Crimson beats Yale … again

Harvard football captured an unprecedented fifth-straight victory over the Yale Bulldogs, 30-24, in the Ivy League’s first-ever triple overtime game in the 122nd edition of the storied rivalry on Nov. 19 in New Haven, Conn. Tied 24-24 after regulation, the Crimson forced three Eli turnovers in the extra periods (while committing two of their own), before junior running back Clifton Dawson broke the standstill with a 2-yard score.

In winning the game, which entertained a crowd of over 53,000 for four hours, Harvard closed out its season with a 5-2 Ivy mark (7-3 overall) – good for a second-place tie with Princeton behind champion Brown.

On the heels of his dramatic performance at the Yale Bowl, Dawson was unanimously named a first-team All-Ivy selection by the league’s eight coaches for the third straight year. Dawson’s selection highlights a list of 11 Harvard players picked to the ’05 squads. Rounding out Harvard’s All-Ivy selections are senior offensive linemen Brian Lapham and Will Johnson, and juniors Michael Berg and Matt Thomas, who were named to the first defensive team at tackle and linebacker, respectively. Senior safety Rob Balkema, meanwhile, was a second-team selection, marking his first All-Ivy appearance. Harvard’s honorable mention performers include seniors Ryan Tyler and Kelly Widman, and sophomores Liam O’Hagan, Brad Bagdis, and Doug Hewlett.

– Andrew Brooks