WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross football team defeated Colgate, 42-10, in the EBW Classic – the first-ever football game played at Polar Park – on Saturday, Oct. 23.
The Crusaders (5-2, 2-0 Patriot League) finished with 473 total yards of offense, including 359 rushing yards, in front of a sellout crowd of 9,508 fans.
With a touchdown and career-high 153 rushing yards, senior running back
Peter Oliver earned the
Dr. Edward N. Anderson Award as the most outstanding player for the Family Weekend game. Sophomore quarterback
Matthew Sluka ran for two touchdowns and finished with 114 yards on the ground, while also completing 7 of 12 passes for 62 yards. Sophomore wide receiver
Jalen Coker finished with 60 receiving yards.
Defensively, senior linebacker
Liam Doran had a team-high 10 tackles, including a tackle for loss, and a pass breakup.
Holy Cross returns to action on the road on Oct. 30 with a Patriot League matchup at Lehigh. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Crusaders scored two touchdowns on their first two drives – with a 22-yard touchdown rush from Oliver and a four-yard run from junior running back Tyler Purdy – to give Holy Cross a 14-0 edge with 7:59 to go in the first.
- Colgate (2-6, 2-1 Patriot League) got on the board with a field goal with 6:16 to go in the second quarter.
- On the following drive, Oliver guided Holy Cross with 66 yards up the field, putting the Crusaders in prime field position for a three-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Jordan Fuller.
- Colgate's Will Gruber returned the following kickoff for a 99-yard touchdown to bring the Raiders within 21-10 with 1:55 to go in the half.
- After Holy Cross freshman Jake Jarmolowich recovered a muffed kickoff return by Colgate to open the second half, Sluka had a 35-yard touchdown run to extend the Holy Cross advantage to 28-10.
- The lead grew to 35-10 later in the third after senior kicker Derek Ng faked the field goal attempt and instead threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Cullen Honohan with 5:49 to go in the third.
- Sluka tacked on another touchdown, an eight-yard run, to give Holy Cross a 42-10 lead with 4:59 to go in the game.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- The Crusaders' rushing yards total marked their highest total – and their first time over 300 rushing yards in a single game – since a 2018 matchup against Lehigh.
- This additionally marked the first time since 2018 that Holy Cross had two players finish above 100 rushing yards in a single game, when Domenic Cozier had 208 yards and Miles Alexander had 118 yards against Lehigh.
