1996 Harvard Crimson football team

The 1996 Harvard Crimson football team was an American football team that represented Harvard University during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Crimson tied for second-to-last in the Ivy League.

1996 Harvard Crimson football
Conference	Ivy League
Record	4–6 (2–5 Ivy)
Head coach	Timothy Murphy (3rd season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Michael Foley (3rd season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Jay Mills (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Mark Harriman (3rd season)
Captain	Sean Riley
Home stadium	Harvard Stadium
Seasons ← 1995 1997 →

1996 Ivy League football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 17 Dartmouth $		7	–	0					10	–	0
Columbia		5	–	2					8	–	2
Brown		4	–	3					5	–	5
Cornell		4	–	3					4	–	6
Penn		3	–	4					5	–	5
Harvard		2	–	5					4	–	6
Princeton		2	–	5					3	–	7
Yale		1	–	6					2	–	8
$ – Conference champion Rankings from The Sports Network poll

In their third year under head coach Timothy Murphy, the Crimson compiled a 4–6 record and were outscored 164 to 163. Sean Riley was the team captain.^[1]

Harvard's 2–5 conference record tied for sixth in the Ivy League standings. The Crimson were outscored 115 to 98 by Ivy opponents.^[2]

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

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 21	at Columbia	Wien Stadium New York, NY	L 13–20 OT	5,760	[3]
September 28	at Bucknell*	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	W 30–7	6,064	[4]
October 5	Lafayette*	Harvard Stadium Boston, MA	L 7–17	8,860	[5]
October 12	Cornell	Harvard Stadium Boston, MA	L 13–20	8,700	[6]
October 19	at Holy Cross*	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	W 28–25	4,647	[7]
October 26	at Princeton	Palmer Stadium Princeton, NJ (rivalry)	W 24–0	14,410	[8]
November 2	Dartmouth	Harvard Stadium Boston, MA (rivalry)	L 3–6	17,100	[9]
November 9	Brown	Harvard Stadium Boston, MA	L 7–31	2,133	[10]
November 16	at Penn	Franklin Field Philadelphia, PA	L 12–17	21,509	[11]
November 23	Yale	Harvard Stadium Boston, MA (The Game)	W 26–21	24,470	[12]
*Non-conference game

Roster

1996 Harvard Crimson football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class OT 50 Matt Birk Jr TE 80 Chris Eitzmann So	Defense Pos. # Name Class LB 49 Isaiah Kacyvenski Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class	Head coach Timothy Murphy Coordinators/assistant coaches Lou Anarumo (Assistant head coach / defensive backs / special teams) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster

References

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. pp. 36–37. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
3. Lessels, Allen (September 22, 1996). "Sour Finish for Harvard". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. C15 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Vellante, John (September 29, 1996). "Harvard Defense Puts Squeeze on Lemon, Bucknell". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. C13 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Pave, Marvin (October 6, 1996). "Harvard Comes Close, but ..." Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. C17 – via Newspapers.com.
6. McShea, Keith (October 14, 1996). "Levitt, CU Top Harvard". The Ithaca Journal. Ithaca, N.Y. p. 3B – via Newspapers.com.
7. Lessels, Allen (October 20, 1996). "Linden Puts Wind in Harvard's Sails". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. D19 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Burris, Joe (October 27, 1996). "Harvard Gains Its Second Wind, Wins". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. C18 – via Newspapers.com.
9. Concannon, Joe (November 3, 1996). "Harvard Loses by a Foot". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. F17 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Burris, Joe (November 10, 1996). "Brown Just Too Much; When It Rains, It Pours for Harvard". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. C16 – via Newspapers.com.
11. Juliano, Joe (November 17, 1996). "Reserve QB Leads Penn Over Harvard". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. C16 – via Newspapers.com.
12. Concannon, Joe (November 24, 1996). "Crimson Haunt Yale's Cozza to the End; Elis' Comeback Falls Short". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.