Princeton Falls To Yale In Double OT 36-28

Saturday, November 11

Princeton, N.J.

12:00 PM

Princeton University

4-5 , 3-3

Yale

6-3 , 4-2

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	OT	OT	Final F
Yale	7	0	7	14	0	8	36
Princeton	7	0	7	14	0	0	28

November 11, 2023 | Football

Box Score

Say what you will about the 2023 Princeton football team. They certainly are exciting.

Week after week, every game comes down to the end, and, as was the case in the home finale against Yale, even beyond. This time, four quarters weren't enough, as the 145^th meeting between the Tigers and Bulldogs went overtime. And then another.

Ah, but as is the case with such games, they come down to a play here and a bounce there, ultimately becoming almost 50-50 propositions. And when you're flipping the coin, sometimes it goes your way; sometimes it doesn't.

At various times Saturday, both teams had the game won. Ultimately, it came up heads for Yale, who scored a touchdown in the second OT to win 36-28.

The teams combined for 28 points in the first three quarters, which ended at 14-14 and saw four touchdowns and 14 punts between the teams. Of course, those 45 minutes were just the preliminaries. When the fourth quarter began, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that this one was just getting started.

Twice in the fourth quarter Yale scored a touchdown to take the lead. Twice Princeton rallied to tie. Four straight drives ended in touchdowns.

The two fourth-quarter Princeton scores came in extraordinary fashion, the first of which was a 75-yard Blake Stenstrom to Luke Collela TD off a flea-flicker to even it at 21-21 one play after Yale had taken the lead.

Then, after the Bulldogs went up 28-21 with seven minutes left, Princeton took over on its 25 again and went on a magnificent 16-play, 75-yard drive that ended with, what?, a three-yard pass from Blaine Hipa to Collella with 18 seconds remaining. Hipa, who figured to be in the game to run on a first-and-goal on the 3 like he did in the second quarter when he ran one in for a TD, threw the touchdown on his first career pass.

To overtime they went, neither team scoring on the first try and then Yale with a touchdown, two-point conversion and stop to win it.

Collela finished with seven catches for 121 yards and the two scores. Ozzie Nicholas led three Princeton players in double figures in tackles with 15, along with 10 each from Nasir Hill and Jack DelGarbino.

John Volker carried 14 times for 90 yards and a TD.

Princeton will end the season Saturday at Penn.