Harvard football’s season opener was supposed to be just a tuneup. Now

it’s one of the Ivy League’s most important games of the year.

The Crimson will host Brown tomorrow at Soldier’s Field in a matchup

between two teams picked to finish near the top in the league.

Both teams’ scheduled season openers were cancelled due to last Tuesday’s

terrorist attacks. Harvard was scheduled to play at Holy Cross, while

Brown was to play at the University of San Diego.

“It’s a little strange, spending months preparing for the opener and

then not having the game,” Harvard Coach Tim Murphy said. “The Brown

game now takes on a bigger profile.”

Last year a then lightly-regarded Harvard team shocked a Brown 42-37

in Providence. The game marked the arrival of two Crimson offensive

stars. Senior quarterback Neil Rose passed for 412 yards in his first-ever

collegiate start, and junior receiver Carl Morris set a school record

with 220 yards receiving on ten catches.