Harvard Gridders Paint Hanover Red

HANOVER. N.H.--Five years of frustration ended here this afternoon, as the Harvard football team overcame an outclassed Dartmouth squad,27-7.

The impressive win before 20,080 fans at Memorial field was Harvard's first over Dartmouth since 1978.

And with the crucial Ivy victory, the Crimson moved into a first place tie with the University of Pennsylvania in the race for the 1984 I eague crown.

Harvard is now a perfect 3-0 in the League and 3-2 overleaf.

Looking just as perfect was senior tailback Mark Vignali, who today came back from a leg injury that kept him out of practice all week to rush for 175 yards on 22 carries.

His efforts tied him for number six on the Harvard single game rushing list.

Vignali's 175 yards were also the most ever by any Harvard runner against Dartmouth.

The Uniontown Penn. Native's exploits were the high point of an impressive performance from the entire Harvard squad, which proved for the first time all year, that it's a legitimate-contender for the 1984 Ancient Eight title.

After a slow start today, the Crimson--which never trailed in the game--relied on Vignali, Santiago, and junior quarterback Brain White for a punishing ground game that eventually wore down the hosts, now 0-5 overall and 0-4 in the Ivies.

The Harvard offense gave the Big Green the first scoring opportunity of the day, when Santiago couldn't handle White's option pitch with 6:10 left in the first period.

Despite taking over on the Crimson's 40, the hosts could only manage 14 yards, and on fourth and sixth, Craig Saltzgaber's 42-yard field goal attempt fell short.

White and Co. then wasted no time in putting together one of their finest drives of the year. Like clock work, the running game clicked, thanks to the quick feet of Santiago and vignali and the strong arms of the entire offensive line.

On the second play of the drive, Vignali exploded for his longest scamper of the year--a 25-yard run off a trap. Nine more running plays--and II in all-culminated in White's one-yard sneak for a touchdown just 14 seconds into the second quarter.

The point-after by Rob Steinberg gave the Crimson its early 7-0 lead.

But a Steinberg miscue two series later let the Big Green right back into the game. Punning on fourth and two from his own 18, the Crimson junior kicker bobbled the snap. He recovered in time to get the kick off, but could only manage a 25-yard boot. And that was with a good bounce.

Dartmouth had little trouble then moving the ball down the field

Senior halfback Lorenzo Chambers paved the way as he did all afternoon when the hosts decided to stay on the ground picking up 23 yards on the drive including the final two for the lying touchdown.

The score on the 14-play, 58-yard drive, which included two successful fourth down conversions and a Saltzgaber point-after, tied things at seven.

One unsuccessful series apiece then quickly closed out the first half, and then one unsuccessful series apiece quickly opened the second.

Dartmouth had a shot to open things up when Big Green defender Len fontes intercepted an errant White pass at the Dartmouth 35.

But the Host could manage just yards off the big break, before punting the ball back to Harvard.

And that Big Green failure to capitalize on the turnover--something that's plagued the folks in Hanover all season--doomed the Dartmouth squad.

Because on the next possession, Harvard drove 71 yards in nine plays to go on top for good. And the key was the one in the middle, which went for 38 yards.

After The Big Green had stopped the Crimson offence. Steinberg lofted s 40 yard punt that Dartmouth's Scott Truitt fumbled.

Harvard junior Ken Tarezy quickly scooped up the free ball at the 20 and the Harvard offense had, in a flash picked up 38 yard s.

From there, the Crimson needed just four plays to find the endzone Santiago's 15-yards bolt on fourth and one from the 15 put Harvard on top, 13-7, and Steinberg made it 14-7.

The visitors put it away for good the next time they got the ball, thanks in part to White's nifty play-calling and thanks a lot to Vignali's nifty running.

Harvard travelled 75 yards in 7 plays to go up by two touchdowns, with the score coming or a 33-yard Vighan run.