What enabled the Crimson to endure mental errors and occasional sloppy play to post its most lopsided win since its Ivy championship campaign of 1987? Give the nod to a defensive unit that pressured hapless Columbia quarterback Bobby Thomasson into three interceptions-two by junior corner Glenn Jackson-and a 9-of-26 afternoon.

Working on a short field for much of the first half, Harvard cashed in on four Columbia turnovers to put the contest out of reach by the second quarter. "Our defense gave us great field position," Murphy said. "You can score 45 points and not have a great offensive day. We had a good offensive day but we didn't have a great offensive day."

What's the significance of Murphy's guarded enthusiasm for the Crimson's cakewalk? Perhaps it's the vision of a coach who recognizes what the box score doesn't necessarily reflect: that Harvard has enormous offensive potential it has yet to exploit.

While defense and a grinding running game have been Murphy's hallmarks, Saturday's win provided glimpses of a flashier, almost quick-strike offense. Troy Jones's consistent quickness through the gaping holes opened up by the offensive line and the rookie Nwokocha's open-field explosiveness are decidedly new looks for the ground game.

The presence of Eitzmann, Linden's target on a first-quarter 55-yard scoring strike over the middle, and sophomore flanker Terence Patterson-whose 44-yard reverse set up a second-quarter Crimson score-suggest a big-play dimension to the offense untapped in seasons past.

"The last couple of years, we've had to fight, scratch and claw for 16-play drives to get a touchdown," Murphy said. "Now... I wouldn't say we're a quick-strike offense, but we're more capable of being that than we have in the past."

Perhaps Murphy's evenhanded, reflective assessment of a team that looked like it hadn't ever heard of any Harvard Stadium jinx was on target after all. Yes, the Crimson made mistakes in Saturday's opener, but they also showed flashes of what might be even better things to come.