Football Tries to Stay in First at Dartmouth

Last year, the Harvard football team needed to beat Dartmouth, the 1996 Ivy League champion, on the road. At stake was sole possession of first place and, for Harvard, the psychological assurance that it was a legitimate contender.

Harvard pushed any lingering doubts aside and effectively ended the Big Green's repeat hopes that day by winning 24-0.

One year later, Dartmouth (2-4, 1-2 Ivy) seeks a measure of revenge.

Harvard (3-3, 2-1 Ivy) travels up to Hanover, N.H., tomorrow again in a tie for first place. Harvard can lose to Dartmouth and still repeat, but it probably could not be sole champions.

The Crimson finally has gathered some momentum this year. Its dramatic 23-22 victory over Princeton (3-3, 2-1 Ivy) last week extended Harvard's win streak to three games, mirroring its three game losing streak to start the season.

"Everything seems to be coming together more," sophomore wideout Josh Wilske said. "We had opportunities earlier in the year, but could not make plays. We are starting to click."

Dartmouth has moved in the other direction. After two seasons at or near the top of the Ivy League, the Big Green has struggled so far, dropping a tough 14-11 loss last week to Cornell. Placekicker Alex Csizinszky missed a 28-yard field goal wide left with a minute remaining.

Past performance may not be an accurate predictor here. Dartmouth still has a veteran team and regards Harvard as a top rival; after all, this is the teams' 102nd meeting.

"We are always impressed with how Dartmouth plays us," Menick said. "They always step up their play against Harvard."

Probably the crucial aspect of last week's win was the revival of junior quarterback Rich Linden. Linden rebounded from his second-half benching against Holy Cross to throw for 186 yards on 15-for-28 and two touchdowns, by far his best performance of the season.

Most encouragingly, he was able to distribute the ball among all his receivers, including two touchdowns to previously underutilized junior tight end Chris Eitzmann.

"[Linden] has been working hard all season," said Wilske, who had a career high 88 receiving yards and his first touchdown last week. "He has just kept confidence in himself, and it paid off."

Linden will need to continue his strong play from last week. The Dartmouth defense places a premium on pressuring the offense. It frequently attacks the ball with seven men up front and blitzes heavily.

This leaves the wide receivers with man-to-man coverage, which other teams have been able to exploit for 194 passing yards per game. Despite its coverage scheme, Dartmouth's secondary still managed four interceptions last week.

The Crimson offense looked sharp overall last week with no turnovers or offensive penalties. Linden can build even more confidence if he takes advantage of the man coverage.

With its swarming style, Big Green is especially proficient at stopping the run at the point of attack. For the third consecutive week, Menick will face a tough run defense. Two weeks ago, he had 167 yards against Holy Cross, which entered in the top five in run defense. The Tigers, who were No. 2 against the run entering the game, limited him to just 56.

Dartmouth's bunched style of defense means that Menick will have plenty of running room if he can break through the line.

On the other side of the ball, the Big Green offense has not struck fear in the hearts of its opponents. Its best result came in a 45-24 loss to Colgate.

Dartmouth will most likely try to establish the run early in the game and build off last week's success. It had been rotating two tailbacks--senior Eric Davis and junior Reggie Belhomme--with little success, averaging two yards per rush. Davis distinguished himself last week, averaging an even five yards per carry.

"We want to shut down the run," junior linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski said. "Both backs are pretty fast, but Davis is especially quick like our Chuck [sophomore tailback Chuck Nwokocha]."

Spearheading the Crimson's recent turnaround, the defense has really coalesced as a unit. It kept Harvard in last week's game after giving up a 10-0 lead and sealed the win when junior defensive back Ben Green intercepted a pass with 1:23 remaining. Kacyvenski, senior linebacker Scott Larkee, and an improving line have led the transformation back into last year's form.

"Now that we have gotten it going, we have got to keep the ball rolling," Kacyvenski said. "We are gelling as a team."

Because that proverbial ball has started to roll, Harvard controls its own destiny. Penn, Princeton, and Yale are the other 2-1 teams, and Harvard has yet to play the Quakers and Elis.

Winning the remainder of its schedule assures the Crimson of no worse than a share of first place. Although Dartmouth may appear the easiest of Harvard's final opponents, any letdown might be fatal to Harvard's title chances.

"This is a big game for us," Wilske said. "We are at a crossroads as a team, and a win would be a huge stepping stone."

Last year's win was a huge stepping stone to Harvard's 7-0 Ivy record. This year, Dartmouth will be out for a little revenge.