A last-minute Dartmouth field goal thwarted a Harvard fourth-quarter comeback and gave the Indians a 23-21 victory today. After seeing Harvard roar back from a 20-0 deficit, Dartmouth drove from its own 30 yard line to the Crimson 5 yard mark before the Harvard defense halted the drive. The Dartmouth field goal try was wide, but a Harvard offside penalty gave Indian kicked Pete Donovan another chance. He made it.

After a frustrating first half, coach Yovicsin started experimenting. He alternated his halfbacks and allowed quarterback Ric Zimmerman to open up the attack. Zimmerman began the second half with a pass to Carter Lord at the Crimson 38. Gatto burst eight yards for a first down at the 46, but two Zimmerman passes went awry, and punter Paul Saba got the call.

The Indians moved from their 28 to the 46 yard line, before quarterback Gene Ryzewicz overthrew a wide-open Dave Boyle. Harvard took over, bogged down, and punted in turn.

Halfback Bob Mlakar, a threat all day, took the kick, reversed his field, and scampered inside the Harvard 40. Fellow halfback Steve Luxford and Ryzewicz then snaked through the Crimson defense for two first downs.

From the 3, Ryzewicz called the same rollout option that got Dartmouth a touchdown in the first half. It worked again. Crimson quarterback Bill Cobb blocked the extra point attempt, but at this point Harvard was on the short end of a 20-0 count.

Halfback Ray Hornblower, after dropping the kickoff roared down the sidelines to the Harvard 46. He took the ball again and again, ripping off 10-yard chunks into Dartmouth territory. But on a crucial fourth and two, at the Indian 22, Vic Gatto was smothered and all seemed lost. A botched quick kick, however, got Harvard the ball on Dartmouth's 39.

Zimmerman threw to Lord at the 22, then to Joe Cook at the 15. On another fourth down situation, he hit Gus Crim at the Dartmouth 8. Gatto carried to the 5, and then Hornblower knifed in on a sweep for Harvard's score. Tom Wynne converted and Dartmouth's lead was 20-7 with 13 minutes remaining.

After Harvard's kickoff, the Indians were forced to punt. The Crimson defense poured in, Cobb blocked the kick, and Mike Ananis recovered on the Dartmouth 2.

On the first play, Gatto somersaulted into paydirt and Wynne split the upright. The score was 20-14, and the once-dying Crimson was very much alive.

Before Dartmouth could get going again, Wynne intercepted a deflected pass and Harvard found itself on the Dartmouth 18. That 18 yards belonged to Gatto. He streaked wide, plunged the middle, and finally powered into the end zone backwards from the 1, Wynne coolly stroked the ball between the goal posts, and Harvard--incredibly--led 21-20.

Then Dartmouth began its last drive.

Dartmouth took the opening kick-off at its own 30 and started moving immediately. After three quick first downs, a 24-yard scamper by Green fullback Dave Boyle brought the ball to the Harvard 6, and three more tries moved it to the 1. But an illegal procedure penalty cost Dartmouth five yards, and on fourth down Gerry Marino caught Ryzewicz trying to pass. Harvard took over on its own 15.

Zimmerman immediately got Harvard launched on a drive of its own. A spectacular catch by Will Stargel on a 36-yard wobbly pass from Gatto put the ball on the Dartmouth 22. On the next play, however, Stargel fumbled Zimmerman's handoff, Dartmouth recovered, and the march was over.

The Green then managed a couple of first downs, but with Chiofaro clogging the middle and Cobb moving up fast from the corner, Dartmouth soon had to punt.

An involved Harvard triple lateral play--more characteristic of Dartmouth's offense than Harvard's--was nullified when Stargel moved too far ahead of Zimmerman on the last exchange. The Crimson got the first down anyway on the next play, and the quarter ended with the score still 0-0.