Yale Wins The Game in The Rain

Throughout the morning of the 140th playing of The Game, Yale and Harvard fans, who had planned to jam Harvard Stadium to its rims, had to fight another foe--the weather in Boston in late fall. Driving rain, winds sweeping from the Charles River, and chilly temperatures threatening to dip into the 30s. Harvard weather. 

After the captains met at midfield to toss the coin, the skies cooperated, although the cold winds remained. The two teams faced off, a Harvard team attempting to secure the Ivy League title outright, a Yale team that had some ups and downs during the season (losing to Columbia in New York, of all teams). 

Yale quarterback Grant Jordan, playing in his last college game, stepped to the podium and played one of his best games ever, darting through the middle of Harvard's line for first downs and throwing precise passes to his favorite receiver David Pantelis, totaling 287 passing yards. 

Harvard blinked, and Yale jumped to a 24-10 lead as the third quarter ended. This being The Game meant, however, Harvard would likely stage a comeback. It almost did, scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Yale running back Josh Pitsenberger helped ward off a complete comback by grabbing a Jordan pass and zig-zagging 39 yards for a score, weaving through Harvard defenders into the corner endzone. He amassed 120 rushing yards for the afternoon. (Days after The Game, he was announced as captain for the 2025 team.)

Final score, 34-29. Yale (with a 7-3 overall record) doesn't win the Ivy title, but it forced Harvard to share it with Columbia, of all teams, and Dartmouth.

Jack Michalik of Rye, N.Y., Eddie Palumbo of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., and Kelvin Smith of White Plains, N.Y., were Westchester's players on this year's squad.