BOSTON (AP) _ George W. Bush's alma mater beat Al Gore's on Saturday, as Ray Littleton returned an interception 45 yards with 3:22 left to set up Rashad Bartholomew's second touchdown and clinch Yale's 34-24 victory over Harvard in The Game.

Against the backdrop of a presidential election that landed Bush (Yale '68) and Gore (Harvard '69) in a virtual dead heat, the schools played Saturday for the 117th time in the 125-year-old rivalry.

Other than a few jokes by the bands at halftime, though, the day was devoted to football, and the full house of 30,898 saw the teams play to four ties before Yale (7-3, 4-3 Ivy) outscore Harvard (5-5, 4-3) 17-7 in the fourth quarter.

Bartholomew ran 29 times for 119 yards to give him 3,016 career yards and break the Yale record set by Dick Jauron, who's now the head coach of the Chicago Bears. Yale's Peter Lee completed 25 of 37 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns to Eric Johnson, who had 13 catches for 113.

Harvard's Carl Morris caught 13 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Neil Rose completed 28 of 52 passes for 310 yards, but he also had four interceptions, including one picked off by Littleton with Harvard trailing 27-24. Bartholomew ran it in from 5 yards out to make it 34-24.

Although no one is suggesting that The Game has an impact on the presidential race, there has been an uncanny correlation: In every presidential election year since 1980, a Harvard win has been followed by a Democratic inauguration, and a Yale victory coincided with the election of a Republican president. Since 1936, the trend holds 12 of 15 times (there was no Game in 1944 because of World War II).

Regardless of whether the victory will mean good news for Bush, who went to Harvard Business School, his school celebrated on the field long after The Game was over. Yale, which has beaten Harvard three consecutive years, now leads the series 64-45-8.

Harvard took the ball to the Yale 6 late in the first quarter before Rose fumbled out of bounds on a fourth-and-5 just short of the first down. The Elis marched down the field before Bartholomew ran it in from 28 yards out to make it 7-0.

Harvard tied it when Rose hit Morris on a wide receiver screen with a 7-yard pass with 11:08 left in the second quarter. Yale took a 14-7 lead when Lee hit Johnson on fourth-and-goal from the 1.

But Harvard tied it when Chuck Nwokocha returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, shedding three tacklers on the way. It was the Crimson's first touchdown return in 17 years and its longest in the history of the rivalry.

Harvard freshman Robbie Wright, who missed the potential game-winner in both of his team's conference losses this season, squeaked a 34-yarder through with two seconds left in the first half to make it 17-14. But he missed a 30-yarder in the third quarter.

Lineman Stuart Satullo picked Rose off to give Yale the ball at the Harvard 25, setting up tying field goal by Mike Murawczyk with 2:06 left in the third.

Rose hit Morris on the first play of the fourth quarter, for a 19-yard touchdown that gave Harvard a 24-17 lead. But Yale tied it again when Lee hit Johnson at the back of the end zone; Johnson tipped the ball down with his left hand and gathered it in, managing to get at least one foot in to make it 24-24.

Although the catch seemed to be a fair one, it was reminiscent of last year's game, which Yale won 24-21 when Johnson was credited with a 4-yard catch with 29 seconds left. Replays appeared to show that he trapped the ball.