SIDEBAR: Defense Overwhelms Green

After a poor showing against Princeton last weekend, it was up to the Harvard defense to make a statement at Dartmouth on Saturday.

The unit was up to the task.

In Harvard’s defeat last week, the defensive corps gave up 31 points and 339 offensive yards, including 104 on the ground. The Tigers’ century mark was the first allowed by the Crimson “D” all season.

With a new weekend and a noticeably weaker offense in the Big Green, Saturday’s task was about more than just performing: the defense had to dominate. Harvard responded by posting its first shutout of the season, and first since a 38-0 whipping of Columbia in 2004.

“Every week, that’s our goal,” senior defensive tackle Mike Berg said. “Up to this point, we really haven’t been able to put the nail in the coffin and close people out. I thought we did a great job.”

The Dartmouth offense saw Crimson the whole game, as the unit held the Big Green to 183 total offensive yards, with just 86 in the first half. The squad posted 11 tackles for loss and four sacks.

A credit to the solid defensive line, for the fifth time in six games they held the run game under 100, allowing just 85 yards. The line brought the pressure both for the rush attack and Dartmouth quarterback Mike Fritz.

Many credited the wet conditions with the lack of offense, as the weather posed a concern. In total, the Big Green had six turnovers, three interceptions and three fumbles. But neither coach credited the conditions as a negative factor.

“We didn’t respond well,” Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens said. “Really, the turnovers had nothing to do with it. It really didn’t affect us. It really didn’t affect either team, I don’t believe.”

For all Berg knew, it was sunny and 75. At least that was how he played.

In previous weeks Berg was less visible; requiring two linemen to contain him, his presence played a role in opening opportunities for other players.

On Saturday, he showcased his talent in the form of a monster day with seven tackles, including two and a half for loss, and a sack. Berg forced two fumbles, including one in which he broke through the line to hit Fritz before he could hand the ball off to the tailback. His agility allowed him to both knock the ball loose and recover it as well.

The forced fumble was one of Berg’s two on the day, the other coming on Dartmouth’s first drive of the game.

“They’re as strong and fast as anybody we’ve faced in the league,” Teevens said about the Harvard defensive line. “That was the thing that we were impressed with was their athleticism. They get off the ball and run particularly well. They run like linebackers.”

After struggling in recent weeks, the Harvard defensive secondary came together with a strong performance. On the first fumble, junior cornerback Steve Williams showed he could do more than just play coverage.

After Berg forced the ball free, it looked to be going out of bounds when Williams dove to push the ball away from the sideline and into the arms of senior safety Danny Tanner.

Williams and Tanner also teamed up later in the game: on a deep throw into Harvard territory, Williams stayed with his man and batted away the pass into the arms of Tanner. The corner also added an interception to his credit in the second quarter.

Junior cornerback John Hopkins also got it on the action. Entering the game with six tackles for the season, the corner made four stops on Saturday and grabbed both his first interception and first fumble recovery of the fall.

As a unit, the defense came together to make the Dartmouth offense look inept.

“They compress the pocket, they rush the passer,” Teevens said. “They get him a little bit out of rhythm and make him rush throws or rush some moves, and it allows them to play coverage...They do a great job and they certainly make that defense run.”

—Staff writer Madeleine I. Shapiro can be reached at mshapiro@fas.harvard.edu.