Thus, thanks to the failed risk taken by Yale and the subsequent gift from the men in stripes, Harvard found itself five yards away from possibly putting the game out of reach. Two plays later, Harvard broke the plane on its second straight drive as Hu barreled in from two yards out to give Harvard the 14-0 lead.

That three minute, 60-yard sequence--the blown fourth down conversion, the facemask call, the reverse and the score--combined to put Harvard in position to win its second straight Game with only part of the second quarter gone. The tenor seemed to be set for Harvard's Game triumph.

Many in attendance were ready to write off the Yalies. How premature that was.

Yale scored a touchdown in the third quarter and another in the fourth, and suddenly, the score was 26-15 for Harvard.

And then came another of those moments where the game just changed. Completely. Following their second touchdown, Yale recovered an on-side kick. Cozza's second big gamble of The Game paid off.

But Yale's drive started slowly, and the team was faced with a fourth-and-six. Again, the stadium was on its feet. If the drive died, the game might well have been over. Other wise, who knew.

Yale quarterback Kris Barber took the snap and tried to find an open man downfield, but couldn't. Under pressure, Barber ran our of the pocket and leaped. The chains came out--it was that close--and Barber had the first down.

Yale scored, but their two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving Harvard leading 26-21 and Yale in need of another touchdown. And stopping that conversion proved to be the final pivotal moment of The Game.

On the failed conversion, Barber pitched out to back Jabbar Craigwell, who then attempted a forward pass. But the Harvard defense swarmed him, and he launched a dying quail that didn't reach the line of scrimmage. That was key, for now Harvard needed only to get the ball back and maintain possession to seal the deal, as time was running out on the clock.

The final big play, therefore, came on the next play, as Yale attempted another on-side kick. But Harvard was prepared, and junior safety Jeff Compas recovered the ball to end the Yale threat.

The Game of 1996 was a without a doubt see-saw battle defined by seven or eight big plays. But the early sequence that gave Harvard the 14-0 lead was just too much for Yale to overcome.