Unfinished business.

That's what the 1996 Harvard football season is all about for senior running back Eion Hu.

You might think that what remains unfinished for the New England Division I Player of the Year is his assault on Harvard's all-time rushing record.

Indeed, Hu is a mere 18 yards shy of the record of 2,130, held by Vic Gatto '69.

But if you thought that, you'd be wrong.

For Hu, an economics concentrator and the pride of Leverett House, has but one thing on his mind in this his final season wearing the Crimson and Black: an Ivy League title.

"The only thing that will make up for the pain of the last two seasons is an Ivy championship," Hu says. "That's what we're all going for."

Ask Hu about the record, and you immediately realize that it's second fiddle to his other dream.

"The record is not really a factor," he says. "I just want to help us win. Maybe me rushing for 200 yards will help us win. Or maybe Jay Snowden [the team's quarterback] passing for 300 yards will win us games. It doesn't matter."

Hu's name already graces Harvard's record books. His 229-yard game against Colgate last season was the third-largest rushing day in school history.

And Hu turned in a gem of a 1995 season. He set Harvard's single season rushing record with an 1,101 yard effort, averaging nearly five yards a carry. In five of those games, Hu topped the century mark. He also was the team's leading scorer, putting the ball across the goal line nine times for 56 points.

But perhaps his most memorable moment came in the Crimson's final contest of 1995, against Yale. It was Hu that broke the plane of the end zone with 29 seconds remaining in the game to give Harvard its come-from-behind, 22-21 upset victory.

He also hauled in league-wide recognition, earing a unanimous place on the First Team All-Ivy roster last season.

Hu will be sharing running back duties with sophomore Troy Jones, whom Hu describes as being a tremendous asset to the team for this year and into the future. But he's not looking to Jones to ease the pressure on himself.

"I like the pressure," he admits. "On some plays Troy is better than me, and we'll send him in for those. But I wouldn't mind getting every carry there is."

The Crimson will also ease the burden on Hu with a strong offensive line that returns a number of players from last year's squad.

Hu has had the good fortune to remain healthy throughout his Harvard career. But during camp two weeks ago, he pulled a hamstring and has been practicing gingerly ever since.

"That put a lot of things in perspective," he said. "The possibility of injury scares me. What if I can't play? But if I think about it, I'll get hurt. Not getting injured depends on your level of confidence."

Hu hopes to work in business after graduation as a prelude to business school. He'll also spend time trying to stay in shape.

"If there's one thing I'm afraid of, it's getting fat," Hu says emphatically. "I never want to go downstairs [to the Leverett dining hall] and order a veggie burger so I don't get fat."

But for now, his focus is only on the football season, and the Ivy League championship ring that he hopes is in the team's future.

"Last year, I was the one who got all the press," Hu says. "But who can I share that with? The joy of football is sharing success with your closest friends, your teammates."Crimson File PhotoRest assured, the Columbia defense did not get EION HU in this position very easily last season.