Harvard-Yale Football Series.

The game with Yale today is one of a long series in which Harvard has almost always been defeated. Out of sixteen games actually played so far, her only victories were in 1875 and in 1890. In the first of these games, Yale was at a disadvantage, owing to the fact that she was playing under rules to which she was not accustomed; so that Harvard can only be credited with one earned victory in the entire series.

The first game in the Harvard-Yale series was played at New Haven on November 13, 1875. Since the formation of a football club at Harvard three years before, the two colleges had not been able to agree on a code of rules to govern play. Yale's game consisted solely of kicking, while at Harvard running with the ball, holding and passing were allowed. The difficulty was at length overcome by concession on the part of Yale, who agreed to play under rules with which she was unfamiliar. In consequence she was beaten, the score by the old system being four goals and two touchdowns to nothing. Fifteen men played on a side.

The following year, playing for the first time with elevens, Yale won by a score of one goal to nothing. Harvard made two touchdowns, but by previous agreement these did not count. In 1887 Yale again wanted to play with elevens, but the Association, of which Harvard was a member, prescribed fifteen; in consequence there was no game. The next year, however, Yale yielded to the demands of the Association, and games were played with fifteens until 1880, when the eleven was finally adopted.

From 1878 to 1890 Yale lost no game to Harvard. In 1879 there was a draw; in 1885 intercollegiate football was forbidden at Harvard; and in 1888 Harvard forfeited the game, her faculty not allowing the eleven to play in New York, while the Yale team was not allowed to play outside that city.

This left Yale with a record of ten straight victories and one draw, when in 1890 the Harvard eleven, with Arthur Cumnock as captain, won the first victory which was clearly due to superior playing. The score in this game was twelve to six; but the success was only temporary.

In the last three years Harvard has been unable to score, while Yale made ten points in 1891 and six points in both 1892 and 1893. It was in the game of 1892 that a very questionable decision deprived Harvard of a touchdown that would have tied the score. However that may be, Yale unquestionably deserves the fine record she now holds, - thirteen games won and one draw out of a total of sixteen games played.