NEW HAVEN, Conn.--It was a coulda shoulda woulda Game that closed out a coulda shoulda woulda season.

Yale's 24-21 win over Harvard in the waning seconds of The Game yesterday clinched a share of the Ivy championship for the Bulldogs (9-1, 6-1 Ivy) and added insult and injury to the Crimson's (5-5, 3-4) season of misfortune.

Harvard coulda been the spoiler.

Yale entered The Game tied for first in the Ivy while Harvard entered in fifth. A Harvard win, and Yale's season was spoiled.

For a while, it looked like it would happen. Harvard was up 7-3 at halftime and went to the locker room with fleeting satisfaction.

In the third quarter, with Yale senior quarterback Joe Walland driving his team down the field, the Harvard defense gave Harvard even more hope for an upset.

Crimson sophomore safety Shawn Parker blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt by Yale junior placekicker Mike Murawczyk and Harvard junior safety Mike Brooks picked up the loose ball and rumbled for a 66-yard score and a 14-3 lead.

But as the clouds began to roll in over the Yale Bowl, Harvard's fortunes began to gray.