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Harvard vs. Michigan

Harvard and Michigan have 8 meetings on file, the first in 1881; the series is tied 4–⁠4 in the games on file. Over the last 8 meetings it’s even at 4–⁠4, and Michigan has won the last 4.

Harvard wins
4
Michigan wins
4
Ties
0
Earliest on file
1881
Longest streak
4 Harvard
Current streak
4 Michigan
Last 10 meetings
even at 4–⁠4
Most recent
1942

The series at a glance

’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1880s2–⁠0
1890s1–⁠0
1910s1–⁠0
1920s0–⁠1
1930s0–⁠1
1940s0–⁠2
Average margin
9.3 points; 6 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Harvard
4–⁠2 Harvard’s record at home
At Michigan
2–⁠0 Michigan’s record at home
Shutouts
5

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Games that tell the story

  1. Harvard’s biggest win1914: Harvard 7, Michigan 0by 7 points
  2. Michigan’s biggest win1942: Michigan 35, Harvard 7by 28 points

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Harvard and Michigan, 1881 on13001500170019001900192019401960198020002020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

From the newspapers

  • The New-York tribune's story of the 1895 game: HARVARD KEPT DOWN FOUR A CLOSE GAME WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. DONALD FELL on THE BALL BEHIND MICHIGAN $ COAL LINE. But BREWER MISSED ON THE TRY FOR GoAL-FEAT-

    1895 · New-York tribune, New York [N.Y.], Nov 10, 1895

  • The Omaha daily bee's story of the 1914 game: HARVARD DEFEATS MICHIGAN, 7 TO 0 East Wins from West in 0ld-Fash- toned Game of Foot Ball at Cambridge. SPECTACULAR PLAY LACKING Line Plunging and Few End Runs Principal Policy Of Both Elevens. MICHIGAN TWICE NEAR GOAL Harvard Line Stiffens and Gains Ball on Downs. THREE FORWARD PASSES GAIN Ha

    1914 · Omaha daily bee, Omaha [Neb.], Nov 1, 1914

  • The Brownsville herald. (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current's story of the 1929 game: Michigan II Follow Ball for Breaks to Win Over Harvard

    1929 · Brownsville herald. (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, Texas, Nov 10, 1929

  • The Evening star's story of the 1930 game: WOLVERINES LATE PASS TOPPLES CRIMSON, 6 TO 3 Forward, Newman to Hudson, Nets Midwestern Eleven First Cambridge Touchdown in SO Years After Wood Boots Fourth Quarter Goal

    1930 · Evening star, Washington, D.C., Nov 9, 1930

  • The The Wilmington morning star's story of the 1940 game: Harmon Hot Again

    1940 · The Wilmington morning star, North Carolina, Oct 13, 1940

Public-domain newspapers from the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America, found through the American Stories dataset (Dell and Harvard, CC BY 4.0). The earliest meetings with a story on file; each game’s page has the full text.

Every game

Nov 7, 194211Michigan 35, Harvard 7at Michigan
Oct 12, 1940Michigan 26, Harvard 0at Harvard
Nov 8, 1930Michigan 6, Harvard 3at Harvard
Nov 9, 1929Michigan 14, Harvard 12at Michigan
Oct 31, 1914Harvard 7, Michigan 0at Harvard
Nov 9, 1895Harvard 4, Michigan 0at Harvard
Nov 22, 1883Harvard 3, Michigan 0at Harvard
Oct 31, 1881Harvard 1, Michigan 0at Harvard

Every game is listed as played on the field.