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Anyone Got a Match?

The Football Notebook

And the last two times it followed that pattern--in 1982 and 1970--its victory in that fourth game of the year came against Cornell.

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Harvard--winner of its first two this year and a loser in its third--travels to Cornell (0-3) Saturday for its fourth contest of the season, and the first of four straight league games.

The Cantabs haven't loss to the Ithacans since 1979, when Cornell posted one of the series' most lopsided wins--a 41-14 triumph.

But the last time Harvard visited Ithaca, N.Y., the Crimson escaped with a 3-3 tie thanks to a 44-yd. field goal on the next-to-last play of the game.

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A year ago, Harvard grabbed an early lead--thanks to Santiago's long dash--but had to hold on for a extremely close victory, 24-18.

The game was in doubt until the Big Red failed by inches on a fourth down attempt deep in Harvard territory with less than two minutes to play.

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From this week's trivia file: name the Cornell running back who set school records with 281 yards rushing and five rushing touchdowns in a 41-24 Cornell victory over Harvard in 1969. Hint: he went on to star on the Hill. Answer below.

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Don't be fooled by the Big Red's o-3 record. Cornell has lost the three games by a total of 19 points, and has lost two of those by a total of five.

On the first weekend of the year, Cornell dropped a 10-6 loss at Penn. A week later, the Ithacans bowed to Colgate, 21-20.

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Only 6500 fans made their way to the Stadium Saturday, marking the smallest crowd the Crimson had played in front of since 4745 showed up in New York City for the 1981 meeting between Harvard and Columbia.

It was the smallest home crowd since Oct. 14, 1978, when 6000 watched Cornell topple Harvard, 25-20.

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