Just two football seasons ago 40,000 fans witnessed one of the greatest games in the history of Harvard sports. The Big Green from Hanover, defending champs, come to town for a game that everyone felt would decide the Ivy Championship for 1966.

Both Harvard and Dartmouth were undefeated in League competition. What the Indians had in speed, Harvard easily made up for in defensive power.

Tom Williamson, star safety, commented, "Dartmouth had an offense that could do in most people, while we had the kind of defense that could do in most people."

Dartmouth won the toss, and elected to receive. With Ryzewicz running and passing, the Green quickly moved onto Harvard soil. Beard dropped back to pass at the Crimson 46. John Emery hit him hard, and Stan Greenidge snared the fumble to give the Crimson its first chance to score.

Crimson Offensive

Harvard couldn't move; and when Dartmouth got the pigskin, they movit to the Harvard 24, only to fumble it away again. Now the Crimson offense went into action.

Bobby Leo, who's now with the Patriots, took a pitch-out from Rick Zimmerman and scampered around the right end for five yards. A fancy double handoff and Vic Gatto's power moved the ball another seven yards to the 36.

With first and ten, big Bobby Leo exploded through a mass of tacklers, reversed down the side, and outran a horde of tacklers all the way to the Dartmouth 1, where he was caught. But he still couldn't be stopped, and Leo fell across the line to score after running 64 yards. Jim Babcock kicked the extra point to make it a 7-0 game.

Big Difference

The famed Crimson defense held tight for the rest of the first period, but midway through the second quarter the favored Indians roared back.

At the Crimson 35, light-footed Mickey Beard lofted a pretty 15-yard pass, and two jabs at right and left tackle put the Indians on the ten. Beard rolled around the right end and skipped into the end zone. The conversion tied it at 7-7.

Oklahoma's famous coach Bud Wilkinson was watching this game and at the half he said that Ivy League ball was just as rough as that played anywhere else. "The big difference," he commented, "is depth."

Opening the second half Harvard showed it had the depth to play four quarters of rough football. Leo and Gatto took turns pounding out yardage. Fourth down and just 1/2 a yard to go at midfield, Gatto took a handoff and headed for a right end sweep. The Green defense held fast and threw him for a loss.

It was a costly loss for Dartmouth now had first down on Harvard turf. Ten plays later the Indians were on the 1. Ryzewicz drove off right tackle for the T.D. and the conversion made it 14-7.

It wasn't until late in the third period that Harvard got going again. Starting at his 47, quarterback Ric Zimmerman moved his team to the Dartmouth 9 in five plays. A pass down the middle to Joe Cook got the score. The two-point conversion attempt failed, and Dartmouth led 14-13 with 13 minutes to go.

Desperate Defense

Fighting for its Ivy League life the defense forced the Green to punt, and Harvard took over with 9:29 remaining. Leo and Gatto hammered out yards; Zimmerman skillfully mixed pitch-outs and passes for more. One more pitch-out at the 3 to Vic Gatto, and Harvard was on the 1/2.

On third down Zimmerman pulled a keeper and fell over the center for the T.D. Once again the conversion was no good, but Harvard was ahead 19-14, and that's how it ended.

Leo had carried 20 times for 173 yards. Gatto gained 102 in 19 tries. And the defense was superb. By winning this game Harvard seemed to have wrapped up the Ivy title. Yet later in the season Princeton upset Harvard, and we had to settle for a three-way tie for the Ivy crown.

But for the fans on October 22, 1966, it was the big game of the season, and in the history of Harvard sports it remains a classic.