More Fumbling

But Strandemo fumbled a handoff from Zimmerman, and for the second time Dartmouth recovered, this time on the Harvard 22. Ryzewicz hit Bob Mlaker over the middle, and the speedy halfback took the ball down to the Crimson 6. Steve Luxford powered to the 3, and Boyle vaulted one tackler and sprawled into the end zone in the next play. Pete Donovan converted to make the score 7-0, Dartmouth.

Gatto returned the following kickoff to the Harvard 31, but the Crimson failed to get a first down. Then Paul Saba lofted his first punt and Mlakar ran it back to the Green 45. Dartmouth in turn was forced to put, and Harvard took over back on its own 13.

Once again, Zimmerman couldn't move the team and Saba lined a punt to midfield. Ryzewicz then threw to Randy Wallick at the Harvard 35, and the Indians were on the warpath again. Sophomore Bill Koenig suddenly moved in at quarterback and threw to Wallick at the 17. Coach Bob Blackman immediately shuttled Ryzewicz back in again. On fourth and 2 from the Harvard 8, Mlakar picked up the first down by ramming to the 5-yard stripe. Two more tries by Mlakar left the ball with its nose on the goal line, but Dartmouth's fourth illegal procedure of the half set it back to the 6.

Harvard then blocked the pass in the end zone, but an offside penalty nullified the play and also cost the Crimson three precious yards. On the next play, Rycewicz rolled quickly to his right, pumped a couple of times, and slid in for the score. Donovan's conversion made the score 14-0.

Dartmouth tried an on-sides kick after the touchdown and almost got away with it before Bob Brooks won the scrap for the ball. With less than a minute left, Gatto scrambled for a first down at the Dartmouth 43. Zimmerman began to throw, but he missed three times. On the fourth, he was hit while passing and Dartmouth recovered the fumble. Time ran out before the Green could start another threat.

Dartmouth's 14-0 lead, in large measure, was thanks to Harvard's butter-fingers. The Crimson dropped the ball three times in the half, with one fumble costing it a chance for a score, and with another giving Blackman's legions an easy shot at six points.

Dartmouth had been hurt by repeated penalties but Harvard's mistakes were the costlier. More significantly, Dartmouth doubled Harvard's offensive output for the half, in first downs, rushing, and passing.

The victory was Dartmouth's ninth straight and their 11th win in the last 12 games. Dartmouth's last loss was to Harvard in 1966, by a score of 19-14.