BROOKINGS, S.D. — One of the greatest seasons in Holy Cross football history came to an end in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA FCS playoffs, with top-seeded South Dakota State pulling away in the fourth quarter to earn a 42-21 win over the eighth-seeded Crusaders on Saturday, Dec.10.

The contest was tied, 21-21, heading into the fourth quarter, but the Jackrabbits (12-1) scored 21 unanswered points in the final frame to secure the victory. 

Holy Cross (12-1) had 413 yards of total offense to South Dakota State's 393. The Crusaders rushed for 261 yards as a team against the nation's top rushing defense, which entered the game holding opponents to just 70.8 rushing yards. Junior quarterback Matthew Sluka had 213 of those yards on the ground, scoring a 56-yard touchdown; he additionally passed for 125 yards. Senior running back Peter Oliver rushed for 57 yards. Junior wide receiver Jalen Coker finished with 63 receiving yards. 

On defense, senior linebacker Liam Anderson made 10 tackles, while senior cornerback John Smith had eight on the day. Senior defensive end Jake Reichwein finished with seven tackles, including a six-yard tackle for loss, and a quarterback hurry. 

The 2022 Crusaders, playing in their first quarterfinal game since the 1983 season, concluded the year with 12 wins; including a fourth consecutive outright Patriot League title, a victory over FBS foe Buffalo and an NCAA second-round playoff victory against New Hampshire. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After a long opening drive for the Jackrabbits — spanning 6:18 — a missed field goal kept the game scoreless early. 
• Sluka put Holy Cross on the board first with a 56-yard touchdown run with 7:15 to go in the first. 
• The Crusader defense held South Dakota State to two first-quarter field goals, to preserve a 7-6 lead for Holy Cross. 
• On fourth and inches, senior running back Tyler Purdy connected with senior tight end Sean Morris for a 27-yard touchdown with 9:10 left in the second quarter, extending the lead to 14-6. 
• The Jackrabbits tied up the game with a touchdown rush from Isaiah Davis and a successful two-point conversion with 5:19 left in the half. 
• South Dakota State took a 21-14 lead with 1:08 left on a 37-yard pick six by Jason Freeman.
• Holy Cross opened the second half with a lengthy scoring drive. Sluka led an 11-play, 83-yard drive that lasted nearly six minutes, with Oliver running in for a one-yard score to even up the game.
• The contest was tied going into the fourth quarter, but the Jackrabbits kept the Crusaders off the board and scored three unanswered touchdowns to pull away for the victory.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE: 

• Sluka's 213 rushing yards are the most in a single game by a quarterback in program history. He surpasses the previous high set by Ryan Taggart in 2011 (176 rushing yards). 
• Sluka finishes the 2022 season with 1,234 rushing yards — the most by a quarterback and third most overall in program history.
• With his 57-yard showing on Saturday, Oliver surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the 2022 season, with a total of 1,017 yards on the year. He finishes his Holy Cross career with 2,655 rushing yards — ranking third all-time in program history. 

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