Athletes of the Week: Terence Patterson `00, Brad Wilford `00 and Chris Menick `00

If you watch enough sports, you might be lucky to witness something truly unbelievable once in a while. Something magical. Something that leaves you utterly speechless and sears an indelible print across your memory bank. Saturday's football game was one such event.

It was much more than a 63-21 thrashing of the helpless Dartmouth Big Green. It was a game that will be remembered by the 13,076 fans in attendance for years to come.

On Saturday afternoon, seniors Brad Wilford, Chris Menick and Terence Patterson walked onto the field as Harvard football players. They left the field as Harvard football legends.

In a game Coach Tim Murphy described as the team's best all season, the men in Crimson scored more points than any Harvard team since 1946. And along the way, quarterback Wilford, running back Menick and wide receiver Patterson etched their names across the Harvard history books.

Menick and Wilford were first to take center stage. Dartmouth had just pieced together a surprising opening drive to take a quick 7-0 lead, and it appeared that momentum was on the Green's side. But then the Harvard offense took the field, and Dartmouth folded faster than a cheap lawn chair.

Wilford led Harvard on the most efficient and deadly drive of the season. He set the tone for the game by completing his first two passes to sophomore receiver Andy Fried and urging the coaches to attempt a clutch fourth down in Dartmouth territory.

Wilford had the Midas touch all afternoon. His favorite target was freshman wide receiver Carl Morris, who pulled in 5 balls for 112 yards, including a stunning 50-yard fingertip catch.

Wilford also shattered the school record for passing yards in a single game with 398, and set a record with 387 yards of total offense. He also re-entered the game after receiving stitches in his forehead on the sideline during the third quarter.

Needing only 37 yards to claim Harvard's all-time record for career rushing yards, Menick notched an easy 31 on that opening drive, including a one-yard plunge for the score. The senior tailback broke the record on the next drive and tacked on 83 more yards by the fourth quarter. He finished the day with 120 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries.

Patterson, who entered the game needing six catches to become Harvard's all-time leading receiver, got his sixth grab for the record in the third quarter. His 128 career catches put him over the 127 mark set by former teammate Colby Skelton '98. Patterson finished with 74 yards on the day.

And most importantly, because of their performances on Saturday, this Crimson triumvirate helped keep Harvard in the hunt for the Ivy title.