1953 Harvard Crimson football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1953
| team = Harvard Crimson
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Ivy League
| short_conf = Ivy
| record = 6–2
| conf_record = 3–2
| head_coach = Lloyd Jordan
| hc_year = 4th
| captain = Richard J. Clasby
| stadium = Harvard Stadium
}}
{{1953 Ivy League football standings}}
The 1953 Harvard Crimson football team was an American football team that represented Harvard University during the 1953 college football season. In their fourth year under head coach Lloyd Jordan, the Crimson compiled a 6–2 record and outscored opponents 146 to 78. Richard J. Clasby was the team captain.{{cite web |title=Football Record Book: Year-by-Year Results |publisher=Harvard University |location=Cambridge, Mass. |access-date=June 20, 2020 |url=https://gocrimson.com/documents/2020/6/17//FBL_RecordBook_Year_by_Year_Results.pdf?id=6334}}
Harvard was part of the informal Ivy League in 1953. Harvard had the second best record in games against Ivy opponents (3–2).
Harvard played its home games at Harvard Stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| atvs = y
| source = y
| poll = AP
| rankyear = 1953
| October 3 | | Ohio
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | W 16-0
| 14,500 | {{cite news |title=Clasby Sparks Harvard to Victory |first=Jerry |last=Nason |date=October 4, 1953 |page=57 |newspaper=The Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67663555/1953-harvard-ohio/ }}
| October 10 | | Colgate
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | W 28-26
| 12,000 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Thwarts Colgate, 28 to 26 |first=Lincoln A. |last=Werden |date=October 11, 1953 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| October 17 | @ | Columbia
| Baker Field | New York, NY | L 0-6
| 20,000 | {{cite news |title=Columbia Beats Harvard, 6-0; Lion Pass Decides |first=Joseph C. |last=Nichols |date=October 18, 1953 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| October 24 | | Dartmouth
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA (rivalry) | W 20-14
| 24,000 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Turns Back Dartmouth, 20 to 14 |first=Michael |last=Strauss |date=October 25, 1953 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| October 31 | | Davidson
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | W 42-6
| 8,500 | {{cite news |title=Lowenstein of Harvard Devastates Davidson with Passes, 42 to 6 |first=Jerry |last=Nason |date=November 1, 1953 |page=43 |newspaper=The Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67728682/1953-harvard-davidson/ }}
| November 7 | | Princeton
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA (rivalry) | L 0-6
| 24,000 | {{cite news |title=Princeton Tops Harvard; Tiger Pass Wins, 6-0 |first=Joseph M. |last=Sheehan |date=November 8, 1953 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| November 14 | | Brown
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | W 27-20
| 20,500 | {{cite news |title=Crimson is Victor over Brown, 27-20 |first=Frank M. |last=Blunk |date=November 15, 1953 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| November 21 | @ | Yale
| Yale Bowl | New Haven, CT (The Game) | W 13-0
| 65,000 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Trips Yale, 13-0; Big 3 Deadlocked |first=Allison |last=Danzig |date=November 22, 1953 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
}}