Cornell 28, Dartmouth 26

Meeting a Cornell team which was in first place in the Ivy Group, before a Fall Houseparty crowd of 13,000 at Memorial Field, the Dartmouth team seemed determined to defeat Cornell for the first time since 1949- It came within inches of doing this, but it was only a late effort that made the game close for midway in the third period Cornell had a 20-7 edge.

From the start, Dartmouth got into trouble. The Indians received the kickoff, fumbled, lost the ball to Cornell, held for four downs, took over, and fumbled again. This time Cornell scored its first touchdown when fullback Guy Bedrosian plunged over from the 3-yard line. Another fumble by Dartmouth in the second period (the Indians fumbled six times, lost five) set up Cornell's second score. The Big Red recovered the ball deep in Dartmouth territory and after moving ten yards, quarterback Bill DeGraaf pitched out to halfback Dick Meade who scooted around end for the score. DeGraaf converted (he made four for four and those points spelled the difference).

Stung by these two scores, Dartmouth took the kickoff and moved 65 yards on 12 plays to get back into the game. Bill Beagle, throwing from the quarterback spot, unleashed passes to Dave McLaughlin, Lou Turner and Dave Thielscher to move the ball to the Cornell 15. Then Beagle tossed to .Dave Thielscher who made a circus catch in the end zone and Parker Caswell converted.

Early in the second half, Cornell took over the game. DeGraaf passed 25 yards to Bruce Brenner for another Cornell score, and minutes later, after a Dartmouth fumble, halfback Bill Meade took a pitchout from DeGraaf, then passed to end Stan Intihar who raced it over from the 25.

Late in the third period, Dartmouth scored when halfback Frank Krol stopped another Cornell march on the Dartmouth 30-yard line by recovering a fumble and Beagle threw successive passes to Thielscher, McLaughlin and finally Turner (a 30-yard heave) to take the ball to the 3yard line. From there Beagle lugged it across for the TD, but the conversion attempt failed.

Trailing 28-13 in the final period, the Big Green made a desperate and game attempt to pull it out. Beagle kept passing as fast and hard as he could (he completed 15 out of 21 for 248 yards and two scores). A screen pass to Lou Turner sent him racing 50 yards to the Cornell 3-yard marker and then Beagle punched it over for another Dartmouth score. Later in the period, Beagle got the team rolling again and another long pass, to Dave McLaughlin, brought the final Dartmouth score. With the clock running out Cornell marched back, couldn't make it, and the Indians took over on their own 20 with one minute left. Two quick passes brought the ball to midfield, but time ran out on one of the greatest games played in this traditional rivalry.