NEW HAVEN, Conn. – In a historic 141st edition of The Game, Yale delivered a statement at the Yale Bowl, Class of 1954 Field. The Bulldogs toppled previously unbeaten Harvard, 45–28, locking up a share of the Ivy League crown and earning the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs for the first time ever.
 
Notable Performances

• Dante Reno completed 15-of-19 passes today for 273 yards with three touchdowns.
• Nico Brown had 189 receiving yards with one touchdown and long of 64.
• Josh Pitsenberger rushed for three touchdowns with 143 rushing yards.
• Brandon Webster led all Bulldogs with eight tackles, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. His forced fumble and recovery came 12 seconds into the game and set the tone to open the game.

Turning Point
Leading 24-14 with three seconds remaining in the first half, the Bulldogs faced a 4th and goal opportunity from the one-yard line. Rather than kicking the field goal, Yale gave the ball to Pitsenberger, who punched it in to give the Bulldogs a 31-14 halftime lead.

Another long touchdown drive to start the second half cemented the Yale lead in the contest, as the Bulldogs worked their way to the 45-28 victory. 
 
Game Notes

• With the victory, the Bulldogs are Ivy League Champions for the first time since 2023.
• The last time the Bulldogs beat the Crimson in four-consecutive years was between 1942-1947.
• Josh Pitsenberger's three rushing touchdowns on the day put him in sole possession of the second-most by a running back in program history with 37.
• Nico Brown posted his sixth 100-yard receiving game of the year.
• Ezekiel Larry tallied one sack for a loss 14 yards, giving him 10.5 on the season – leading the Ivy League.
• Lucius Anderson scored his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter. 
• Yale's six-game win streak is its first since closing out the 2019 regular season on one to clinch an Ivy League title.

 
Bulldog Bites
"I am incredibly proud of our players and entire staff. They have poured their hearts into the work that brought us to this moment, and earning the opportunity to win a championship and become the first team to represent the Ivy League in the FCS Playoffs makes it ever more special," said Tony Reno, Joel E. Smilow '54 Head Coach. "Our players made a true commitment to one another and never stopped believing in our mission or in the goals we set together. This is an exceptional group of men, and I could not be prouder of everyone associated with Team 152."
 
"I didn't feel like we shut them down, but we were going to try and disrupt them with our pass rush," said Sean McGowan, Head Coach of Defense. "Jaden Craig made us work. He's a really talented kid and a really good player."
 
"Our defense is one of the best in the league, said quarterback Dante Reno. "They've been proving that all year. It took us a little bit to start offensively earlier this season, and we kind of clicked over the last couple of weeks. So, I think as a team, we kind of knew we like coming out and throwing the first punch to see how they respond."
 
"Josh [Pitsenberger] is the epitome of a great leader," said senior Nico Brown. "He's led this team throughout the whole year. I couldn't want to play for another guy more than him."
 
Up Next
With the automatic qualification to the NCAA FCS playoffs, the Bulldogs will await their opponent when the selection show airs on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 12 p.m. on ESPNU.