They weren't vultures, but the birds at Harvard stadium started circling the carcass of the Penn football team as early as the second quarter. Harvard dominated the proceedings from the opening kick, but it was Glenn Jackson's 67-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the second quarter that seemed to seal the Quakers' fate.

After netting zero first downs in its first six possessions, Penn, trailing 14-0, seemed to mount a drive, running 15 plays covering 38 yards to the Harvard 27.

It ended abruptly, however, when Jackson snagged a deflected and tipped throw into the left flat. Jackson hurdled two players, and outran the Penn quarter-back for six points. The play put Harvard up 20-0 with 1:41 remaining in the half, and considering the sloppy conditions that made quick strikes highly unlikely, the lead appeared safe heading into the intermission.

"It was a great play. [Jackson] had a terrific play. that's a big momentum swing, they were really coming back...it was what we needed," said senior offensive tackle Matt Birk.

Records Anyone?

To appreciate where this team fits into the history of Harvard football, one has only to look at the record books.

Senior wide receiver Colby Skelton has already surpassed Harvard's career marks for, among others, receptions (127), receiving yards (1948) and punt return yardage (782).

But in the same receiving core, senior Jared Chupaila is fourth in career catches with 71, three catches shy of third all-time.

In the backfield, sophomore quarterback Rich Linden is enjoying what will likely be the best season in Harvard history. Linden is a mere 157 yards short of the single-season passing record at 2,134. And with two full seasons left in his Harvard career, a healthy Linden will almost certainly break Harvard's career passing mark which is 4,407 yards.

However, the rushing game is just as impressive. Sophomore Chris Menick now has 1,100 yards on the season, one yard shy of the record set by Eion Hu '97. Additionally, Menick tied Harvard's record for touchdowns in a season yesterday, scoring his 13th of the year.

Granted, freshman eligibility skews the career numbers of many of today's players in comparison to players in the past, but this year's squad may very well contain the greatest tailback, quarterback and wideout in Harvard history.

Even before yesterday's shut victory, Harvard's defense was ranked ninth nationally in I-AA pass efficiency defense and scoring defense, 10th in rushing defense and 21st in total defense.

Add all that together and it's relatively easy to imagine why this team has rolled through the Ivy league. Only Princeton--aided by cold, rainy conditions that hampered both offenses--has been able to stay within 24 points of the Crimson in-conference.

Drives Don't Stop

No matter how potent the offense, every team must prevent drives from dying by converting on third and fourth downs. This season, Harvard has been unbelievably efficient in the clutch.