DALLAS (FWAA) – The Yale Bulldogs topped previously-undefeated Harvard in the 141st edition of The Game on Saturday, taking not only a share of the Ivy League championship but the league’s first automatic berth into the postseason. To honor the historic 45-28 win, its second Ivy League title in the past three seasons and its spot in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs, Yale earned the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week for games the weekend of Nov. 22, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.
This is the second time for Yale (8-2, 6-1 in Ivy League) to receive the award by the FWAA. The Bulldogs also earned the weekly honor following a 49-43 win at Army early in the 2014 season.
Yale also earned its fourth straight win over Harvard, the first time the Bulldogs have had a four-game win streak in the series since 1942-47. The Bulldogs will enter the FCS Playoffs on a six-game win streak overall, its longest streak since 2019.
Dante Reno completed 15-of-19 passes for 273 yards with three touchdowns and Josh Pitsenberger rushed for three touchdowns and had 143 yards on the ground to key the win. Reno’s favorite target was Nico Brown, who had 189 receiving yards that included a touchdown.
Yale had control early on but came up with its biggest play shortly before halftime. The Bulldogs led 24-14 with three seconds remaining in the first half and faced 4th and goal at Harvard’s 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. That was Pitsenberger’s 37th career rushing touchdown at Yale, putting him alone in second place on the school’s all-time touchdowns list.
Defensively, Brandon Webster led Yale with eight tackles, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. His forced fumble and recovery came 12 seconds into the game to set the tone for Yale.
“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 head coach Tony Reno. "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."
Yale takes the Ivy League banner into the FCS postseason for the first time playing at Youngstown State, the 15-seed, on Saturday in a Noon ET kickoff on ESPN+.
Since 2002, the FWAA has named a National Team of the Week. Coming into the 2025 season, 284 teams have been honored, including 101 different Division I programs. Each honored team will receive a custom Pop-Tarts "care package" along with a hand-crafted game ball made in America by Dallas-based Big Game USA, the nation's leading manufacturer of custom footballs.
The other National Team of the Week nominee for the weekend of Nov. 22 was:
- Pitt (8-3): The Panthers kept their ACC title hopes alive while ending Georgia Tech’s in a 42-28 road win in Atlanta. Ja'Kyrian Turner ran for 201 yards and a touchdown as Pitt built a 28-0 lead and held off Tech’s second-half charge, aided by Braylan Lovelace 100-yard interception return as Tech was poised to cut its deficit to seven points. Turner’s 56-yard scoring run with 2:41 left sealed it. Mason Heintschel was 20 of 27 from 226 yards and two touchdowns for the Panthers.
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Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,100 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.