The Dartmouth line will be at a slight weight disadvantage today. Steve Bryan (178) and Tom Clark (218) are the best of a good group of ends. Tackles Dan Williams (224), Pete Frederick (236) and Tom Boyan (215) are good and big in the Dartmouth tradition.
Ted Bracken, a top-notch guard, has been out since the B.U. game and may not start today. Ed Keible (206) and Tony Yezer (196) will probably start on offense, flanking Bob Komives (202) at center.
Harvard, meanwhile, is in its best physical shape since the season started. Halfback Dave Poe, who suffered a concussion against Bucknell, and end Ken Boyda, who separated a shoulder in the same game, should be ready to go at full speed after seeing only limited action last week.
McCluskey Ready
John McCluskey, too has shaken off the effects of a persistent leg injury and should be ready to go at top speed today.
McCluskey will be the starting quarterback today, since Tom Bilodeau came up with a charley horse against Cornell and missed early practices this week. Bilodeau should be able to see action today.
There will be one other change in the starting backfield, with sophomore Bobby Leo moving in at right halfback in place of Walt Grant. John Dockery, last week's Ivy Back of the Week after his 104-yard run with a pass interception against Cornell, is the starting left half.
Grant will team with his old running mate, Poe, in the second backfield. Yovicsin prefers to use the two halfbacks as a team and wants to leave Dockery on the first-string after his performance last week.
One other question mark in the backfield is sophomore fullback Pat Conway, who missed practices early in the week because of a cold.
Still unanswered is the question posed by the first two games of the season: is there a Harvard pass defense? Against Columbia the line took care of the problem by dumping Archie Roberts all over the field. Against Cornell the weather took care of Marty Sponaugle. But the Dartmouth line won't be as penetrable as Columbia's, and the pass defenders may get their first real test since Bucknell today.
Harvard's fabled TV jinx also is on the line today. Harvard hasn't ever won a televised game; Dartmouth hasn't ever lost one.
The winner in this one will become a top contender for the league title. Victory today will leave Dartmouth with a 2-1 record and only Yale and three tail-enders, Cornell, Columbia, and Penn, left on the schedule. A 3-0 record would put Harvard in great shape for a run at the title