1996 Harvard Crimson football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1996
| team = Harvard Crimson
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Ivy League
| short_conf = Ivy
| record = 4–6
| conf_record = 2–5
| head_coach = Timothy Murphy
| hc_year = 3rd
| cooff_coach1 = Michael Foley
| cooc1_year = 3rd
| cooff_coach2 = Jay Mills
| cooc2_year = 1st
| off_scheme = Multiple
| def_coach = Mark Harriman
| dc_year = 3rd
| def_scheme =
| captain = Sean Riley
| stadium = Harvard Stadium
}}
{{1996 Ivy League football standings}}
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.
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.{{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 2–5 conference record tied for sixth in the Ivy League standings. The Crimson were outscored 115 to 98 by Ivy opponents.{{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=36–37}}
Harvard played its home games at Harvard Stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| source = y
| rankyear = 1996
| rankdivision = NCAA Division I-AA
| poll = The Sports Network
| September 21 | @ | Columbia
| Wien Stadium | New York, NY | L 13-20
| 5,760 | {{cite news |title=Sour Finish for Harvard |first=Allen |last=Lessels |date=September 22, 1996 |page=C15 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59165217/1996-columbia-harvard/ }}
| September 28 | @ | Bucknell
| Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium | Lewisburg, PA | W 30-7
| 6,064 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Defense Puts Squeeze on Lemon, Bucknell |first=John |last=Vellante |date=September 29, 1996 |page=C13 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59166758/1996-bucknell-harvard/ }}
| October 5 | | Lafayette
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | L 7-17
| 8,860 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Comes Close, but ... |first=Marvin |last=Pave |date=October 6, 1996 |page=C17 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59169251/1996-harvard-lafayette/ }}
| October 12 | | Cornell
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | L 13-20
| 8,700 | {{cite news |title=Levitt, CU Top Harvard |first=Keith |last=McShea |date=October 14, 1996 |page=3B |newspaper=The Ithaca Journal |location=Ithaca, N.Y.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59179286/1996-cornell-harvard/ }}
| October 19 | @ | Holy Cross
| Fitton Field | Worcester, MA | W 28-25
| 4,647 | {{cite news |title=Linden Puts Wind in Harvard's Sails |first=Allen |last=Lessels |date=October 20, 1996 |page=D19 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59180596/1996-harvard-hc/ }}
| October 26 | @ | Princeton
| Palmer Stadium | Princeton, NJ (rivalry) | W 24-0
| 14,410 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Gains Its Second Wind, Wins |first=Joe |last=Burris |date=October 27, 1996 |page=C18 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59182134/1996-harvard-princeton/ }}
| November 2 | | Dartmouth
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA (rivalry) | L 3-6
| 17,100 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Loses by a Foot |first=Joe |last=Concannon |date=November 3, 1996 |page=F17 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59183566/1996-dartmouth-harvard/ }}
| November 9 | | Brown
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | L 7-31
| 2,133 | {{cite news |title=Brown Just Too Much; When It Rains, It Pours for Harvard |first=Joe |last=Burris |date=November 10, 1996 |page=C16 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59184986/1996-brown-harvard/ }}
| November 16 | @ | Penn
| Franklin Field | Philadelphia, PA | L 12-17
| 21,509 | {{cite news |title=Reserve QB Leads Penn Over Harvard |first=Joe |last=Juliano |date=November 17, 1996 |page=C16 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30125556/reserve-qb-leads-penn-over-harvard/ }}
| November 23 | | Yale
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA (The Game) | W 26-21
| 24,470 | {{cite news |title=Crimson Haunt Yale's Cozza to the End; Elis' Comeback Falls Short |first=Joe |last=Concannon |date=November 24, 1996 |page=C1 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59187846/1996-harvard-yale/ }}
}}
Roster
{{American football roster/Header
| year = 1996
| team = Harvard Crimson
| teamcolors = f
| offensive_players =
{{American football roster/Player|num=50|class=Jr|first=Matt|last=Birk|pos=T|link=y}}
{{American football roster/Player|num=80|class=So|first=Chris|last=Eitzmann|pos=TE|link=y}}
| defensive_players=
{{American football roster/Player|num=49|class=Fr|first=Isaiah|last=Kacyvenski|pos=LB|link=y}}
| special_teams_players=
}}
{{American football roster/Footer|roster_url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961225183836/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/sfc/ivy/sfcn05ra.htm
| head_coach = *Timothy Murphy
| asst_coach =
- Lou Anarumo
(Assistant head coach / defensive backs / special teams)
| accessdate=
}}