HANOVER. N.H.--Five years of frustration ended here this afternoon, as the Harvard football team overcame an outclassed Dartmouth squad,27-7.

The impressive win before 20,080 fans at Memorial field was Harvard's first over Dartmouth since 1978.

And with the crucial Ivy victory, the Crimson moved into a first place tie with the University of Pennsylvania in the race for the 1984 I eague crown.

Harvard is now a perfect 3-0 in the League and 3-2 overleaf.

Looking just as perfect was senior tailback Mark Vignali, who today came back from a leg injury that kept him out of practice all week to rush for 175 yards on 22 carries.

His efforts tied him for number six on the Harvard single game rushing list.

Vignali's 175 yards were also the most ever by any Harvard runner against Dartmouth.

The Uniontown Penn. Native's exploits were the high point of an impressive performance from the entire Harvard squad, which proved for the first time all year, that it's a legitimate-contender for the 1984 Ancient Eight title.

After a slow start today, the Crimson--which never trailed in the game--relied on Vignali, Santiago, and junior quarterback Brain White for a punishing ground game that eventually wore down the hosts, now 0-5 overall and 0-4 in the Ivies.

The Harvard offense gave the Big Green the first scoring opportunity of the day, when Santiago couldn't handle White's option pitch with 6:10 left in the first period.

Despite taking over on the Crimson's 40, the hosts could only manage 14 yards, and on fourth and sixth, Craig Saltzgaber's 42-yard field goal attempt fell short.

White and Co. then wasted no time in putting together one of their finest drives of the year. Like clock work, the running game clicked, thanks to the quick feet of Santiago and vignali and the strong arms of the entire offensive line.

On the second play of the drive, Vignali exploded for his longest scamper of the year--a 25-yard run off a trap. Nine more running plays--and II in all-culminated in White's one-yard sneak for a touchdown just 14 seconds into the second quarter.

The point-after by Rob Steinberg gave the Crimson its early 7-0 lead.

But a Steinberg miscue two series later let the Big Green right back into the game. Punning on fourth and two from his own 18, the Crimson junior kicker bobbled the snap. He recovered in time to get the kick off, but could only manage a 25-yard boot. And that was with a good bounce.