/

doherty •••••••••••••••.••.•...••••• Jordan-and-the Huskies .....•..•.••....•.... lead ......

By Bill Doherty

Pride in their own school makes the admission an awkward one.

Northeastern University is playing Harvard today, and Harvard is, well,

Harvard.

The Huskies All America defensive tackle candidate Darin Jordan, one

of four quad captains, couldn't hide a cocky smile when the subject of the Harvard

game surfaced recently.

"Up to now, these meetings have all been scrimmages, and that is hard to

take all that seriously," said Jordan, an All selection last year. "For

this Harvard game, .we'd like to go across town and say 'welcome to division lAA foot­ ball'.~

Jordan admitted that his mates were NOT Harvard game ~~ playi~~(t:ne ~ as iffsome cerebral affair against an institution larger than life itself. At least

not outwardly. But he also admits that between the hashmarks the Harvard game will be

special.

"The attitude will be different for sure," said Jordan. "Its sort of like

we'll be saying 'you can play with us in a scrimmage but don't mess with us in a game'."

Though an abbreviated and clipped rivalry in football--the last encounter -rAe t) ff,ru- ,;, 1 • ?O was in 1971 (a 17-7 Crimson victory -this is one the Co-ops would love to take from

the Cabots', the Lupolis' from the Lowells', the Jordans' from the Forbes', so to speak.

This is Crimson, as in jersey, against Red and Black. This is Huntington

Avenue against Mem. Drive, but not the Green Line versus the Red Line, since only one

of the principals is a legitimate commuter school.

And, since the hockey end of this intercollegiate, cross-river, counter-

culture rivalry has been shrunk of late to a chance meeting in the , one might f-//1- as well throw in Punter's Pub versus the Picadilly ~til~ too.

This afternoon, the Northeastern football faithful will traverse the

river from the squah, for a trip to the ultimate New England college football shrine:

The Stadium. -more- ·- ~ - y ,. -

doherty ••••••••••••••••.•••. Jordan-and-the-Huskies •••••••.••••••••• add one •••••......

Circumstances beyond anyone's control make this a very interesting matchup.

Northeastern, an Independent in division lAA, would lust to beat Harvard, for so many

falls the toast of the . Harvard Coach Joe Restic, architect of a most

complex offense and defense, would love to crack one of the nation's ballyhooed

Wishbone Offenses in front of the establishment.

The metro scribes should be aroused as well. The local Press has not witnessed a Northeastern /Harvard football game that meant more than a sidetrip to the ~ ~ _,.---, Coop 911 a Saturja9 &iaeeuwen in 16 years • ...____ --- - As one Northeastern undergraduate put it: I'd appreciate our football team

beating Harvard. It would make my day."

Which is where players of the caliber of Jordan, and quarterback Jim O'Leary

come in.

"I like to take things one game at a time," said Jordan, a sculpt~ed 6'2, 245 by way of Stoughton. "I think we can have a great year. Right now, I just want to 0; start out stti:ng. We definitely have the physical ability, we just have to combine it with the proper mental approach," said Jordan of the Huskies, 4-6-0 last year.

In addition to Jordan, the 52 defense returns eight starters to the 1987 lineup. The Huskies strengths are in the trenches, where they have the services of noseguard Sal Lupoli, left tackle Jordan, opposite tackle Pine Bennett, and ends

Scott Bemis and Phil McCabe, who double as outside linebackers in the 52 scheme.

"Sal and I are the mix," explains Jordan, whose two brothers and a sister are also fine athletes out of the

Hockomock League. "I would consider myself a quiet leader who would prefer taking a player or players aside rather than getting rah-rah," he said. "I leave that to Sal, he's the mouth."

The other captains are offensive lineman Kevin Slattery and fullback Mark

Curtin. "Slattery is the disciplinarian, and Mark gives us all the experience. We all have certain qualities. I don't have to worry about getting up and giving a speech.

As a leader, I want to be graded on my performance." -more- .~ . . doherty •.•••••.•••••.••.••.•....••• Jordan-and-the-Huskies ..•.•....•••••...• add two •......

Defensively, everyone knows that Darin is the man. He parlays a 420-pound

bench press with 4.6 40 clocking, and is immensely quick. Not nearly as quick, though,

as the offensive franchise of the Huskies, junior quarterback Jim O'Leary.

Northeastern's Bone jockey is a 5'10, 175 pound whirling dervish, sleight-of­ hand artiste from Salem, Ma. who has personally det~ed an identity crisis that the

Husky offense suffered through in the years just prior to the Wishbone, now in its third

year.

By way of introduction, Husky football led the division lAA nation in per-game

(336) rushing last autumn, the impetus being an offense that--while in its second year--

had flattened out most of the wrinkles indigenous to any embryonic Wishbone set. ~ Some Crimson is certain to be smudged into the Red and Black ~O'Leary's

helmet this afternoon, but as number 12 has done to every other team, he will also

make the Crimson miss today, and miss often.

