Indians Down Gridders, 16-13

Harvard's football team continued to improve and lose last Saturday, and this time defeat was particularly painful, Seemingly assured of at least dulling Dartmouth's 13 game winning streak with a tie, Harvard fans had to endure watching the Big Green Indians wildly gloat over a 46 yard field goal that beat Harvard on the last play of the game, 16-13.

The field goal came seconds after a play that sums up Harvard's losing record. Denis Sullivan--early season frozen fingers turned star receiver with catches that scored one Harvard touchdown and set up the other--dropped a perfect bomb on the Dartmouth ten yard line. Last minute dropped passes and underthrown receivers have now accounted for all three of Harvard's losses.

The dropped pass and a Dartmouth interception on the next play were a frustrating ending to one of the best passing games Harvard has ever had. The Crimson finally found a quarterback in sophomore Jim Stoekel, who completed 20 of 37 passes for 230 yards and showed great poise.

Unfortunately, Stoekel's passing was not complemented by an effective running game. Harvard's backs, who had been averaging over 200 yards a game, were held to 58 yards by Dartmouth's defense. The Indians, often lined up in an eight man line, murdered the counters and reverses that had baffled Harvard's earlier opponents. And the Crimson's sweeps were crippled by injuries to its best outside blockers, fullback Steve Hall and tight end Howie Keenan.

Dartmouth made it clear in the first quarter that it would squash Harvard's rushing game, bottling up the Crimson deep in their own territory and using its field position and a fifteen yard penalty to take a 7-0 lead. The Indians almost added a few more points in the second quarter, but Wes Shofner blocked a field goal attempt from the Harvard 23.

Stoekel took to the air in the second quarter, marching the Crimson 74 yards in nine plays to put Harvard back in the ball game, 7-6. Stoekel either threw or ran on every play, completing five of seven passes, scrambling once for 26 yards, and sneaking over for the TD. Sullivan set up the score, taking a Stoekel pass at the Dartmouth 18 and tightroping down the sideline to the one.

Dartmouth struck again in the third quarter on a counter that turned into a 69 yard touchdown run by second string halfback Doug Lind. Harvard's defensive backs were nowhere to be found on the play, caught blitzing in a man to man defense that evaporated when Lind's man was trap blocked before he reached the hole.

Stoekel came right back with a six play, 72 yard drive to tie it up at 13 all. The key was once again a Stoekel to Sullivan pass, good for a 41 yard touchdown play.

Stoekel punts gave Harvard great field position in the fourth quarter, but the Indians broke another long run and moved in for what seemed like an easy touchdown. Faced with a Dartmouth first and goal on the Harvard two yard line, the Crimson defense held and forced the Indians to try for a field goal. Defensive back Shofner broke through the Indian line once again and blocked the kick to keep Harvard alive.

Not this time

Two minutes and 51 seconds of playing time later, Dartmouth's kicker, Ted Perry, plodded back onto the field to try again. This time Shofner was bumped out of the play, the following wind caught the kick, and Coach Joe Restic came another loss closer to an ulcer.

The interval between Perry's failure and success was unbelievably frantic. In less than three minutes, the two teams ran 20 plays, turned over the ball five times, and gave up two interceptions.