NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Tony Reno talks all the time about Ivy League games being decided on the final play. Reno once again proved prophetic. Princeton quarterback Blake Stenstrom's 52nd pass of the day fell incomplete in the end zone as time expired, and the Bulldogs celebrated a momentous 24-20 victory over the previously unbeaten Tigers on another unseasonably mild November afternoon at Yale Bowl, Class of 1954 Field.
 
"If you want to win high-level Ivy League football games, you have to be ready to win on the last play," said Reno, the Joel E. Smilow '54 Head Coach of the Bulldogs. "We work in practice on it, our guys believe it, and they were ready to make it happen. I can't express how proud I am of this football team."
 
Yale (7-2, 5-1 Ivy) will now play The Game next Saturday in Cambridge for the chance to win an Ivy League championship.
 
A 17-point third quarter and a powerful rushing attack was the difference against Princeton (8-1, 5-1 Ivy).
 
Trailing 14-7 at halftime, the Bulldogs dominated the third quarter. Chase Nenad's 14-yard touchdown reception tied the score at 14-14. Yale then took the lead when Jack Bosman booted a 44-yard field goal. A 19-yard touchdown run by quarterback Nolan Grooms gave the Bulldogs a 10-point lead heading into the fourth.
 
The Tigers pulled closer on a 22-yard TD strike from Stenstrom to Carson Bobo with 10:42 remaining. The extra point, though, was blocked, keeping Yale's lead at four.
 
Princeton's final drive started on its own 20-yard line with 1:35 left. The Tigers advanced to the Yale 15 where they had one final chance with five seconds remaining. Stenstrom's pass to Dylan Classi, though, was well defended, setting off a wild celebration on the Yale sideline.
 
Facing the No. 2-ranked scoring defense in the nation, Yale relied on its potent ground attack. The Bulldogs, who lead the league in rushing offense, ran for 297 yards. Grooms (152 yards) and first year Joshua Pitsenberger (108 yards) did a majority of the damage.
 
"We felt we had an advantage in the run game," Reno said.
 
Defensively, Yale limited Princeton to 76 yards on the ground, the majority of which (63 yards) came from Stenstrom. The Tigers' running backs combined for just 10 yards.
 
"We felt if we could stop the run game and focus in on the pass game, it would put us in the best possible position to have success," Reno said.
 
While Stenstrom threw for 367 yards, Yale had two interceptions, both coming from Brandon Benn. The Bulldogs also got sacks from Alvin Gulley, Jr. and Clay Patterson. Joseph Vaughn had a team-high nine tackles.
 
The Bulldogs enter the final weekend tied with Princeton for first place. Harvard defeated Penn 34-17 on Saturday. Both the Crimson and Quakers are one game back at 4-2.
 
Princeton and Penn meet next Saturday in New Jersey, while The Game in Cambridge is set for a noon kickoff and will be televised on ESPNU.