Neither team has won by more than 14 points in the last 13 games dating back to 1960. The average margin of victory in that period has been 8.4 points.

As far as shutouts are concerned, the last series shutout by Harvard occurred in 1969, 13-0. Holy Cross's last shutout came 50 years ago by the same 13-0 score.

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From this week's trivia file comes the following: in 1968, Harvard faced Yale in The Game that featured two unbeaten Ivy squads. But it almost wasn't so.

Harvard had to score 15 points in the final quarter against Holy Cross to take a 27-20 decision in the season opener. The hero of that game was the same man who would be replaced by Frank Champi against Yale.

Name him.

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From the not that it matters, but file part II: of the eight times since 1952 that Harvard has opened its season 5-2, it has gone on to win the eighth game of the season seven times.

The only time it dropped the eighth game in that scenario was last year, when the Crimson fell at Penn, 38-7.

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There's a meaning in here somewhere: in the last three years, Harvard and Holy Cross have a 1-1-1 record against each other.

What's more, the Crusaders this year are 1-1-1 against the three teams common to Harvard's 1985 schedule.

And finally, Holy Cross is 1-1-1 this season against Ivy opponents. It beat Dartmouth, lost to Yale and tied Brown.

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Fans at last Saturday's Penn-Princeton showdown were witness to one of the most bizarre plays in recent Ivy history.