But youth was mixed in with the veteran experience as well. Middle linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski won Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors, and strong safety Aron Natale finished second.

"The thing we decided to do this year was play with intensity," Kacyvenski said. "It doesn't matter what defense you play if you don't do that."

Defense against the pass was the aspect of the defense most susceptible to criticism, it was a sacrifice Harvard was willing to make in order to enforce its defensive philosophy--stop the run first.

"Coach keeps telling us that if they can run on you, they'll kill you," Kacyvenski said. "Sometimes we'd even put nine guys up on the ball. Nobody can run on us, so that's why we may have been vulnerable against the pass."

Offensively, the picture was not always as pretty. The man who had carried the load for the past two years, senior tailback Eion Hu, battled multiple knee injuries the entire year. Although he started off and finished the season strong, he lacked some of the explosiveness he had in previous years.

Hu broke Harvard's record for career rushing yards in the first game of the season against Columbia. He ended his career by breaking his own record for yards in a Harvard-Yale game, rushing 40 times for 177 yards and a score.

Harvard is losing not only Hu, but also its only Ivy first-teamer--captain and right tackle Sean Riley.

"They are two of the greatest I have ever coached," Murphy said, commenting on Riley and Hu. "Sean's a tremendous leader who loved to play and improved as much over his four years as anyone I've ever seen. Eion's records and character are phenomenal; he'll be the biggest hurdle to replace."

To pick up the slack in the running game, Murphy plans to rely on the three-headed monster of Chris Menick, Troy Jones and Damon Jones.

But the offense showed signs of diversification, which meant that Murphy may have acquired the personnel for a more wide-open approach.

Junior flanker Colby Skelton moved into first place all-time for Harvard career receiving yards, surpassing Pat McInally '75. Skelton posted three 100-yard plus games this season, including a career-best 152-yard effort against Cornell. However, he suffered a severe knee injury against Yale which could prove to be a major setback.

"Colby's rehab is going great," Murphy said. "But it was a very serious injury, and we're looking for him to get back right around the beginning of the season. We're cautiously optimistic."

Moreover, Rich Linden became the first freshman ever to start at quarterback for Harvard. He took over for junior Jay Snowden--who was nursing a shoulder injury suffered against Holy Cross--and never let go of the reins.

"We were much better at the end of the year offensively because we were better skilled at throwing," Murphy said. "Linden did as much as a freshman can do. And we'll have a veteran offensive line next year."

The weakest area of the team was the special teams. The placekicking and punting units might have cost the team some close games. In the three-point loss to Dartmouth, for instance, sophomore Ryan Korinke missed three field goals of 37, 39 and 44 yards, including one that hit off the upright.