1968 Harvard Crimson football team

1968 Harvard Crimson football
Ivy League co-champion
ConferenceIvy League
Record8–0–1 (6–0–1 Ivy)
Head coach
CaptainVictor E. Gatto Jr.
Home stadiumHarvard Stadium
Seasons
← 1967
1969 →
1968 Ivy League football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Harvard + 6 – 0 – 1 8 – 0 – 1
Yale + 6 – 0 – 1 8 – 0 – 1
Penn 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Princeton 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Dartmouth 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Columbia 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Cornell 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Brown 0 – 7 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions

The 1968 Harvard Crimson football team was an American football team that represented Harvard University during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. Harvard was co-champion of the Ivy League.

In their 12th year under head coach John Yovicsin, the Crimson compiled an 8–0–1 record and outscored opponents 236 to 90. Vic Gatto was the team captain.[1]

Both Harvard and Yale were unbeaten entering their season-ending rivalry matchup. Their 29–29 tie resulted in identical 6–0–1 conference records, and in both teams being named co-champions of the league. The Crimson outscored Ivy opponents 150 to 70.[2] The final game inspired the famous headline "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29" printed in The Harvard Crimson, and a 2008 documentary film of the same name.

Harvard played its home games at Harvard Stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.

Actor Tommy Lee Jones was a starting guard on the team.

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 28 Holy Cross*
  • Harvard Stadium
  • Boston, MA
W 27–20 23,000 [3]
October 5 Bucknell*
  • Harvard Stadium
  • Boston, MA
W 59–0 12,000 [4]
October 12 at Columbia
W 21–14 17,182 [5]
October 19 Cornell
  • Harvard Stadium
  • Boston, MA
W 10–0 15,000 [6]
October 26 Dartmouth
  • Harvard Stadium
  • Boston, MA (rivalry)
W 22–7 39,000 [7]
November 2 Penn
  • Harvard Stadium
  • Boston, MA (rivalry)
W 28–6 25,000 [8]
November 9 at Princeton
W 9–7 36,000 [9]
November 16 Brown
  • Harvard Stadium
  • Boston, MA
W 31–7 16,000 [10]
November 23 Yale
T 29–29 40,280 [11]
  • *Non-conference game

Awards

[edit]
All-Ivy League 1st team
  • Tom Jones – Guard
  • Vic Gatto – Running back
  • Pete Hall – Defensive end
  • John Emery – Linebacker
  • Pat Conway – Defensive back
  • Gary Singletary – Punter

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Football Record Book: Year-by-Year Results" (PDF). Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  2. ^ "Year-by-Year History". Ivy League Football Media Guide (PDF). Princeton, N.J.: Ivy League. 2017. p. 23. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  3. ^ Keese, Parton (September 29, 1968). "Crimson Tops Holy Cross". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  4. ^ Montville, Leigh (October 6, 1968). "Harvard Runs Roughshod over Bucknell, 59-0". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 59 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Wallace, William N. (October 13, 1968). "Harvard Topples Columbia, 21 to 14". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  6. ^ McGowen, Deane (October 20, 1968). "Harvard Downs Cornell by 10-0". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  7. ^ Werden, Lincoln A. (October 27, 1968). "Harvard Stays Undefeated; Dartmouth Routed, 22-7". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  8. ^ Keese, Parton (November 3, 1968). "Harvard Remains Undefeated, 28-6". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  9. ^ Anderson, Dave (November 10, 1968). "Princeton Loses, 9-7". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  10. ^ Strauss, Michael (November 17, 1968). "Harvard Scores over Brown, 31-7". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
  11. ^ Cady, Steve (November 24, 1968). "Harvard Ties Yale, 29-29, on Last Play of the Game; Crimson Tallies Twice in 42 Seconds". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. p. S1.
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