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As It Happened: Yale Defeats Harvard 34-29 in 140th Playing of The Game
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As It Happened: Yale Defeats Harvard 34-29 in 140th Playing of The Game
3:40 p.m. — YALE WINS
Harvard lost the 140th playing of The Game to the Yale Bulldogs 34-29. The defeat forces the Crimson to share the Ivy League title with the Dartmouth Big Green and the Columbia Lions.
3:31 p.m. - HARVARD TOUCHDOWN
Harvard moved the ball to Yale’s 32-yard line with 1:03 left. Craig found Barkate all the way at the five yard line with under a minute to play. From the five-yard line, Bascon sprinted into the end zone for the touchdown. On the two-point attempt, DePrima’s pass was deflected in the backfield, keeping the score at 34-29 with 18 seconds remaining — and Harvard needing a successful onside kick to keep their hopes alive.
3:17 p.m. — YALE FIELD GOAL
With tempo in their control, the Bulldogs slowly took the life out of Harvard Stadium with running plays eating up the clock. Handoffs to Pitsenberger brought the clock to the two-minute warning as Yale entered the red zone. On third-and-two from the 18-yard line, Jordan threw an incomplete pass in Pantelis’ direction. On fourth-and-two, the Bulldogs connected on a 36-yard field goal, extending their lead to 34-23 with just 2:07 remaining.
3:05 p.m.
On third-and-six from Yale’s 29-yard line, Jordan found Nenad for a 30-yard reception, extending the drive and keeping Harvard’s offense on the field. On another third down, from Harvard’s 33-yard line, Henderson broke up a pass from Jordan to Pantelis, setting up fourth-and-two.
Before the snap with 5:37 left in the game, Yale called its first timeout of the half to avoid the delay of game penalty. On fourth down, with both sides of the crowd on their feet, Jordan attempted to scramble out of the pocket, but was stifled by Harvard’s defensive line, giving Craig and the offense an opportunity to tie the game with 5:33 remaining in the game.
2:56 p.m. — HARVARD TOUCHDOWN
Craig found his reliable first option, Barkate, for the first down in Yale territory, setting the Crimson up at Yale’s 30-yard line. On third-and-twelve, despite bringing down Bascon, the Bulldogs committed a costly 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty, giving Harvard a fresh set of downs at the 16-yard line.
After a DePrima rush to the five yard line, Craig found Barkate wide open in the end zone for a touchdown. After finding Woods in the end zone for the two-point conversion, Yale’s lead narrowed to 31-23, a one-possession game.
2:45 p.m.
On the next drive, pass interference was called on a deep throw to Woods, moving the Crimson offense to its own 45-yard line with just under 12 minutes remaining in regulation. A subsequent holding penalty on Harvard moved the Crimson back 10 yards to its own 35-yard line.
2:41 p.m. — YALE TOUCHDOWN
On third-and-six from Harvard’s 39-yard line, Jordan found Pitsenberger on the outside, who dashed across the field and broke several tackles as he ran into the end zone, extending Yale’s lead to 31-15 following the extra point attempt.
2:38 p.m.
On a massive third-and-twelve from his own 27-yard line, Jordan found Pelantis for a 45-yard gain into Harvard territory. However, a taunting penalty from Pantelis following the play set Yale back 15 yards to the Crimson’s 43-yard line with 13:45 left in the game.
2:36 p.m.
Harvard defensive back Gavin Shipman walked off the field after sustaining an injury. Shipman was stretching his right leg on the sidelines.
2:30 p.m. — HARVARD TOUCHDOWN
Wide receiver Scott Woods II picked up Harvard’s second touchdown of the game, following Craig’s massive throw at the end of the third quarter to convert on the very next down. Harvard picked up a two-point conversion as senior utility man Charles DePrima rushed into the end zone after a short pass from Craig.
2:27 p.m. — Third Quarter Ends With Deep Pass From Craig
Craig finally connected with wide receiver Cooper Barkate for a 48-yard pass that brought the third quarter to a close. The pass provided the Crimson with much needed forward momentum. The Crimson will start the final quarter set up on Yale’s 28-yard line with a fresh set of downs.
2:21 p.m. — YALE FIELD GOAL
On the ensuing third-and-five from the 13-yard line, Jordan handed the ball off to Pitsenberger, who was brought down four yards short of the line to gain. Yale made the 30-yard field goal attempt to extend its lead to 24-7.
2:15 p.m.
Jordan rushed for 28 yards to enter Harvard territory yet again, as the Crimson’s pass rush failed to get to the quarterback, a constant theme throughout the first three quarters.
2:09 p.m.
On first-and-10 from the 39-yard line, Craig was sacked for a two yard loss. A handoff to sophomore running back Xaviah Bascon set up a third-and-seven, which Harvard failed to convert, setting up another punt. The Bulldogs start from their 19-yard line up 21-7 with 7:54 left in the third quarter.
