Big Green Used To Set Up Crimson Elevens Back in Gay '80's and '90's

Harvard's football rivalry with Dartmouth is one of the oldest and keenest we have ever had. Despite a long period of Crimson supremacy from the first game in 1882 until about 1901, when the Dartmouth contest was considered practically a set-up, and Harvard lead 28 to 8 in games the Dartmouth team has for a long time been thought one of the strongest menaces to Crimson elevens.

The CRIMSON for November 10, 1882 reports the first game as "Harvard 4 Goals and 19 Touchdowns; Dartmouth, 0". "Our men played very brilliantly and steadily," the account continues, "and it would be difficult to name the best players. It suffices to say that the spectators were surprised and heartily pleased at the showing of our team. The Dartmouth men naturally grew very discouraged at the up-hill game they were forced to play and often made feeble attempts to tackle their opponents as they repeatedly broke through the line. Our men tackled rather loosely but passed and ran beautifully, utterly demoralizing their opponents. Nearly the entire game was played within the Dartmouth twenty-five yard line."

These games were not taken very seriously, and often three Harvard-Dartmouth contests took place in one season. Quite often 40 or 50 points were piled up in a game. At the dedication of Alumni field in 1893 Harvard sent its second Varsity to do the honors, but they were held to a 6-6 tie.

In 1901, however, the outlook began to change. Dartmouth again bowed to defeat, but this time at 27-12, the first time Dartmouth had scored in the 19 years of rivalry. Then, at the dedication of the Harvard Stadium in 1903, returning the honors of a decade before. Myron Witham's Green eleven marched through to the first coveted victory, and a new precedent in the old rivalry. Thirty years ago the scene in the Stadium must have been very different from what we will see today; workmen still busy on the bowl end left their work to watch the game which was new to many of them. This game in the unfinished Stadium was a memorable one to Dartmouth at all events, with a showing of potential power far greater than that required for the 11-0 victory.