The grinding rushing offense of the Crimson was complemented by a lethal passing game. Then-sophomore quarterback Rich Linden '00 led Harvard all season, coming just short of Harvard's single-season passing record.

An airtight offensive line, anchored by current Minnesota Vikings center Matt Birk '00, protected the Crimson's skill players.

The defense, led most of the year by Bibro, got a strong boost from super sophomore linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski '00. Kacyvenski's dominance against the run earned him First Team All-Ivy honors that year and, more recently, a spot on the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.

The March to New Haven

Murphy had put all the pieces in place for a legitimate run at the title, and the team began to click from the get-go.

The season began auspiciously with Harvard's biggest win in a decade, a 45-7 decimation of Columbia.

"We came out expecting to win that year," said senior defensive tackle R.D. Kern. "It was awesome to start with such a big win against Columbia."

The tough Harvard defense held the Lions to a paltry 46 yards on the ground and set a precedent for the rest of the year. The Crimson went into its November 22 match-up at the Yale Bowl having allowed less than 14 points per game on average.

Harvard's offense, getting over the loss of star tailback Eion Hu '97 to graduation, led the team to a 35-30 victory over Lehigh and a 34-9 dismantling of Ivy contender Cornell in Weeks Two and Four, respectively.

Week Three would bring the Crimson's only loss of the season, a 24-20 defeat at the hands of Bucknell across the river.

After righting its course at Cornell, the Crimson faced non-conference foe Holy Cross. Menick rumbled for 261 yards, leading the offense to a school-record 623 yards on the day.

After getting by Princeton in the fourth quarter for a 14-12 win, the Crimson traveled to New Hampshire to take on a Dartmouth team that was unbeaten in Ivy play.

"Everyone thought Dartmouth was the best team ever," Kern said. "We were out to show that we could play."

And play they did. Harvard embarrassed the defending Ivy League champions, 24-0, snapping the Big Green's 14-game Ivy winning streak that had spanned two seasons.

Dartmouth's rush could not make it into the black, registering -3 yards on the day. To confound Dartmouth's woes, the Crimson defense made five interceptions. More important than statistics, however, the win meant that only unbeaten Penn maintained a share of the Ivy lead with the Crimson.

Undefeated Harvard started to look toward a championship and a place in history.