The last time the Harvard football team delivered as sound a beating as it did in Saturday's 45-7 home victory over Columbia, it was on its way to an Ivy League championship.

The year, 1987, not only marked Harvard's last victory of at least 38 points-a 42-3 pasting of Dartmouth-and its last lvy League crown, but it also represents the Crimson's last winning season. If this is not to be a breakthrough season for the Harvard football team, someone is playing a very cruel joke.

"We flat out got our asses kicked on both sides of the ball," said Columbia quarterback Bobby Thomason. "We have a long way to go before we're a good football team and can play with a team like Harvard."

Saturday's win at Harvard Stadium is the first time in 10 years Harvard (1-0,1-0 Ivy) has struck such fear into the hearts of opposing players. The Crimson dominated every facet of its season-opener, from offense to defense to special teams. The score would have perhaps been even more lopsided-it was 38-7 at halftime-had Harvard Coach Tim Murphy not sat his starters in the third quarter.

"The best thing is that nobody died," said Columbia Coach Ray Tellier. "Luckily it only counts for one loss."

The signs were mostly promising throughout. In the first test of Harvard's offense without Eion Hu'97, junior tailback Troy Jones delivered one of many standout performances for the Crimson, scoring two touchdowns-and nearly a third-and tallying 101 yards on the ground on 19 carries.

Sophomore quarterback Rich Linden was effective, completing 11-of-22 passes for 169 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Senior wideout and punt returner Colby Skelton, in his first game back since major off season knee surgery, showed he still has a step with a 55-yard punt return in the third quarter.

The defense also lived up to its considerable billing, yielding just 46 rushing yards and picking off three of Thomason's passes.

"Our defense played extremely well," Murphy said. "Field-position-wise we were hardly ever driving a long field, and that's the key to football."

Jones sparked Harvard's offense early on. After neither team could muster as much as a first down on its first possession, Jones opened the Crimson's second scoring attempt with a 27-yard run to the Columbia 44-yard line. After an incomplete pass, Jones' number was called again and he slashed 10 yards up the middle for another first down.

Then Murphy pulled one out of his trick-play book. Facing a third and 8 from the 32, Linden lined up in the shotgun formation with four wideouts set. With Columbia's defense expecting a pass, Linden took the snap and darted up the middle on a draw play, gaining 19 yards.

On the next four plays, Jones ran the ball inside the two. And on the ensuing third and goal, Linden drifted left and found sophomore Damon Jones open in the end zone for the game's first score. Sophomore placekicker Mike Giampaolo booted the extra point through the uprights to give Harvard a 7-0 lead.

Harvard's second scoring drive was more indicative of the offensive pace of the game, since it really was not much of a drive at all. With 4:19 to go in the first quarter, Linden initiated the Harvard drive from the 20-yard line with a 24-yard playaction pass to senior Jared Chupaila.

After a short run by Troy Jones, junior tight end Chris Eitzmann broke free of his linebacker and caught a pass over the middle. With nothing but grass in front of him, Eitzmann cruised into the end zone. The 53-yard touchdown pass was the first score of Eitzmann's career, and the longest touchdown pass of Linden's.

The drive consisted of three plays for 80 yards in 46 seconds. Harvard's touchdown drives were short all game, with all but the first coming in 10 plays or less.