When the two-time defending Ivy League champion Harvard football team opened its season this fall, there were serious questions about the Crimson's defense, and worries about its inexperience.

One thing was certain, though, Senior Barry Ford would start at right tackle for the second straight year.

And thanks in large part to Ford's consistently outstanding play, Harvard's defense is ranked first in the league, allowing an average of only 330 yards a game.

With more than half the defense composed of juniors, Ford's three years of varsity play are a big bonus.

"We look at him as the cog of the front five," explains junior linebacker Brent Wilkinson. "With his experience, the linesmen look to him for guidance."

So far this season the Quincy House resident has made 30 tackles and recorded four sacks. More importantly, the Senior Class Marshall's finest games have come when Harvard has needed it most.

Ford's performance in last Saturday's Ivy championship game was one of the Crimson's few bright spots in Harvard's loss to Penn. Early in the second quarter, Ford's sack of Quarter quarterback John McGeehan resulted in a missed Penn field goal and his five unassisted tackles stalled several other Quaker drives.

"He was coming out of now here to make tackles." Wilkinson recalls. "It was incredible watching him now people down."

His achievements become even more incredible when you consider the fact that at 6-ft., 3-in., and 220-Ib., Ford is about 20 or 30 pounds lighter than most of the offensive linemen he faces. But what he lacks in size he makes up for with quickness and an attention to fundamentals.

"I get off the ball well," the soft-spoken Ford explains. "When you can engage an opposing player before he engage you, then you dictate the action."

And that's exactly what Ford does "He's very quick,"marvels junior cornerback Ken Tarczy. "He's always in pressuring the quarterback on a pass."

Defensive coordinator Georg Clemens has made use of Ford's taler by placing him at right tackle. "Clemens has made use of Ford's taler by placing backside tackle. "He's a good quick backside tackle." Clemens says. "We have him on the right side since most of the people we play are right-handed."

While his natural ability has been one of his biggest assets, it's his concentration and attention to fundamentals that have made him so valuable to the line.

"He has very, very good technique,"Wilkinson says. "He does a fantastic job keeping us (the linebackers) free to do our job."

Ever since his arrival in Cambridge in the fall of 1981, Ford has been a crucial member of the Crimson defensive corps. After a successful freshman year as a defensive end, the Peekskill, N.Y. native returned sophomore year and shifted to right tackle, a position he played in all 10 varsity games that year.