The Crimson (5-1, 2-1 Ivy) is currently third in conference standings and has the best overall record of any team in the Ancient Eight. Last season Harvard won the conference title with a perfect Ivy record, including a 37-6 drubbing of 2007 league favorite Yale.
The Big Green (0-6, 0-3 Ivy) is currently winless, and is sitting on an eight-game losing streak that dates back to last season. Dartmouth has lost to Harvard in 10 out of the last 11 meetings,
The last two contests between the teams have come down to the wire, however. Last season, Dartmouth was able to keep up with the Crimson stride for stride, losing just 28-21 in a tightly contested game.
The Big Green traded touchdowns with Harvard throughout the game, until the Crimson was able to find the end zone twice to capture a 28-14 lead. Dartmouth was not defeated, however, andscored on a nine-minute drive.
The Big Green was given a chance to tie the game, getting the ball with two minutes left in the game. Just two plays later, however, quarterback Alex Jenny '10 threw an interception, preserving Harvard's perfect record.
In 2006, the last game played between the two teams at Memorial Field, Dartmouth lost again in a hard-fought, high scoring, 39-34 defeat.
While the Big Green has historically played well against the Crimson, this weekend could be Dartmouth's biggest challenge of the season. Harvard is currently ranked 23rd in the Football Championship Subdivision, the only ranked Ivy League team.
The Big Green's chances are diminished by the team's inconsistent and deteriorating play this season. Against Columbia, a perennial bottom feeder in the conference, Dartmouth managed a season-low 79 yards through the air, and a season-low total of just 174 yards, while putting up just one touchdown.
Tim McManus '11 -- a receiver who doubles as the backup quarterback -- is one of the lone brigh spots on the team this season.McManus made his first career start at quarterback last weekend. McManus accumulated just 54 yards passing, completing just five of 12 attempts.
This was likely due in large part to the driving rain and battering winds that swirled around Wien Stadium in New York last Saturday. Nevertheless, Dartmouth's total lack of offensive production cannot simply be attributed to the weather. The Lions, on the other hand, were still able to amass 205 yards through the air.
If anything, last week's contest served as a reminder that the Big Green lacks a consistent running game this season. In a game where the weather forced both teams to rely heavily on the rushing attack, the Big Green managed only 94 yards on the ground, just 2.8 yards per rush, as opposed to the Lions' 169 rush yards and 4.2 yard average.
In fact, McManus was the leading rusher on the day, gaining 28 yards on the ground and scoring Dartmouth's lone touchdown on a seven-yard quarterback keeper.
At the very least, the running attack was balanced, as four Dartmouth players gained 15 or more yards. Rob Mitchelson '10 gained 26 yards, and Nick Schwieger '12 gained 23. Co-captain Milan Williams '09, who has shouldered 90 percent of the rushing yards this season, gained just 17 yards.
The balanced attack could be a good omen. The Big Green has suffered from a total lack of depth at the halfback position this season -- if Mitchelson and Schwieger are able to continue helping out Williams, Dartmouth could become a legitimate threat on the ground, which could help free up Jenny's potent passing attack.
Elsewhere in the league, Brown (4-2, 3-0 Ivy) and the University of Pennsylvania (4-2, 3-0 Ivy), the currently lead the Ancient Eight with identical undefeated league records. The teams head into a crucial match up this weekend that may could determine this year's conference champion.
If Harvard beats Dartmouth this weekend, the Crimson will be tied for second place with either Brown or Penn. With a win, the Big Green would get rid of its goose egg in the win column and keep the defending league champions out of the running this season.
Dartmouth kicks off against Harvard at 12:30 p.m. at Memorial Field on Saturday.
