Harvard coach Tim Murphy gave the Big Green credit for its tough effort in all three phases of the game.
"I feel like this was the most well-rounded football team we've played yet this season," he said.
Facing a 14-point deficit late in the third quarter, quarterback Alex Park '14 connected with Ryan McManus '15 20 yards downfield by the left sideline. Despite being surrounded by six Harvard defenders, McManus broke several tackles on his way to a 68-yard touchdown catch-and-run, sending the remaining home crowd into a frenzy.
"He's fun to watch and is a wonderful team player," head coach Buddy Teevens said. "That was one of those ESPN plays."
The Big Green could not keep the momentum on its side as Harvard went on a six-play, 55-yard touchdown drive at the beginning of the fourth quarter to increase its lead to 14.
In a final, desperate attempt to come back in the game, the Big Green's faint hopes were dashed by an unusual penalty. Before a third-and-two play from the Harvard 43-yard line, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Dartmouth bench set up a third-and-17. The flag was thrown after a Dartmouth player accidentally hit a referee with a ball that was intended for a ball boy.
"It was one of the strangest things I've seen in my life," Teevens said. "Nothing was said, and it was not intentional. It was just a perfect storm."
Dartmouth found itself in the large hole after a dismal performance in the first half. The Big Green offense struggled to find a rhythm, and while the defense showed moments of pressure, key penalties kept Crimson drives alive. Both Dartmouth quarterbacks Park and Dalyn Williams '16 had trouble with the relentless Harvard pass pressure that resulted in six sacks and a number of hurried throws.
The game started out with an aggressive play call as Dartmouth executed a perfect onside kick after deferring the opening coin toss.
"We work hard on special teams and the way they are deployed," Teevens said. "We thought there was an opportunity with a four-on-one, and we executed."
The drive fizzled quickly, however, with tight downfield coverage from Harvard that left little room for the Dartmouth offense.
Riley Lyons '15 had a pair of effective punts that pinned the Crimson inside its own 10-yard line, including a well-executed pooch kick. It wasn't enough to stop the league's best offense, however, as the Crimson drove the ball 93 yards on its first possession for a touchdown on a quarterback rollout.
Harvard struck again early in the second half after a Park interception from the Big Green 20-yard line was returned to the six-yard line. Crimson running back Treavor Scales dashed into the end zone two plays later to give Harvard a 14-0 lead.
After Scales added another touchdown in the quarter to increase the lead to 21, the Big Green had its first successful offensive drive of the game while running the two-minute offense. A botched lateral from Park to running back Dominick Pierre '14 set the Big Green back, as Dartmouth settled for a field goal attempt that missed wide.
"We've been down a bunch at halftime, so we thought it was just going to be another one of those adverse situations that we had to work out of," co-captain Pat Lahey '12 said.
On the first play of its second drive after halftime, Park found Michael Reilly '12 on a post pattern for a completion up to the Harvard 27-yard line. Two plays later, Park found Reilly again over the middle for a 22-yard touchdown to get the Big Green on the board.
Reilly finished the game with 165 yards on 12 receptions, becoming the first Dartmouth receiver to go over 150 yards in a game since 2007.
"It's fun to play in an up-tempo offense," Reilly said. "What happened on the field today is evidence of how effective it can be at moving the ball down the field."
The Big Green defense came up with a big play on the ensuing drive as Elliot Kastner '13 forced a fumble on a stalled off-tackle run that gave the ball back to Dartmouth at the Harvard 23-yard line.
After an effective screen pass to Pierre and a quarterback keeper by Park, the Dartmouth offense faced fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line. Deciding to go for it, Dartmouth handed the ball off to Pierre out of a shotgun formation, but he was stuffed for no gain, missing a golden opportunity.
"It's just a battle of wills at that point, but we stayed positive on the sidelines," Lahey said. "The defense played well the whole game, so we always thought we were in it." A demoralizing Crimson touchdown at the beginning of the fourth quarter and a late field goal sealed the Big Green's fate. In its Ivy League games, Harvard now averages 523.5 yards and 38.8 points per game, both league bests.
"We know that we can play with the best teams," Reilly said. "I think it will send a message to the rest of the league that we will always keep fighting."
Park finished the game with 310 yards despite suffering an injury in the third quarter, becoming the first Big Green signal-caller to pass for over 300 yards in a game since 2009.
"We knew we wanted to throw the ball a lot coming in, and that was the design," Teevens said.
Harvard's running game proved to be the difference. Scales and quarterback Colton Chapple combined for 191 yards on 37 carries.
As they did last year,'s Homecoming game, hundreds of freshmen rushed the field during halftime.
The Big Green will travel to Cornell University on Saturday for a battle of 2-2 Ivy League teams. The game will kick off at 12:30 p.m.
