WORCESTER, Mass. — The No. 24 Holy Cross football team did not lead for the first 59 minutes and 46 seconds of its NCAA D-I football championship subdivision (FCS) playoff first-round matchup against Sacred Heart on Saturday, Nov. 27.
Enter sophomore quarterback Matthew Sluka, who orchestrated an 11-play, 80-yard drive over the final minutes of the contest — culminating in a 35-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Jalen Coker with 14 seconds remaining. The touchdown secured a 13-10 win for the Crusaders (10-2), marking their first-ever FCS playoff victory.
In Holy Cross' first home playoff game in 38 seasons, Sluka totaled 171 passing yards and 90 rushing yards on the day, while Coker finished with 103 yards — his second 100-yard game of the season.
Junior linebacker Jacob Dobbs matched a career high with 18 tackles, including 12 solo tackles, along with 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Senior linebacker Liam Anderson had eight tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Senior kicker Derek Ng kicked a pair of field goals for the Crusaders. Junior punter Patrick Haughney averaged 45.2 yards on his four punt attempts, including a 62-yard punt and two that fell inside the 20-yard line.
Holy Cross now has its first 10-win season since going 11-0 in 1991. The Crusaders have won seven games in a row, their longest winning streak since 1991.
The Crusaders advance to the second round of the FCS playoffs to face fifth-seeded Villanova on Friday, Dec. 3. Kickoff in Villanova, Pa. is set for 7 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Pioneers (8-4) scored on their opening drive, with quarterback Rob McCoy scoring on a five-yard carry to make it a 7-0 game with 9:38 left in the first.
- Sacred Heart kept the Crusaders off the board until Ng hit a 23-yard field goal with 3:53 remaining in the second quarter.
- Both teams' offenses remained quiet through the third quarter. Sacred Heart had a prime opportunity to score after McCoy opened the fourth quarter with a 39-yard rush to Holy Cross' eight-yard line, but Anderson had a second-down tackle for loss and Dobbs had a third-down sack; Holy Cross held the Pioneers to just a field goal with 12:09 left.
- Ng hit another field goal, a 38-yarder, to help the Crusaders cut within 10-6 with 8:27 left.
- With 3:14 left in the fourth quarter, Sluka led Holy Cross down the field; after being sacked on third-and-1, he used a five-yard rush to convert on fourth-and-4. Sacred Heart would sack him again on the drive, bringing up a third-and-17 opportunity, but Sluka ran 21 yards to secure another first down.
- After a two-yard rush by Sluka, Holy Cross called a timeout with 56 seconds left. After a seven-yard completion to Coker and an 11-yard catch by senior wide receiver Tenio Ayeni, Coker caught Sluka's 35-yard pass with two Sacred Heart defenders closing in, giving Holy Cross its first lead of the day with 14 seconds remaining.
