Yale ousts Harvard, regains spot at the top

After beating rival Harvard 243, the Yale Bulldogs secured their first Ivy League standalone championship for the first time in 37years,

NEW HAVEN, CONN. » Kurt Rawlings threw for 177 yards and a touchdown to lead Yale over rival Harvard 24-3 on Saturday, securing the Bulldogs’ first outright Ivy League championship in 37 years.

Running backs Melvin Rouse and Zane Dudek combined for 106 yards rushing for Yale (9-1, 6-1 Ivy), which beat Harvard for the second straight season after losing nine in a row in the rivalry known as The Game.

Yale held Harvard scoreless after a 29-yard field goal on the Crimson’s opening possession. Harvard managed just 164 yards of offense, and Yale sacked freshman quarterback Jake Smith six times.

Dudek’s 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter capped an eightplay 81-yard drive that put the game out of reach.

Rawlings and receiver J.P. Shohfi got Yale on the board in the second quarter, connecting on a 46-yard pass, followed three plays later by a 9-yarder into the left corner of the end zone.

Yale quickly built that lead when Harvard’s Smith made a bad decision on an option, fumbling a late pitch. Linebacker Mal- colm Dixon picked up the ball and ran 19 yards for a touchdown.

Another errant pitch by Smith on the next Harvard possession set up a 25-yard field goal on the last play of the first half, giving the Bulldogs a 17-3 lead.

Yale players rushed the field after the final whistle, where they were surrounded by thousands of fans who streamed from the stands. THE TAKEAWAY Yale: The Bulldogs had already clinched a share of their 15th Ivy League title with a win over Princeton last week. They last held the title outright in 1980. Yale’s last winning streak against the Crimson came when it won three in a row between 1998 and 2000.

Harvard: Harvard had won 14 of the previous 16 meetings. This was the second straight game the Crimson has failed to score a touchdown, the first time that has happened since 1986.

IL — WINSLOW TOWNSON In this file photo, Yale head coach Tony Reno, center, celebrates with his team including Tim Dawson II (95) and Sebastian Little after their 21-14win over Harvard in an NCAA football game at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Mass. The Bulldogs will be...