Mike McLeod ’09 rushed for three touchdowns and Yale turned three Columbia mistakes into points in a 27-12 Ivy League victory Saturday, snapping a two-game losing streak.

Yale’s all-time leading rusher, McLeod ran for 85 yards on 23 carries and caught three passes for 25 yards. Bothered by a lingering ankle sprain much of the season, McLeod, last year’s most valuable Ivy League player, had scored only three touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ first six games.

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Columbia scored first with a 37-yard field goal Jon Rocholl early in the first quarter.

But Yale responded with Brook Hart’s ’11 35-yard pass to Peter Balsam ’11. It was the start of a 48-yard drive that led to Yale’s first touchdown.

A 22-yard field goal by Columbia’s Rocholl reduced the Lions’ deficit to 7-6 with 8:09 left in the half.

The Yale defense then helped the Bulldogs increase their lead.

After Yale stopped Columbia at the Lions’ 26 yard line, Balsam blocked a Columbia punt and Yale recovered the ball at the Columbia two yard line. Three plays later, McLeod scored from the one yard line to give the Bulldogs a 14-6 lead at halftime.

A poor Columbia punt put Yale in good field position at the Lions’ 25 yard line early in the third quarter, and the Bulldogs took a 17-6 lead with a 37-yard field goal by Tom Mante ’10.

Two plays later, the Bulldogs capitalized on another Columbia mistake to score again. Columbia answered quickly, driving 80 yards to score its first touchdown on a 10-yard run. But Yale later scored on a 37-yard field goal.