Video: Holy Cross-Howard Highlights
Video: Postgame Interview with Ryan Taggart
WORCESTER, Mass. – Senior wide receiver Bill Edger (Hainesport, N.J.) caught seven passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns, to lead the Holy Cross football team to a 38-7 victory over Howard at Fitton Field. Senior quarterback Ryan Taggart (Bedford, Texas) also played well in the first start of his collegiate career, hitting on 17 of 29 pass attempts for 186 yards and three touchdowns. The Crusaders open the season at 1-0 with the victory, while the Bison start the year at 0-1.
Holy Cross began the scoring at the 10:30-mark of the first quarter, when Taggart threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Luke Chmielinski (Walpole, Mass.). The score remained at 7-0 until late in the second quarter, when senior free safety Alex Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind.) intercepted a pass and returned it to the Howard 21-yard line. Two plays later, Taggart hit Edger with a 20-yard scoring strike to make the score 14-0 at halftime.
The Crusaders increased their lead to 24-0 in the third quarter, on a 38-yard pass from Taggart to Edger and a 29-yard field goal by senior placekicker Rob Dornfried (Berlin, Conn.). The Bison then put their only points of the day on the board late in the third quarter, when Jarad Dorsey hit Willie Carter for a 33-yard touchdown. Holy Cross concluded the scoring in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard run by sophomore tailback Sam Auffant (Hampton, N.H.) and an 85-yard punt return by senior wide receiver Freddie Santana (Staten Island, N.Y.).
Junior linebacker Ricky Otis (Cleves, Ohio) led the Crusader defense with 12 tackles and one tackle for loss, while senior linebacker Sean Lamkin (Jenks, Okla.) added six tackles with two quarterback sacks and two pass breakups.
Carter totaled six receptions for 130 yards and a score to lead the Bison, while Jermell Ellis recorded four tackles with a sack and two tackles for loss.
Holy Cross returns to action next Saturday, Sept. 11, when it travels to Massachusetts for a 6:00 p.m. game.
