could have an edge on that basis. In any event, Cronin will see plenty of action as a kick returner. As a whole, the secondary has limited experience and little speed. It's a very gray area at best. Prospects for the SECONDARY: SHAKY.