After a successful stand on Homecoming Weekend, the Big Green of Dartmouth take their show on the road this week for always interesting "Harvard Weekend."
While no one seems to know what Harvard weekend is, except that they get a day of school off Friday, no one is complaining. The Dartmouth football team isn't really complaining either, after a 35-14 annihilation of Colgate last week, stacked on top of consecutive wins over Yale and Lafayette prior to that.
Last week, Dartmouth football came out with its "hair on fire," according to center "Curly" Mcgowan '96, and quickly sucked the life from the Red Raiders with a 28-0 first quarter lead.
"Our offensive line did a real good job," Coach John Lyons said. Dartmouth's front line, though quieter in the second half, spent the first 30 minutes pushing the Red Raider defensive line out of its shoes.
As a result of their last three big wins, backed by an overpowering running game and suffocating defense, the Big Green are starting to believe something they have been saying since day one.
"There is no reason why we can't win the rest of these games," defensive end Scott Hapgood '97 said.
Hapgood also likes Dartmouth's chances against Harvard tomorrow. "They took care of us last year," Hapgood said, referring to Harvard's 35-12 crushing of the Green last year. "There is never a problem getting ready for Harvard, but this year is probably even a bigger game."
The Crimson of Harvard, 1-5 overall this year, will be looking to pick up their first Ivy League victory in their fourth try on Saturday.
A glance at Harvard's record would lead a reader to think that the Crimson are just plain awful. Granted, they aren't a league powerhouse, but they are better than the record shows. Four of Harvard's five losses have been by less than a touchdown this year, and its fifth lose was only by 11 points.
Dartmouth must bring all of the momentum it has built up into the game on Saturday if it hopes to return with a victory. The Big Green will need solid performances across the board, especially continued strong play by the Big Green defense against a formidable Harvard offense.
The Crimson are offensively led by last year's Rookie of the Year running back Eion Hu and one of the best quarterback's in the league, Vin Ferrara. The Big Green defense will have to focus on shutting these players down early to be successful.
Harvard weekend, traditionally the biggest game of the season and the home of Dartmouth football's biggest rivalry, comes this year at a critical point for the Big Green Gridders. A win for Dartmouth, currently 1-2 in the Ivy's, could rejuvenate their hopes within the league, and give them added momentum heading into the rest of the season.
