Their backs are still against the wall, but their Ivy chances aren't shot.

A new quarterback and an old linebacker provided the stay of execution, guiding the Harvard football team through a 28-26 squirmer over Princeton Saturday at the Stadium.

"A loss today would have definitely put us out of [the Ivy race]," said veteran linebacker Joe Azelby, whose two second-half interceptions squelched the Princeton comeback. "We're still in the picture," he added.

Yet from a Harvard view, the league picture is no Rembrandt. For the Crimson to capture the Ivies. Dartmouth can't win more than two of its four remaining games and Harvard must down Brown, Penn and Yale.

It's not impossible, though, and Saturday's game leaves reason for optimism that the gridders can fulfill their part of the bargain. Heading the list of good tidings is the news that the Crimson has found a quarterback...for the third time.

Chuck Colombo seemed to be the answer early in the year, then Brian White earned a start, but suffered an injury.

Senior Greg Gizzi resuscitated an offense that had produced just 15 points in its last two outings. In his first start and his third varsity quarterbacking appearance, the 5-ft., 10-in., 185-pounder completed 12 of 19 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 87 yards on 17 carries, including a 47-yard touchdown off a broken play.

"He was the difference, he really was," Azelby said.

"He was courageous, inventive and exemplified everything our games stand for," Princeton Coach Frank Navarro said.

Gizzi started working his magic after Princeton took a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. After moving Harvard 24 yards in the two plays following the Princeton kickoff, Gizzi made the running play of the day. Gizzi rolled right-on what was supposed to be a pitch to tailback Mark Vignali. Vignali wasn't there, so the senior signal caller tucked the ball away, sped around right end, cut left and ran for the goal line.

Forty-seven yards and a Jim Villanueva PAT later, the game was tied.

The Harvard defense stopped Princeton cold, and the Crimson quickly moved to its own 49-yard line. The drive could have stalled three plays later, but on fourth and one from the Princeton 42 Gizzi rolled across right tackle for first-down yardage.

A 24-yard Steve Ernst run and a 27-yard touchdown pass over a linebacker and into the arms of tight end Peter Ceko gave Harvard the lead.

Another fourth-down play gave Harvard a 21-7 advantage early in the second half. Needing two yards, Crimson Coach Joe Restic called a reverse. Split end John O'Brien sped into the end zone untouched, and the Crimson had the makings of a runway.

But Princeton hadn't lost in Cambridge since Richard Nixon was President, and the Tigers weren't about to concede.