1986 Harvard Crimson football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1986
| team = Harvard Crimson
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Ivy League
| short_conf = Ivy
| record = 3–7
| conf_record = 3–4
| head_coach = Joe Restic
| hc_year = 16th
| off_coach =
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| off_scheme =
| def_coach =
| dc_year =
| def_scheme =
| captain = Scott C. Collins
| stadium = Harvard Stadium
}}
{{1986 Ivy League football standings}}
The 1986 Harvard Crimson football team was an American football team that represented Harvard University during the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Crimson finished fifth in the Ivy League.
In their 16th year under head coach Joe Restic, the Crimson compiled a 3–7 record and were outscored 190 to 139. Scott C. Collins 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's 3–4 conference record placed fifth in the Ivy League standings. The Crimson outscored Ivy opponents 132 to 108.{{cite book|url=https://ivyleague.com/documents/2017/8/23/3_Year_By_Year_History_2017.pdf?id=2998|title=Ivy League Football Media Guide|chapter=Year-by-Year History|publisher=Ivy League|location=Princeton, N.J.|date=2017|access-date=July 10, 2020|pages=31–32}}
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 = the latest NCAA Division I-AA poll released prior to the game
| September 20 | | Columbia
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | W 34-0
| 7,534 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Eases Past Columbia |first=Joe |last=Concannon |date=September 21, 1986 |page=76 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57264669/1986-columbia-harvard/ }}
| September 27 | | Holy Cross
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | L 0-41
| 12,540 | {{cite news |title=Holy Cross Rips Harvard, 41-0 |agency=Associated Press |date=September 28, 1986 |pages=E13, E14 |newspaper=The Hartford Courant |location=Hartford, Conn.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57266177/1986-harvard-hc/ }}
| October 4 | @ | No. T–5 William & Mary
| Cary Field | Williamsburg, VA | L 0-24
| 13,100 | {{cite news |title=Wm. & Mary Rips Harvard |first=John |last=Powers |date=October 5, 1986 |page=69 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57269833/1986-harvard-wm/ }}
| October 11 | | Cornell
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | L 0-3
| 17,531 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Left Blank, 3-0 |first=Bob |last=Monahan |date=October 12, 1986 |page=55 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57276068/1986-cornell-harvard/ }}
| October 18 | @ | Dartmouth
| Memorial Field | Hanover, NH (rivalry) | W 42-26
| 15,618 | {{cite news |title=Yohe's Offense the Key; Harvard Tramples Dartmouth, 42-26 |first=Bob |last=Reinert |date=October 19, 1986 |page=68 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57278750/1986-dartmouth-harvard/ }}
| October 25 | @ | Princeton
| Palmer Stadium | Princeton, NJ (rivalry) | L 3-14
| 20,500 | {{cite news |title=Fired-Up Princeton Burns Harvard |first=Barry |last=Cadigan |date=October 26, 1986 |page=76 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57299991/1986-harvard-princeton/ }}
| November 1 | | Brown
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | L 19-31
| 12,540 | {{cite news |title=Key Pass Helps Brown Shade Harvard |first=Joe |last=Concannon |date=November 2, 1986 |page=74 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57302834/1986-brown-harvard/ }}
| November 8 | | UMass
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | L 7-17
| 1,250 | {{cite news |title=UMass Rams Harvard, 17-7 |first=Joe |last=Concannon |date=November 9, 1986 |page=70 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57303603/1986-harvard-umass/ }}
| November 15 | @ | #6 Penn
| Franklin Field | Philadelphia, PA | L 10-17
| 25,650 | {{cite news |title=Quakers Keep Rolling, Down Harvard, 17-10 |first=Sarajane |last=Freligh |date=November 16, 1986 |pages=1-D, 16-D |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57305521/1986-harvard-penn/ }}
| November 22 | | Yale
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA (The Game) | W 24-17
| 40,000 | {{cite news |title=Happy Ending for BC, Harvard; Crimson D Slams Door on Yale |first=Joe |last=Concannon |date=November 23, 1986 |page=49 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57306228/1986-n23-rivalries/ }}
}}