The Harvard football team staged the biggest comeback of its 128-year history on Saturday versus Dartmouth.

Over 12,000 fans—this season’s largest crowd, which included Senator Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy ’54-’56 and former Vice President Al Gore ’69—witnessed the Crimson erase a 21-0 halftime deficit against Dartmouth (1-5, 1-3 Ivy) in under four minutes during the third quarter. Junior Anders Blewett kicked the game-winning field goal early in the fourth quarter to put Harvard up 24-21 and complete the amazing comeback.

The victory means Harvard continues its undefeated season and its quest for the Ivy league title. The Crimson’s 6-0 (4-0 Ivy) record is its best since 1968.

“I’m very proud of how our kids responded to what we had to say at halftime,” Harvard Coach Tim Murphy said. “We not only played with tremendous character in the second half, but we also made a lot of big plays and plays in the clutch.”

Those big plays appeared midway through the third quarter, when the Crimson was down 21-0.

Harvard’s first drive of the second half took the ball down to the Dartmouth 35-yard line. On second-down and 4, freshman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, starting in place of injured senior Neil Rose, pitched the ball left to junior wideout Carl Morris. Morris switched direction to the right and ran across the field before pausing to fire a pass to wide-open senior wideout Sam Taylor, who was back on the left side of the field. Taylor then rushed in untouched for the touchdown and the Crimson’s first score.

“The play was designed to go down the sideline, but the receiver was double-covered,” Morris said. “Sam Taylor was just kind of standing there and we were on the same page.”

The Crimson’s trickery breathed new life into the crowd and the team, which had been frustrated in numerous attempts to get into the end zone in the first half. Seventeen seconds later, Harvard would get there again.

On the ensuing kickoff, Crimson junior Xavier Goss nailed the Big Green’s Steve Jensen, forcing a fumble that Harvard senior Shawn Parker recovered at the Dartmouth 32-yard line.

Fitzpatrick, on the first play from scrimmage, tossed a fade to Morris, who outran his cornerback, made the catch and rumbled in for the score.

“That was a big play,” Dartmouth Coach John Lyons said. “Morris had a hell of a day, and he just went up and caught the ball over us and that was it.”

Blewett’s extra point made it 21-14 and gave the momentum to Harvard.

The Crimson defense, which had uncharacteristically given up 124 yards rushing in the first half, sensed things were going its way and finally showed up. The Big Green’s next possession was a debacle as it moved backwards three straight plays, including a third-down sack by Harvard senior defensive end Kyle Sims. Dartmouth was forced to punt.

Fitzpatrick didn’t miss a beat. Harvard’s first play, from the Dartmouth 45, was a pass over the middle to Morris, who made a spectacular jump and held on to the ball before getting tackled down at the 5-yard line. Junior tailback Nick Palazzo, who hadn’t played a down in the first half, then tied the game with a touchdown run.

The score came 10 minutes into the second half.