Despite a football tradition much like the presidential electoral history of Harold Stassen. Princeton savors confrontations with Harvard. Today the Tigers arrive in Cambridge with one of their best chances in several years to dump their Big Three rival.

Though the New Jerseyans have not managed a winning record since 1970. Princeton has gone 4-3-1 against the Crimson in the last eight meetings.

Largely because of an offense that crunched Columbia two weeks ago and stunned defending Ivy champion Dartmouth in the season opener, the Tigers (2-1 in the Ivy, and 2-3 overal) rate at least an even bet to bite the Crimson on its own turf.

Junior running back Cris Crissy and senior quarterback Steve Reynolds lead the Princeton attack. Crissy tops the Ivies in rushing this year with 271 yds., and Reynolds holds second in the league in total offense.

Crimson coach Joe Restic said yesterday of Crissy. "He's an outstanding running back and he's a good receiver," and of the duo he added. "We can't commit ourselves to just one of them because then we'll get hurt by the other."

The memory of last year's 24-24 tie at Palmer Stadium surely haunts Restic. Crissy bedeviled Harvard all afternoon with 67 yards rushing and 81 more through the air, a performance that the Crimson's Ralph Polillio, now graduated, matched nearly yard for yard. The game ended with a sickening thud for Restic's charges, however. When Harvard appeared to be heading for what looked like the winning score, Polillio fumbled away the ball on the Princeton 8-yd, line with just 38 seconds left to play.

Resolute in his desire to avoid repeating the disappointment will be quarterback Burke St. John, starting his second game in a row--tying a durability record for Harvard quarterbacks this year. Restic said St. John, who strained ligaments in his knee against UMass, was "as healthy as he could possibly be expected to be at this point," but conceded that the senior is "not 100 per cent."

The Crimson (1-2 in the Ivy and 1-4 overall) enters today's contest in the best physical shape since the opener, with junior offensive tackle Mike Durgin--out the past three games--returning to shore up the line. The Notebook: Senior split end Rich Horner has opened a huge lead as the Ivy League's premier receiver. His 18 catches and 281 yds, top the number two man. Brown's Mark Farnham, by six snares and 126 yds.... Harvard punter Duke Millard is tied with Dartmouth's Larry Margerum for the Ivy lead in yards per kicks with a 36.1-yd, average.