The Cadets had gone into the game a demoralized football team. After losing to North Carolina, 62-8, the week before, Army entered the Harvard game with severely depleted ranks. Halfback Gerald Walker, one of the finest running backs in the East and the heart of the West Point offense, was expected to play Saturday after recovering from a shoulder injury. But at the last minute, doctors told Coach Ed Cavanaugh that Walker had to stay off the field.

In addition, starting quarterback Nate Sassaman pulled a hamstring muscle in Friday afternoon practice, forcing Cavanaugh to start a relatively untested Laughlin, who quickly gave way to Allrn.

The lineup problems made it difficult for Army to establish a viable offense, and Crimson noseguard Scott Murrer and linebacker Joe Azelby made it nearly impossible. Murrer sacked the West Point QB three times Saturday afternoon, and Azelby contributed 13 tackles.

Penalties also slowed the Cadet attack-Early in the first quarter, and offsides call cost the Cadets possession of a ball that safety Joe Hampton had intercepted at the Harvard 29.

Unfortunately for Harvard, the Cadets came up with two interceptions that weren't called back: the one Williams caught in the first half to set up the Allen TD pass and another that cornerback Kevin Murphy snatched from Crimson wingback Jim Garvey at the West Point two-yard line, preventing a Harvard touchdown.

Despite throwing two interceptions, Allard was undeniably the Crimson's soundest offensive performer. Halfback Tim McGugan had trouble finding holes all afternoon, and so with 190 yards passing and 59 yards rushing, Allard constituted virtually the entire Crimson offense.

In reality, Allard totalled 103 yards rushing on the ground. The stat would have made him the game's leading rusher, but the 44 yards Allard lost while being sacked six times brought his net total to 59.

The Army defense, apparently inspired by a third-quarter field goal and a fourth-quarter TD that gave the Cadets a 17-7 lead, was particularly brutal on Allard later in the game, as the right tackle dropped him twice in the same series for a loss of 18 yards.