http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/16/sports/ncaafootball/yale-defeats-princeton-to-gain-shot-at-ivy-title.html 2014-11-15 23:25:28 Yale Defeats Princeton to Gain Shot at Share of Ivy Title Quarterback Morgan Roberts threw for 405 yards and running back Tyler Varga scored twice to lead the Bulldogs, who have a chance to win their first Ivy League title since 2006. === NEW HAVEN — When the Yale Bowl opened on a wintry November afternoon in 1914, its turf was covered with hay. The field was soggy; it had snowed the day before. But the first event was a cross-country meet, so it scarcely mattered. The runners raced out one tunnel and back in the other. The Bowl was undoubtedly built for football. Years before the nation’s infatuation with the sport grew in earnest, this bustling maritime community was the epicenter of the sporting universe, and the Yale Bowl — a pioneering architectural achievement, and once the largest stadium in the world — was its most august stage. The blue seats have faded some, and without lights, a jumbo scoreboard or even locker rooms, its charm and timelessness present some sacrifice by spectators. But the old Bowl can still produce some spirited on-field activity, and Yale’s offense continued to be productive in Saturday’s 44-30 win over Princeton in the 137th meeting of their rivalry. Quarterback Morgan Roberts threw for 405 yards and running back Tyler Varga scored twice to lead the Bulldogs, who have scored at least 43 points in seven games this season. Yale (8-1) has a chance to win a share of its first At halftime, 67 former players, an all-Yale Bowl team stretching to 1917, were honored. The group included 47 all-Americans and 18 N.F.L. players who made nine Super Bowl appearances and won six N.F.L. championship rings. Forty-four of those players, including Calvin Hill and Dick Jauron, returned to the field and received medallions in commemoration of the stadium’s 100th anniversary. Many of these players starred when the Ivy League stood equal to the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference, and additional train cars were regularly supplied to accommodate the crowds traveling to New Haven on football Saturday afternoons. Games lasted two hours; there were no television timeouts. The stadium, built concentrically with no suites, provided a good view for every spectator. The Yale Bowl has remained more or less committed to tradition. It has had renovations — notably the addition of the Kenney Center as a meeting area for the team, a press box and a few suites — but nothing has drastically changed the original design. The university is analyzing ways to improve the seats and concrete basin, and consultants have examined the grass turf, which is so close to the water table it has a tendency to become soggy. Saturday, though, was an opportunity for celebration, and Yale is having its best season in years to embrace the occasion. A blocked punt early in the second quarter was recovered in the end zone by Yale’s Jaeden Graham to put the Bulldogs ahead, 17-14. Not much later, a 30-yard touchdown run by Varga capped an 80-yard drive. Princeton quarterback Quinn Epperly plowed into the end zone from a yard out to trim the Bulldogs’ lead to 27-21 about a minute before halftime. But the Bulldogs ended the half with a field goal and a 30-21 lead. A 13-yard touchdown reception by Varga midway through the third period extended Yale’s advantage to 37-21, and Princeton got no closer than 10 points after that.