CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The No. 10 Holy Cross football team held off Harvard, 30-21, on Saturday, Oct. 1 at Harvard Stadium.

The Crusaders remain undefeated and improve to 5-0 to begin the season for the first time since 1991, and defeated the Crimson at Harvard Stadium for the first time since 2000.

Holy Cross finished with 447 total yards of offense. Junior wide receiver Jalen Coker had a career-best 164 receiving yards on 10 receptions with a touchdown. Junior quarterback Matthew Sluka was 17-for-31 with 298 passing yards with a pair of touchdowns in the air; he also rushed for 63 yards and one more touchdown. Senior receiver Ayir Asante caught a touchdown and had three total receptions for 72 yards. Senior running back Peter Oliver rushed for 78 yards.

Senior kicker Derek Ng made three field goals, with two in the fourth quarter – including a 49-yarder with 1:24 to go – to give the Crusaders late breathing room.

Defensively, senior cornerback Devin Haskins tied for a team-high seven tackles and blocked a punt in the first quarter. Senior linebacker Liam Anderson made seven tackles while also recovering a fumble. Senior safety Walter Reynolds had six tackles, including one for a loss of 11 yards.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Despite retuning the opening kickoff 60 yards, Harvard was unable to capitalize on that early momentum, missing a 37-yard field goal attempt.
• Midway through the first quarter, Haskins blocked a punt – his second straight week blocking a punt -- and sophomore safety Curtis Harris-Lopez recovered the ball and returned it to the Harvard 27-yard line.
• From there, the Crusaders just needed one play to take an early 7-0 lead on a 27-yard keeper by Sluka with 7:04 to go in the first.
• Harvard quickly evened it up at 7-7 after a seven-yard touchdown run by Aidan Bourget with 4:46 left in the first. The Crimson jumped ahead 14-7 by the 5:52 mark of the second after another touchdown run by Bourget for 20 yards.
• Oliver erupted for a 31-yard rush to open the ensuing drive, setting up a 53-yard touchdown reception by Asante to even things up at 14-14 with 4:33 to go in the second.
• Senior cornerback John Smith forced a Harvard fumble and the Crusaders regained possession with 3:03 remaining in the first half; Ng was able to connect on a 25-yard field goal to give Holy Cross a 17-14 lead heading into halftime.
• On the opening drive of the second half, Sluka and Coker connected on a 39-yard pass and then linked up again on a two-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 24-14.
• Harvard cut back within three points after a 19-yard touchdown reception by Kym Wimberly Jr. with 8:32 to go in the third.
• On Harvard's first drive of the fourth quarter, a miscommunication led to a fumble, which was recovered by Anderson. Holy Cross was able to extend its lead as a result, with Ng kicking a 27-yard field goal to make it a 27-21 game with 9:20 left in the fourth.
• Ng again gave Holy Cross some late insurance, hitting a 49-yard field goal for a 30-21 lead with 1:24 left.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• This is Holy Cross' first win over Harvard since the 2016 season.
• Holy Cross now has wins over Harvard and Yale this year – the first time in program history that the Crusaders have defeated both opponents in the same season.
• The Crusaders have blocked four punts this year.
• Coker has scored a touchdown in every game, with a total of six on the season.
• With 12 total points scored, Ng surpassed Gordie Lockbaum and Joe Segreti's career record for career points; his total of 271 career points passes Lockbaum and Segreti's 264 points. 
• Ng's 49-yard field goal ties his own mark for the third-longest field goal in program history. He also owns the three longest field goals in Holy Cross history, at 51, 50 and 49 yards.

UP NEXT:

• The Crusaders will host Bucknell in the second annual EBW Classic on October 8 at Polar Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
• Tickets to see the undefeated Crusaders can be purchased by visiting polarpark.com/ebwclassic.

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
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