Last week, with Harvard trailing Pennsylvania 21-19, junior kicker Mark Hall lined up to try a 50-yard, game-winning field goal.

It fell a little bit short.

That kick was a metaphor for the entire year--a fact not lost upon junior quarterback Mike Giardi:

"That game pretty much typified our season," Giardi said. "Early mistakes cost us and came back to hurt us. In the end, when we came back strong, we couldn't quite get it done."

For most of the season, Harvard (2-7 overall, 2-4 Ivy) made the Keystone Kops look like Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers.

After seven games, opponents were running up an average of 28.5 points a game while Coach Joe Restic's Multi-Flex made one long for the smooth, humming efficiency of a 1974 Ford Pinto--scoring just 15 points per contest as Harvard spiraled to a 1-6 record.

But a 29-19 win over Brown proved to be the cure to the Rompin', Stompin' and Scorin' On The Crimson Blues.

Ably assisted by a Brown squad that seemed equally determined to see Harvard win, the Harvard offense and defense finally started acting as befitted their names. The team looked even better against Penn last week, falling just two yards short of a stunning upset.

This Harvard team is technically the same one that lost to William and Mary 36-16, to Cornell 31-13 and to Dartmouth 31-7.

But don't be fooled. It's not. Here's how it happened:

September 19: Harvard 27, Columbia 20--The ambulances were primed and undertakers were sharpening their shovels as Lion quarterback Chad Andrzejewski led Columbia on a late drive to tie--and possibly win--the game.

However, junior linebacker Brian Ramer intercepted Andrzejewski (secretaries everywhere are hoping this guy doesn't become a star) at the Harvard 43 to defuse the threat.

Thrilling game, yes; auspicious debut, no.

September 26: William and Mary 36, Harvard 16--The Tribe blocked a Hall field goal attempt on the last play of the first half and returned it for a touchdown to take a 16-10 lead and Harvard's will to win into the locker room.

What started out as a spirited first-half clash turned into a lackluster second-half rout. W&M ran and ran and ran (170 second-half rushing yards) and ran up the score, too, 20 points to Harvard's six.