Offense

The big story for the Crimson attackers must be "what do you do when your entire backfield graduates?" The problem is a serious one for Restic, particularly at fullback. Mark Mayberg and Rod Foster, who split the job last year, have departed, leaving only often-injured Phil Allen.

Allen has demonstrated that he is a tough, slashing runner and a punishing blocker--when he is healthy. But last year, after working himself into the fullback picture, he got injured in pre-season and saw little action. If he can stay well he can go a long way toward solving Restic's fullback problems.

The other top candidate is Roger Hoefer, a 6 ft. 3 in., 190 pound back. Last year Hoefer was shuffled around by the coaching staff more than a deck of cards at a poker game. He started on defense and in midseason was shuttled over to offense. This year, if he is allowed to stay at one position long enough to get a feel for things, he could excell. After Allen and Hoefer there isn't much to choose from Prospects for FULLBACK look FAIR.

At halfback Harvard lost anchorman Teddy DeMars and speedster Mark Wheeler. To replace these two, Restic has five reliable, if not spectacular, performers to choose from. Juniors Alky Tsitsos, Ed Cronin, and Steve Dart, and sophomores Burrelle Duvauchelle and Al Yates are all cut from approximately the same mold. All the halfback candidates are good blockers, but since Nick Leone's decision to drop out of football to devote his time to track, none of the Crimson backs has better than average speed.

Restic admits that the lack of a breakaway threat may hinder the Crimson ground game, but he is quick to point out that the uniform talents of his backfield candidates will give him more flexibility than last year when Wheeler's limited size and pass catching ability severely restricted what the Harvard offense could do out of the backfield. Restic describes his backs as the "tough, ripping, slashing" type, capable of going both ways. But it remains to be seen if their talents will be extensive enough to fulfill Restic's prediction. HALF-BACKS look AVERAGE.

At quarterback the talent situation shapes up similarly to last year. In Jimmy Stoeckel and Milt Holt, Harvard has the same dichotomy between technician and passer, respectively, as the Crimson had with Stoeckel and Eric Crone. Only this time Stoeckel seems to have the inside track on the starting job.

A superb field general and play caller, Stoeckel has the ability to string together varied and time-consuming drives. He is a good short passer and a cheerleader on the field. Stoeckel has showed that he responds to pressure situations. As a sophomore he started against an undefeated Dartmouth team and led Harvard to within an eyelash of a tie. It took a 46-yard field goal to bring Dartmouth victory and keep the Big Green in the undefeated ranks. Stoeckel set a passing record that afternoon, completing 20 of 37 passes for 230 yards.

Holt is a talented passer whose only deficiency has been inconsistency. Holt's strong arm makes him a better long passer than Stoeckel, and he is not afraid to put the football in the air. Last year Holt completed 13 of 26 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown in late game appearances. The Hawaiian native is a good runner with power and speed, but will probably play second fiddle to Stoeckel this year.

If Stoeckel wins the quarterback derby, Harvard's offense may undergo a transformation in character. Restic is already talking about going more to ball control and less to the kind of harum-scarum attack that he used with Crone at quarterback. Without a breakaway runner or a long passer, the entire offensive picture could become several degrees more conservative. With Stoeckel at the helm, Harvard fans are likely to see more controlled drives and low-scoring games. The QUARTERBACKING looks VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT.

THE OFFENSIVE line, last year's perennial headache, ironically could be one of the strongest components of the Crimson offense this year. In the injuury-riddled campaign last Fall, a lot of people saw some action, which should help this year. Starters Tim Manna, Bill Ferry and John Friar are all back, along with Bob Kircher, Mark Bauer and Brian Hehir.

Monte Bownes, counted to be a stalwart in the offensive front and rated one of the top linemen in the east in the preseason of this sophomore year, has decided to give up football, causing another tough-to-fill vacancy. Add to Ferry, Friar, Manna, et. al., tackle Dan Jiggetts (6 5 in., 265 pounds), sophomore guards Phil Dombrowski and Ernie Pisanelli, and sophomore center Carl Culig and the interior line could be pretty well set.

Could be. But there are problems, notably at center. Brian Hehir, who played 51 minutes at tackle last year has moved into the middle, and he and Culig are vying for the top spot. Culig has the know-how but may be hindered by size. He's only 5 ft. 10 in. and 200 pounds. If neither of these two picks up the slack at center, Restic will be forced to move Manna from tackle, which would throw the tackle slot into confusion. Prospects for CENTER: QUESTIONABLE.

At guard the Crimson looks well stocked. Returnees Ferry and Friar (if they stay healthy) could be a productive duo. Ferry, 6 ft. 1 in. 210 pounds, was a second-team All-Ivy last year, and Restic expects him to have an outstanding year. And what is even more important, Ferry is durable--his 210 minutes playing time topped all offensive linemen last year. Kircher, Bauer, Dombrowski and Pisanelli could provide much needed depth, a rarity for the Crimson this year. The only drawback at present is that Friar and Bauer are both nursing pre-season injuries. GUARD LOOKS VERY SOLID.

At tackle the premature departure of Bowens clouds the picture a little. Jiggetts must now step in and assume control of one tackle slot immediately. And if Manna moves to center, things really look bleak. Another possibility is Richard Lowry, a sophomore who goes 6 ft. 7 in. and weights in at 270 pounds. According to Restic, Lowry is not as far along at this point as Jiggetts, but he may be thrown into the picture earlier than planned if either Jiggetts or Manna depart. TACKLES appear GOOD BUT NO DEPTH.