Crimson History Lesson

As a result of its 38-7 loss last Saturday at Dartmouth, the 1988 Harvard football team has become a member of a club which no one expected it to join.

Only five teams in Harvard history have lost four games by the fifth week of the season. And after suffering its fourth consecutive loss on Black Saturday, this year's squad is the sixth.

In 1938, Harvard lost its first four games before capturing its final four contests. The 1942 Crimson could manage only a 7-7 tie against William & Mary in between four early-season losses. Harvard, in both 1949 and 1950, dropped its first five games.

The 1979 squad, which defeated Columbia, 26-7, the first week of the season, went on to lose its next six games, before trouncing Penn, 23-14, in week eight.

This year's team will try to avoid becoming only the fourth team in Crimson history to lose five consecutive games in a season when it travels to Princeton Saturday to face the Tigers.

More on Morton: Dartmouth wide receiver Craig Morton, who caught seven passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns against Harvard, was named Ivy League Player of the week.

In his three-year varsity career, Morton--Dartmouth's all-time leading receiver--has 114 catches, 2183 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Not bad for a guy who lost the Super Bowl for the Denver Broncos.

Yohe Watch: Despite being picked off by the Big Green secondary three times, Harvard quarterback Tom Yohe collected 308 yards passing in Hanover.

Yohe has thrown for 1293 yards on the season. Against the Green, Yohe completed 23 passes, a personal best. The Harvard senior has completed 52 percent of his passes this season.

Dandy Don: Harvard tight end Don Gajewski, who caught 10 passes for 122 yards last weekend, had the fifth-best receiving game in Harvard history.

Pat McInally '75 and Jim Curry '78 each had 13 receptions in one game. McInallly, Harvard's all-time leading receiver, did it against Brown in 1973, while Curry tied McInally four years later against Colgate.

Big Green Record Breakers:After David Clark's 97-yd. record-breaking touchdown run, Dartmouth now holds the Ivy League marks for both the longest touchdown run and touchdown pass.

In 1986, Morton, then a sophomore, caught a 98-yd. pass against Columbia to set the new league record.

Not bad for a guy who lost the Super Bowl for the Denver Broncos.

Defensive Woes: The Crimson defense has allowed 137 points in the last four games, an average of 34 points per game.

Last year, Harvard gave up only 70 points in its first five games. That averages out to only two touchdowns.

Upside-Down Deja Vu: In last year's Harvard-Dartmouth match-up at The Stadium, the Big Green fell victim to the turnover.

Last Saturday in Hanover, it was the Crimson which suffered from errant passes and fumbles.

Last year, Harvard capitalized on big plays, including a 73-yd. run by Tony Hinz.

This year, it was the Green that cashed in on the big play.

Last year, the final score was Harvard 42, Dartmouth 3.

This year, it was Dartmouth by 31 points.

Time to Get A Sandwich:Welcome to the world of televised sports.

ESPN's telecast of last Saturday's game in Hanover had so many television timeouts that the game--which began at 12:30 p.m.--lasted longer than Columbia's losing streak.

Well, not really, but it did take about three-and-a half hours to play.

To make sure that the players would not start playing during timeouts. the officials assumed the TV timeout position. Each official stood still at a certain part of the field with his hands behind his back as if he was playing Freeze Tag. They wouldn't budge until the Total Sports Network gave the signal to resume play.