In one of the hardest fought games ever played on Soldiers Field, Harvard defeated Dartmouth Saturday afternoon by the score of 6 to 0. During the first half the play was very even, and although Harvard was outplaying its opponents in the second half, it was not until the last few minutes of the game that Harvard's touchdown was made. It came as the result of a series of rushes and forward passes from Harvard's own 24-yard line, the best exhibition of football Harvard has shown this year. Three beautiful forward passes and consistent gains by Leslie, Ver Wiebe and Smith brought the ball to Dartmouth's 3-yard line, from where Leslie plunged across the goal line.
The feature of the game was Harvard's use of the open, play, particularly the forward passes, which Cutler and Fish executed cleverly. It was the fight and snap which the University team put into their play that won the game. Dartmouth was by far the strongest eleven that Harvard has met this year, and made splendid fight. They depended mainly upon the old line-plunging game, however, and the two teams were too evenly matched for consistent gains through the line. The game was remarkably clean throughout, and there were few penalties.
Harvard came near scoring at the very start of the game, when after an exchange of kicks Corbett carried the ball to the 9-yard line. Two line plunges netted only four yards, and Cutler tried a forward pass which went to Dartmouth for a touchback. Dartmouth's only chance to score came at the end of the same half. An onside kick from Harvard's 46-yard line was recovered on the 24-yard line. Sherwin went back to try a drop kick but the ball fell short, and Browne ran it back to the 28-yard line.
General Outline of the Game
After the first kick-off the, University team stared off with a rush, and carried the ball to their opponents' 5-yard line, where it was lost. Sherwin punted out from the 20-yard line. A little later Kennard kicked from Harvard's 50-yard line, over Pishon's head for a touchback. Sherwin kicked out again, and after two successful onside kicks, Dartmouth had the ball on Harvard's 24-yard line, where Sherwin's drop kick failed. In the second half the play was almost entirely in the centre of the field, until the last few minutes, when Harvard started from its own 24-yard line and rushed the ball the length of the field for a score.
The work of acting Captain Fish at right tackle stood out above the men of both teams, not only on forward passes, but on the defence. He opened up the Role through which Leslie made the touchdown. Cutler, at quarterback, played his best game this year. Not only did he use excellent judgment and run his plays with speed and smoothness, but he also got off forward passes with wonderful coolness and punted well. MacKay, Nourse, Hoar, and Withington all played well. The work of the ends also showed improvement, Browne and Crowley doing extremely well. It is hard to discriminate in the back field. Corbett and White only netted four yards, and while Leslie and Ver Wiebe proved themselves hard line-plungers. These two men made good gains on Harvard's long rush down the field, and it was Leslie's plunge through right tackle that gave Harvard the touchdown. Smith did well during the short time he was in the game.
The Game in Detail.--First Half.
MacKay kicked off to Dartmouth's 2-yard line, and Ryan ran it back to the 18-yard line, where Schildmiller recovered his fumble. Marks went through right guard for five yards, but Corbett threw Ryan for loss in the next play, and Sherwin was forced to kick. Browne received the ball on Dartmouth's 43-yard line. Corbett failed to gain, and Kennard punted to Ryan, who fumbled, Crowley recovering the ball for Harvard on the 28-yard line. Corbett went through right tackle to the 9-yard line. Corbett and White only netted four yards, and Cutler tried a forward pass which Fish failed to reach. The ball bounded over the goal line for a touchback. Sherwin punted out from the 20-yard line to Kennard, who was downed on Dartmouth's 45-yard line. Corbett made five yards at right tackle, Browne failed to gain, and Corbett failed to make first down, the ball going to Dartmouth's. Hawley was twice thrown for loss, and punted to Browne on Harvard's 44-yard line. Corbett and White made eight yards, and Cutler punted to Ryan, who fumbled to Crowley again on Dartmouth's 33-yard line. Hawley was here replaced by Pollard. Corbett was thrown for loss, and Harvard was put still farther back for off-side play. Ryan made a fair catch of Cutler's punt on Dartmouth's 25-yard line. Pollard ran for five yards around right end, and Marks made four yards more at centre. Sherwin punted to Browne. On the next play Harvard was penalized fifteen yards for holding. White took the ball back to the 48-yard line on three hard plunges through centre. Cutler got off a pretty forward pass to Fish, Corbett made three yards at left tackle, and Browne recovered a fumble in the next play on Dartmouth's 45-yard line. Cutler punted outside to Pishon, line plays failed to gain, and Sherwin returned the ball to Browne in midfield. Kennard punted from the 50-yard line over Pishon's head, and the ball rolled over the goal line for a touchback.
Sherwin again punted out; Browne fumbled, but Cutler recovered the ball and ran it back to Dartmouth's 52-yard line. A forward pass failed, Dartmouth receiving the ball on its own 45-yard line. Pollard made five yards on a fake kick, and Sherwin punted. The ball was fumbled and went to Dartmouth, only to be given back to Harvard for interference on its own 45-yard line. Corbett failed to gain, White bucked the centre for two yards, and Cutler punted to Pollard, who with good interference ran back to Dartmouth's 34-yard line. Sherwin's punt went to Cutler on Harvard's 39-yard line. Corbett and White netted eight yards, and Cutler punted to Pishon. Hoar threw Marks for no gain, Sherwin also failed to advance the ball and made an onside kick to Kennedy, which brought the ball to Harvard's 45-yard line. A forward pass failed, an on side kick was recovered by Brusse, and after a vain attempt to gain through the line Sherwin tried a drop-kick from the Harvard 27-yard line. The ball fell short, and Browne, who caught it, was not downed until he had reached the 28-yard line. Pollard made a fair catch of Cutler's punt on Dartmouth's 39-yard line, Sherwin was thrown for loss, and Pishon's onside kick went to Browne. Cutler failed to get off an onside kick, but recovered the ball on Dartmouth's 50-yard line. Ver Wiebe was sent in to take Kennard's place at full-back, and or his first two plays made twenty yards through the centre of the Dartmouth line. Corbett was downed on the 31-yard line, White made four yards and Corbett gained first down. Dartmouth had just got the ball on a forward pass within eight yards of its own goal when time was called for the first half.
The Second Half.
When Harvard appeared on the field in the second half, Withington had replaced Dunlap at left guard. Tobin kicked off to Browne, who ran the ball back sixteen yards to the 18-yard line. Corbett and White tried the right side of the line for nine yards. Pishon received Cutler's kick and was downed by withington in the middle of the field. Marks made seven and then five yards at centre, but Pollard failed to gain. Marks tried again,
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UNION LECTURE BY J. S. WISE
