Dartmouth 10, Holy Cross 0
No two football teams ever met with more desire to win than did Dartmouth and Holy Cross. The Crusaders wanted to prove that the Big Green defense was only paper thin, while Dartmouth was out to beat the Cross for the first time since 1957 and for the first time in Hanover since 1954. To the winner of this contest was destined to go the mythical New England football crown.
To the 14,000 plus who attended the "standing room only" clash it was seatsquirmer from start to finish. The Indians, however, capitalized on every Crusader miscue, to score a field goal and a touchdown, the latter on a record-breaking pass interception return. Blackman, however, continued to go with his threeplatoon system just as he has all fall.
The first quarter was a standoff with the Indians halting two Holy Cross drives with interceptions but failing to capitalize on one of their own because of a fumble. Early in the second period, halfback Tom Spangenberg intercepted his second pass of the day and returned it 14 yards to the Dartmouth 49.
The key play of the series that followed was a 22-yard pass from King to Spangenberg which gave the Indians a first down on the Crusader 15. Three plays netted the' Green one yard, and it elected to settle for a field goal. Wellstead then stepped back and booted a 31 yarder, his fourth three-pointer of the season.
The score remained the same until the fourth period when Holy Cross started a drive from its own 20. As the final period opened the Crusaders had the ball first and ten to go on the Dartmouth 20. Holy Cross' All-East quarterback Pat McCarthy moved the ball to the 16 on a keeper play and on second down elected to go for the TD. His aerial was short of the intended receiver and Spangenberg caught the pass on the 4-yard line for his third interception of the day.
The Darien, Conn., junior saw the entire left side of the field opening up in front of him as he set sail for the Crusader goal line. One block had taken out the intended receiver and another removed a would-be tackier at about the Indian 35. From there Spangenberg was in the clear as he raced 96 yards to score. His interception return was the longest in Dartmouth history, erasing a record of 90 yards set by Bob Lee in 1930.
