With the clock winding down to three seconds, split and Rich Horner glides into the endzone, his outstretched arms reaching for the 70-yd. toss. As the referee goes to fire his gun, Horner gathers in the pass, just barely keeping both feet inside the endline. More than 70,000 at the Yale Bowl explode as Horner hits the turf, boosting Harvard to a 35-34 win over the Elis, a perfect season record and the team's first Ivy title since 1975.

So much for the fantasy minute. Back in the real world, Harvard's chance for such glorious football is remote. When a head coach tells you, "Our greatest strength is our enthusiasm," you know there are problems. And Joe Restic must be suffering from insomnia while trying to keep straight all the troubles his young, inexperienced charges are facing in preparation for the 1979 campaign.

What's all the worry about? Consider a depth chart that looks like a piece of Swiss cheese. How about a team that doesn't have a single placekicker? Then, of course, there's the lack of a returning letterman at quarterback. There's the paper-thin receiving and running corps.

Perhaps you'd prefer discussing the squad's small overall size. Or you could debate the problems any team filled with young players would face trying to learn Restic's mind-boggling Multiflex.

In short, the Crimson faces a very long, hard uphill climb as it tries for its first winning season since 1975. By Restic's own estimation, Harvard sits somewhere in the middle of the Ivy League, well behind the "top grouping" of Yale, Brown, Dartmouth and Cornell. It's not exactly an encouraging post position.

Believe it or not, though, there are some positive aspects in the Harvard picture. "I think our linebackers as a group--if we don't lose anybody--should be the strength of the ball club," Restic said last week.

Junior Bob Woolway, a steady starter last year, leads the linebacking corps, joined by lettermen Matt Sabetti and Tony Cimmarusti (also a varsity wrestler). The trio, each one weighing in at about 200 pounds, aims more for agility than size; but Woolway has proven himself a talented tackler. He racked up 49 sacks last season.

The linebackers are just one part of what has to be considered a capable defense. On the line, guards Tim Palmer (6-5, 205) and Chuck Durst (6-0, 220), anchor a healthy center wall, along with the probable middle guard, letterman Steve Hollman.

The ends could pose some concern for Harvard though. Dave Otto, a 6-4, 220-lb. starter from last year, is a seasoned veteran who should do the job. On the other end, senior Jim DeBello will have to fill the gap left by the graduation of talented Marko Coric. After shifting from the middle guard to end last season, DeBello got some playing time; and he will be tested this year.

In the backfield, 1978's team-leading tackler, Scott MacLeod, will head up the pass coverage and deep resistance. With Terry Trusty and Mike Jacobs joining MacLeod and adjuster John Casto, the backfield looks like it might have some depth. There also are capable J.V. candidates waiting in the wings.

But Harvard's defensive backfield is probably the only area in which the team could enjoy a reasonable amount of depth. Joe Restic shudders a bit as he says, "We can't afford to get anybody hurt. Our drop-off is so great (from the first to second string)."

Consequently, Restic has used the preseason to try to determine where his team is thinnest. "We don't know yet where the problems will be, but we'll have to make the positional adjustments to fill in," he said.

That means Restic and his assistants will be looking to switch players into new positions, to train them in new skills so they can provide a second or third line of depth. "We're going to have to work people in. It's going to be a long, hard process," he said.

At the very least, Restic needs a dependable backup defensive tackle and end, some extra linebackers and a more stable lineup in the corners, depleted by the graduation of defensive halfbacks Steve Potysman and Fred Cordova.

Defensive depth worries, though, are mild compared to the team's most dramatic problem--the kicking game, where Harvard doesn't even have a full first team. Senior Duke Millard and sophomore Steve Flach should be able to handle the punting: both have had some experience. But the Crimson has no placekicker. That's right, no extra points, field goals or kickoffs.