2:07 p.m.
On a fourth-and-one from the Crimson’s 24-yard line, Yale rolled the dice and kept its offense on the field. Senior defensive end Jacob Psyk prevented the game from getting out of hand and came up with the big sack to keep the game competitive. Harvard trails, but remains within striking distance at 21-7.
2:05 p.m.
Starting from their own 23-yard line, Yale quickly moved the ball up the field as Jordan found Pelantis at the Harvard 33-yard line, putting them in prime position to take a three possession lead.
2:01 p.m.
Craig misses Barkate on another deep throw. The Harvard offense goes three-and-out after the pick-six. Yale starts from its own 27-yard line with 12:43 remaining in the third quarter.
1:57 p.m. — YALE TOUCHDOWN
Everything is continuing to go wrong for Harvard.
Yale extended their lead seconds into the second half after Criag threw an interception on 3rd down. An extra point brought the score to 21-7.
1:36 p.m. — First Half Struggles for Harvard
Harvard struggled against Yale in the first half of the 140th playing of The Game, falling behind 7-14 as the stadium filled up and police shut down the tailgate. An offense, led by Craig coming off of a scary injury, struggled to gain momentum through five drives. Craig couldn’t find his targets in the first half, but it was unclear if his passing struggles have any connection to his injury.
Despite forcing two turnovers on downs, the Crimson committed vital mistakes of its own, including a fumble from McLaughlin and a blocked punt that gave Yale great field position in the waning minutes of the first half.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Crimson struggled to contain Yale’s senior quarterback Grant Jordan. Jordan’s scrambling ability resulted in several first downs for the Bulldogs, as they were able to move the ball up the field and into Harvard territory four separate times.
1:34 p.m. — HALFTIME
Harvard ended the half down 14-7. The Crimson will hope for a momentum switch as the team regroups during the break.
1:28 p.m.
Yale recovered the ball on Harvard’s 35-yard line after a blocked punt sent the football tumbling in the Crimson’s own territory. The mistake is yet another blow to a struggling Harvard team.
1:25 p.m.
Sophomore Seamus Gilmartin limped off the field, seemingly having incurred a leg injury. The tight end has been a crucial asset for the Crimson this season.
1:24 p.m. - Harvard Forces Turnover on Downs
From the 39-yard line, on a fourth-and-seven, Yale failed to convert on a six yard pass, giving Craig and the offense the ball at the 33-yard line with just under two minutes remaining.
1:17 p.m. — Harvard Fumbles; Yale Recovers
On a crucial third-and-one from the 34-yard line, McLaughlin ran up the middle for the first down, but the ball was knocked out of his hands, giving Yale the ball back with 3:07 left and at Harvard’s 42-yard line. The Bulldogs will now have a chance to add to their lead before the end of the half.
1:14 — YALE TOUCHDOWN
Pitsenberger ran the ball into the end zone, giving Yale a 14-7 lead with 4:00 minutes remaining in the first half.
1:12 p.m.
Jordan scrambled out of the pocket and found Pelantis for a crucial 37-yard gain, driving deeper into Harvard territory. On the next play, defensive back Gavin Shipman committed a pass interference penalty, setting up the Bulldogs from the Crimson’s 22-yard line as rain started coming down again. Yale then used its first timeout of the half with 4:15 remaining.
1:08 p.m.
On their fourth drive of The Game, the Bulldogs rushed twice for just one yard total, resulting in a crucial third-and-9 from their own 26-yard line. On the down, Aurich called his first timeout of the half.
1:04 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN HARVARD
Craig went deep and found his roommate, Cooper Barkate, for the game-tying pass with 6:24 left in the second quarter after Corr knocked the extra point through the uprights.
1:03 p.m.
On a third-and-10 from their own 15-yard line, the Bulldogs failed to convert as a pass bobbled in and out of senior receiver Mason Shipp’s hands, giving the Crimson a much-needed stop in the second quarter.
Woods returned the punt to the Bulldogs’ 44-yard line, setting up Craig and the offense with prime field positioning.
1:02 p.m.
After 30 minutes of back and forth negotiation between Harvard University Police Department officers and final club members, students begin packing up tailgating supplies. When officers first approached the tents, students jeered and poured alcohol onto HUPD motorcycles. The officers collected several student HUIDs and threatened disciplinary action through the College Ad Board.
12:56 p.m.
The Crimson failed to convert another third down, resulting in a third punt for Harvard, who was unable to move the sticks down the field yet again. Between added pressure and lack of open receivers, Craig hasn’t found his targets through a quarter-and-a-half.
12:55 p.m.