The offense is totally geared to the execution of O'Leary, and the su~tle

improvisations requisite of a Wishbone QB. O'Leary operates behind an offensive line

that goes 6'3, 260 per man, and particularly features junior z'ackle Mike McElhenney.

The primary carrier trident behind O'Leary, who last year broke Bob Cappadona's single-

season rushing mark (884), is fullback Mike White, and Bostonian halfbacks Mike Blue

and Ray Gee.

In the background but not really reserves are Craig Durant and veteran Larry

Smith, along with fullbacks Harold Scott and Curtin. Speed Merchant Mike Williams is the

deep threat at wide receiver, and represents an "out" pitch for O'Leary, who possesses

a strong arm.

Pawlak has hinted that the land-locked Wishbone might be liberated a bit

in '87. Williams, who hobbled through last year with ankle injuries as a sophomore,

b averaged over 19 yards per catcJ,Ls a rookie in 1985. "Its still the Wishbone," asserted /IJ }Jishh~ ·r ----rPawlak,now in his seventh year, "but its no longer three yards and a cloud of dust."

As O'Leary dominates from behind the center, so does Jordan from close range

of the opposing snapper.

-more- doherty .•••••••.•.•••.•••.••.....•.• Jordan-and-the-Huskies ...... •....•....•.. add three ..

For those who know their mythology better than their football, Jordan, number

68 in your program, is a cross between Atlas and Mercury.

"He's a hunk of chiseled cement, but he's not an oversized lineman," says

Pawlak of Jordan, a Sales Rep with Nabisco in the Co-op "off" season. "We have to struggle to keep him around 245."

But its a worthwhile struggle for the entire staff. For one, Defensive line

Coach Dick Cassels thinks that a healthy Jordan is as good as any tackle in New England.

1\ "He is as good as has ever played here," said Cassels. And that includes

Keith Willis (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Sean Jones (Los Angeles Raiders). "This year, we're looking for him to go that one step farther. We want Darin to lead by example."

High praise for a former high school athlete who was basically uncourted with the exception of Maine and Northeastern.

Frustrated with broken thumbs the last three seasons, Jordan was at press time totally copasetic and ready to impact New England football with at least a cursory glance into the future a t professional football. But the All America, pro-prospect banter is something Jordan would rather forget about.

"I've tried to block it out, but sometimes its tough," said Jordan, a ..spacL-t Ui!l 1 lo.k;go/Communications major. "If its going to happen, it will happen. In a sense,

I could become perceived as a one man show and tha t's dangerous, for me personally, and because that's just not the way it is."

~The last four games of last year were a turning point for me," said

Jordan. "I was thinking about everything tha t I wa s doing on the football field.

I wasn't just reacting."

Unfortunately, enough people did not react in last f all's UMass. game, still a ma jor point of r efer ence for the Hu skies wheneve r they look back for incentive .

Northeastern had the Minutemen on the ropes , 28-7 i n the second quarter and 28- 14 at the half, before dropping a 31-28 decision. can Tf2.sr That Wa t e rlo~as much as any i n the l ast three Husky campaigns , typif i ed the close-but- no-cigar banners followi ng the Northeastern football program i n t he rn ,·cJ.-

-more- ..

doherty •.•••••••••••••• Jordan-and-the-Huskies •..••.•••.•.•••.••..•••.. add four ..•...... •.

eighties.

Still, Northeastern has enjoyed its "Yankee Conference" moments, such as

1983 wipeouts of Connecticut (28-7), and UMass. (31-14), a 9-6 defensive gem~

James Madison in 1984, a 14-13 verdict over Maine in '85, and last year's 36-9

thrashing of Rhode Island.

Last year's roller coaster ride included an aggregate 12~oint margin of defea9to

UMass, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Throughout, Jordan was immense, registering

65 tackles to place fourth on the squad, making six sacks and knocking down three

passes.

Although his is a contain role, as it is termed in football parlance, Jordan

is usually conspicuous by his absence from anyone lugging the football. His duty is

to "turn everything back inside" so others can deliver the hit. However, Jordan's

quickness has enabled him to amend that doctrine.

"His pursuit is unbelievable," said Pawlak. "We have a little highlight film

that shows him getting a piece of backs already through the line of scrimmage after he's

been double-teamed • .,)l-He•s it ltl'lo.r t d lt?~yi ~~ cJ11 ~e /lay. ''

"There is no question that he has a chance to play professional football," Pawlak

continued. "And it just might be aToutside linebacker because of his superior speed." I' Whatever gridiron fate befalls Mr. Jordan, there is today's business of

challenging the nation's premier academic institution in a game of brain and

brawn on the grass at The Stadium.

This afternoon, as the Huskies play for a REAL W against Harvard, their

independence--at least from a league affiliation--is of no consequence to the carrying

out of matters within these hashmarks. "We don't really think about not being in a

league," explained Jordan. "If we make it to a post-season bid we'll have to prove it

by winning one game at a time, and there is no one out there who can beat us unless

we beat ourselves."

Harvard's Game is Yale, just as Northeastern's[onc:Jwas,.

But today, Harvard's game is Northeastern, and those who believe it is not a big game are not wearing helmets. -30-