The Minutemen took a gamble in the third quarter, electing to have the 20 mile-per-hour wind at their backs in hopes of blowing the Crimson out right then and there. The strategy failed.

Strong Elastic

After the UMass defense stopped a Harvard surge on fourth-and-one at the Minuteman 3, the Crimson matched the effort by bending but not breaking on UMass's longest drive of the day.

The Minutemen marched 73 yards on 14 plays over a seven-minute span, but the Harvard defense quashed the rallying visitors by gang-tackling halfback Cliff Pedrow on a fourth-and-two at the Harvard 25.

After an exchange of possessions and a switch of direction for the fourth quarter, Larry Brown put UMass's victory hopes to sleep.

Taking possession of the ball at the visitors' 49-yd. line, Brown handed off for three straight five-yard gains, then threw incomplete over the middle to tight end Paul Sablock.

On the next play, Brown drew in the overreacting Minutemen linebackers by faking Polillio into the line, then quickly striking to Sablock 10 yards downfield. Sablock held onto the ball despite a fierce pop from linebacker Joe McLaughlin, broke loose and--running like a wild horse in a corral--dragged two UMass defensive backs the last five yards into the endzone.

The whole Crimson team exploded in an ecstatic, 100-man modern dance routine at that point, and the ground-based UMass attack failed to play any kind of respectable catch-up ball as the clock ran out.

"I just have to be very pleased," Restic said afterward. When you think about it, that's all there was to say.