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.

"The last couple of years, we've had to fight, scratch and claw for 16-play drives to get a touchdown," Murphy said. "Now we feel we have a quarterback who really understands the system, we have a couple of senior wide receivers and if Troy Jones stays healthy we have a little more speed. The combination of those things gives us more of a chance for bigger plays."

Perhaps more vital to the quick-strike nature of the Harvard offense was the brilliant play of the defense, which in holding the Lions to just 46 yards on the ground provided Linden and his offense with a delectably short field to work with.

Columbia's lone score came on a oneplay, 80-yard drive at the start of the second quarter. With the Lions down 21-0, tight end Bert Bondi beat Harvard cornerback Derek Yankoff over the middle on the first play of a Columbia drive from its own 20-yard line. After that it was a foot-race between Bondi, Yankoff and the free safety, which Bondi won diving into the end zone.

Not including that play, Harvard's pass defense, which was inconsistent last season, yielded just 107 yards in the air all day. Thomason was 9-of-26 passing, with one touchdown and three interceptions.

Two of those interceptions landed in the arms of junior cornerback Glenn Jackson. The second of the two picks occurred at the start of the second quarter and led to Harvard's third scoring drive of the game.

With the Lions attempting to mount a scoring drive with a first down at their own 19-yard line, Thomason took one step out of the pocket and, with senior defensive end Chris Smith bearing down hard on him from the left side, he fired a strike straight to Jackson at the 38-yard line.

"It was man coverage and the defensive line forced [Thomason] to throw a lot quicker than he wanted to," Jackson said. "I saw him release it, and the receiver wasn't even looking back at the ball so I just came off of him and I caught it."

Jackson returned the ball 25 yards to the 13, which set up Harvard's quickest drive of the game. On the first play after the turnover, Troy Jones received the hand off from Linden and swung left, using his breakaway speed to dart into the endzone for the first of his two touch-downs.

"The offensive line blocked extremely well and opened up some holes," Jones said. "Once they take care of their job, it's up to me to do my job."

Jones actually crossed the goal line a third time. On the kickoff following Columbia's second-quarter touchdown, Jones fielded the ball at the 8-yard line, received some good blocks, and ran untouched 92 yards into the end zone.

"I was just shocked that it opened up," Jones said of the gaping hole he ran through. "It was like the Lord parting the Red Sea."

Unfortunately the blocking was a little too good, as the play was called back on a holding penalty. Harvard committed a total of eight penalties for 74 yards, many of which were illegal procedure calls and other points that will need fine-tuning in the next week.

"There are a lot of things to clean up," Murphy said. "Anytime you get a touchdown called back on a kickoff return, it shows lack of discipline."

The passing game also showed room for improvement Saturday, as several receivers dropped catchable balls and Linden often rushed passes, twice getting the ball intercepted.

"There were some good plays, but we also made some foolish plays," Linden said. "I thought I forced the ball into coverage a couple of times, but for a first game I was pleased."

Indeed when your team opens its season with a 45-7 victory over the defending Ivy League runner-ups, you cannot help but be pleased.

If Saturday's showing is any indication of the season that awaits the Crimson, 1987 could quickly become a distant memory.CrimsonMary L. NaberTAKE DOWN: Junior CORY COSTANZO with the help of junior JASON METAKIS lands a powerful tackle on a hapless Columbia kick returner.