HARVARD 21, DARTMOUTH 7
Before a capacity crowd of 16,000 people at Memorial Field, Harvard brought the Indians down to their fifth consecutive Ivy League defeat by the margin of 21-7. Continuing their luckless pattern, Dartmouth donated two touchdowns to the opposition in the first nine minutes of play and then played their hearts out the rest of the afternoon trying to wipe out the deficit. On the second Harvard play from scrimmage, a halfback named Gannon came whirling around the Dartmouth right end and, aided by murderous blocking, went all the way to a score. A few moments later, a Dartmouth fumble was recovered by an alert and opportunistic Harvard aggregation and converted into another score before the initial period was much more than half over. Although 14 big points in arrears, the Green kept trying and, indeed, turned in their best performance since the Syracuse game. But they were unable to do much about the final outcome.
The lone Dartmouth tally came a matter of seconds before the end of the first half. Coming back strong in the second period, sparked by Pensavalle at quarterback, the Indians finally broke into the scoring column with a 45-yard pass from Pensavalle to halfback Bob Albrecht, who was waiting in the end zone. This tally was a spectacular effort, culminating a play which saw the little quarterback apparently hopelessly trapped behind his own line, only to cut loose with a long and accurate heave which hit his receiver squarely on the button. The remainder of the contest saw some hearty offensive efforts on the part of O'Brien, who came to life for the first time this season and jammed his 200 pounds time and again through the Harvard forward wall for considerable gains. Neither he nor any other of the Dartmouth ball carriers was able to go all the way, however, often falling over their own feet when they were seemingly in the clear. Tackle Jon Jenkins also came into his own for the first time in several weeks and the big fellow lived up on occasions to the promise he showed in the final games of last year when he broke into the starting lineup as a freshman. Art Young performed prodigies of defensive valor at the other tackle and the line as a whole collaborated fairly well to hold the Harvard running efforts to a minimum.
In the last analysis, the Green beat herself this time, as she has more than once this fall. The passing offensive, which was used with a minimum of finesse by the various quarterbacks, backfired with particularly grievous results. The Indians attempted a total of 23 tosses, which is very high for a college game and more in line with professional efforts. Twelve of these attempts were completed, one for the only touchdown, which seems at first glance a most praiseworthy percentage. However, no less than seven were intercepted by the alert Harvard secondary, one of which led directly to the third Harvard touchdown in the final quarter. Each time a promising Dartmouth rally would be shaping up, one of the Green quarterbacks (Sullivan, Pennsavalle, Sayers, or Costello) would reach back and pitch the ball directly into the eagerly waiting arms of a man in a red jersey, who would set off forthwith in the direction of the Dartmouth goal line. As the Dartmouth passing attack became more desperate in the waning moments of the game, the interceptions increased proportionately, so that it seemed to the depressed spectators that at least 15 (instead of 7) of the Green tosses were thus diverted into enemy hands. A couple of bad fumbles, recovered by Harvard, were thrown in for good measure at crucial moments in the game, so that all the gallant efforts of an aroused. Dartmouth team would be nullified again and again by their own lapses.
The game was marked by all the pleasant pomp and circumstance of a traditional Ivy League encounter, with the wooden stands filled with decorous Harvards and with the Crimson band out in full force, operating with their customary skill and elan. It was the first time since 1884 that this contest had been played in Hanover, on which former occasion mighty Harvard apparently sent a junior varsity team up into the wilds of New Hampshire to cooperate with Dartmouth in putting on a suitable athletic spectacle. Under the circumstances this time, it was unfortunate that the earnest efforts of a still far-from-discouraged Dartmouth team went for virtually naught.
In spite of its impressive record of six wins (counting Dartmouth) against one defeat, this Harvard team could be had. Dartmouth might have done it if they could have played their own second team (or anybody else) for the first nine minutes and then taken on the Harvards. With the exception of the initial moments, the teams were well matched, with the Green even running up an impressive total of 14 first downs to 6 for Harvard and gaining 166 yards through the air to Harvard's 48 by the same route. Even on the ground, the weakest link in the Indian chain, Harvard gained only 104 yards to the somewhat anemic 90 yards for the Green. The interceptions and fumbles told the story. In thus winning its 31st triumph in the series against 16 defeats and 3 ties, Harvard showed an alertness and an oppor- tunistic ability to capitalize on the misdeeds of the opposition which would have stood a fighting but hapless Dartmouth team in good stead. Against Yale, we were not even in the ball game most of the time. Against Harvard, we were very much in the ball game. Only not quite enough.
ONE OF THE FEW TIMES that the backs went "tearing by" against Yale, as Con Pensavalle, foreground, on a bootleg sneak around the Eli right end in the third period, picked up 55 yards to the Yale 15-yard line before he was caught. No score resulted as Yale won, for the 20th time in the series, 33-2.
