Army's star running back Gerald Walker ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Cadets to a 27-13 victory over Harvard at Soldiers Field this afternoon.
Despite an effective pass rush that negated the Army aerial attack, the Crimson defense was unable to shut down the Cadet's offense, which amassed over 300 yards in total offense on the day.
Army took a 10-6 advantage into the clubhouse at halftime, but it was in the second half that Walker began to strut his stuff, gaining more than 100 of his yards after intermission.
Harvard, now 1-2, was not out-classed by the favored Cadets, but rather could not stop the tailback, who burned Brown for 170 yards last weekend.
The Army victory revenged last year's 15-10 Crimson triumph, the first meeting of the teams in 29 years. After the contest ended, the 1300 Cadets that made the trip from West Point stood at attention as the United States Military Academy band played the Army alma mater.
Harvard scored first on a remarkable drive early in the first quarter. After a pair of unsuccessful possessions by both teams, the Crimson's Joe Margolis recovered a Warren Waldorff fumble, and the gridders took over for the third time on their own 23.
Workhorse fullback Jim Callinan started the drive off, bumping over the right side for six yards. With Harvard in a second-and-13 situation on the 30, courtesy of a holding call, Ron Cuccia hit Paul Scheper at the yard-stick for a first down.
The following play was probably the most unusual of the afternoon. Cuccia took the snap and turned to roll left. On his second step across the field, the ball squirted loose, hit the quarterback's knee and bounded toward the sideline, some 25 feet away.
Pursued by a trio of Cadets, Cuccia picked up the bouncing ball, transferred it to his left hand and hit Scheper, cutting to the outside nine yards upfield, with a southpaw fling. Halfback Jim Acheson then bolted through a hole to the left of center John Francis for a first down.
On the next play, Cuccia showed he can throw a fine conventional pass as well, hitting flanker Steve Bianucci from the pocket for a 41-yard gain down to the three. Acheson hit paydirt on the next play, but Jim Villanueva missed the PAT, and the Crimson took a 6-0 lead.
That lasted until the Cadets put together a 15-play ball-control drive that used up six-and-a-half minutes of first-half time. Army took over on its own 20 after a Villanueva punt had reached the end zone for a touchback with 1:06 left in the first quarter.
With starting sophomore quarterback Bryan Allem replaced in favor of senior Jerryl Bennett, the visitors started to move. Gerald Walker carried twice for a first down, a Harvard facemask penalty meant another first down, and Bennett hit freshman Jarvis Hollingsworth for eight more yards as the first quarter ended.
Then it was Walker to the Crimson 41 and another first down, and Bennett for five, and--after an incomplete pass--three more, setting up a fourth-and-two deep in Harvard territory.
Army coach Ed Cavanaugh elected to go for the first down, and his decision was justified when half the Crimson defense jumped offside on a long count to give the Cadets a first and ten at the Crimson 28.
A screen pass to Waldorff gained eight, and Bennett carried for a first down to the 18.
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