Yale defeats Harvard 23-18, creating three-way tie for Ivy League championship

Updated Nov. 18, 2023 4:21 p.m. ET

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NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Nolan Grooms threw the go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and Yale defeated Harvard 23-18 on Saturday, creating a three-way tie for the Ivy League championship.

The 139th edition of The Game featured a wild fourth quarter in which FCS No. 19 Harvard scored two touchdowns to take the lead, only to see Yale go back ahead on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Grooms to David Pantelis with a little under six minutes remaining.

The Crimson reached the Yale 29-yard line on their final drive, but Abu Kamara sacked Harvard quarterback Jaden Craig for an 11-yard loss on first down and Craig wound up throwing incomplete on fourth down.

Harvard, Yale and Dartmouth all finished 5-2 to share the league championship. The last time the Ivy League champion had two losses was 1982 when Harvard, Penn and Dartmouth all finished 5-2. The last time there was a three-way tie for the title was 2015 when Harvard, Dartmouth and Penn all finished 6-1.

Yale (7-3 overall) took a 10-0 lead in the second quarter, the touchdown coming on a 5-yard connection from Grooms to Ryan Lindley. Craig's 11-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Neville got Harvard on the board near the end of the first half but the extra point was missed, leaving Yale with a 10-6 halftime lead.

The Bulldogs went ahead 17-6 on a 4-yard touchdown run by Nathan Denney before Craig ran for one touchdown and threw 7 yards to Ledger Hatch for another. Harvard's two-point try failed after both touchdowns and the Crimson (8-2) had an 18-17 lead.

Grooms was 8-of-21 passing for 79 yards and Joshua Pitsenberger had 84 of the Bulldogs' 170 yards on the ground.

Craig completed 12 of 21 passes for 153 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

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