The Crimson have finally picked up some offensive momentum after a pass interference call on a pass intended for Cooper Barkate and a 12-yard completion to Kaedyn Odermann earned Harvard a first down.
12:50 p.m.
Yale punted the ball to the Crimson, setting up Harvard at the 16-yard line after a holding call on the Crimson during the return.
12:48 p.m.
Yale quarterback Grant Jordan scrambled for a first down for the Bulldogs. The Crimson have yet to effectively stop the Bulldog’s running game as the Yale team has dominated in the first half.
12:46 p.m.
On their first two drives, the Bulldogs quickly drove deeply into Harvard territory, nearly scoring two touchdowns. The Harvard defense, powered by a strong secondary, was searching for answers to Jordan’s strong scrambling ability.
12:44 p.m.
On third-and-seven from the 43-yard line, Craig lofted another pass in Barkate’s direction. Barkate ultimately couldn’t come up with it, resulting in another punt for Harvard.
12:43 p.m.
A pass downfield in Barkate’s direction resulted in a pass interference for a 15-yard penalty on Breylan Thompson, setting the Crimson up for a first down at its own 40-yard line.
12:41 p.m.
During a timeout with more than 12 minutes left in the first half, Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana and Athletic Director Erin McDermott tossed t-shirts into the stands as they were cheered on by Harvard cheerleaders. Khurana was also celebrated for his decade-long tenure as dean during the timeout break. He will step down from the role at the end of the academic year.
12:38 p.m.
Harvard announced during the second quarter that the field at Harvard Stadium will be renamed in honor of former longtime head coach Tim Murphy. Murphy retired in January after 30 seasons with the team.
Murphy stood on the field smiling as the crowd cheered loudly during the announcement.
12:35 p.m. — YALE TOUCHDOWN
Jordan threw a touchdown pass into the right corner of the end zone to Nenan to put the Bulldogs up 6-0 with 12:38 left in the second quarter. Yale converted the extra point to extend the lead to 7-0.
12:33 p.m.
Yale quarterback Grant Jordan completed a 30-yard pass to senior Chase Nenad to set up the Bulldogs on the Harvard 30-yard line.
12:28 p.m.
Yale managed to pick up a first down after quarterback Gran Jordan spun out of the pocket to avoid what would have been a drive-ending sack.
Now, the Bulldogs will start the second quarter with a fresh set of downs from their 35-yard line.
12:22 p.m.
On second-and-14, Craig was sacked for another seven yard loss. On the subsequent third-and-21, Craig just missed sophomore Seamus Gilmartin with a throw that would’ve secured a first down. Instead, the Crimson is forced to punt the ball to Yale.
Yale returned the punt to their own 25-yard line.
12:21 p.m.
In a gutsy move by Head Coach Andrew Aurich, the Crimson went for it on fourth down on their own 38-yard line. Shane McLaughlin carried the ball for a first and more.
12:19 p.m.
On the first passing play of the game, Craig was brought down to set up a crucial third-and-six from the 18-yard line. He completed the pass to senior Kaedyn Odermann to set up a first down from the 29-yard line.
12:17 p.m.
Harvard’s offense, led by Jaden Craig, trotted onto the field at the four-yard line with 7:42 left in the first quarter. Harvard’s captain Shane McLaughlin immediately ran for a first down to the 14-yard line to kick off the drive.
12:14 p.m.
On fourth-and-goal from the four-yard line, sophomore defensive back Damien Henderson broke up a touchdown pass to keep the game scoreless and save Harvard from an early deficit. The Crimson will start their first drive of the game on their own four-year-line.
12:11 p.m.
A Yale touchdown was nullified after an illegal player was present on the field for the Bulldogs. The touchdown would have put Yale ahead in the first minutes of the game.
12:10 p.m.
Yale running back Josh Pitsenberger cut through Harvard’s defense, finding a gap for a 29-yard carry. The Bulldogs are set up on the Harvard 19-yard line in their first drive.
12:09 p.m.
Minutes after the start of the game, fans have begun pouring into the stadium, filling up the stands for the biggest game of Harvard’s season.
12:07 p.m.
On a crucial 3rd–and-10 from their own 38-yard line, Bulldogs’ senior quarterback Grant Jordan scrambled past the defense to pick up a first down and extend the drive.
12:04 p.m.
Freshman kicker Kieran Corr kicked the ball out of the end zone to set up Yale at its own 25-yard line to start the game.
12:02 p.m.
Precisely at noon, Captain Shane McLaughlin went to the middle of the field to take the coin toss, where he won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Liam Corrigan ’19, a Harvard alum and Olympic gold medalist in rowing, did the coin toss.
—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava contributed reporting.
—Staff writer Praveen Kumar can be reached at praveen.kumar@thecrimson.com.
—Staff writer Jo B. Lemann can be reached at jo.lemann@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @Jo_Lemann.
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