Last year, Hu worked for his impressive rushing statistics. He bowled over defenders in his path and made the tough extra yard. This year, the running backs seem to be working almost as hard as a second semester senior without a thesis.

Jones picked up nine, 13,11 and eight yards in his first four runs, and at no point was he touched within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Clearly Jones' 4.49 second 40-yard-dash speed is a huge factor, but Jones was working with holes large enough for the proverbial Mack truck.

The backs clearly have stepped up in a big way to fill Hu's absence-Menick's 56-yard third quarter touchdown run, juking six Engineer defenders, including four at once, is clearly ESPY material-but Harvard's offensive line has been so dominant that almost anyone could put up respectable numbers.

Harvard's starting front five of senior Matt Birk, junior Mike Shreve, junior Dean Jacobsen, senior Glenn Warner and sophomore Dave Elliot, weigh in at an average of 277 pounds, a figure which is solid at the I-A level. In I-AA, it gives the Crimson a massive anchor in front.

So effective was the Crimson line that on third and goal from the one-yard line early in the third quarter, Harvard ran the obvious-a counter to Jones, who walked into the left side of the endzone completely untouched.

Eleven Engineer defenders keyed in on Jones could not get within striking distance.

"They had a real good offensive line," said Lehigh linebacker Durrell Riggins. "They double teamed consistently, and beat us to the spot on counter plays. [The Harvard line] got a good push off the ball and drove us back."

The Harvard offensive line has also been instrumental in allowing Linden to rack up his impressive passing statistics. Saturday's game featured only one sack by Lehigh, and even that could only one sack by Lehigh, and even that could only be termed a "coverage sack," as Linden had plenty of time to get rid of the ball, but was unable to find an open receiver.

"The offensive line is going well," Linden said. "They've given me plenty of time to throw the ball."

And it is not only the offensive line's shear bulk that makes it such a force. Harvard's linemen have also shown speed and quickness in setting up end-arounds and receiver screens.

Harvard's first score on Saturday, a 28-yard interior screen to sophomore flanker Terence Patterson, was largely keyed by a block from Jacobson 10 yards downfield from the line of scrimmage.

"We let them get too many big plays. They ran a couple of screens that really got away from us," Riggins said of Lehigh's inability to contend with Harvard's dominating line.

Obviously, it would seem that flash and "skill positions" aren't all that Harvard has to rely on in the '97 campaign.