WORCESTER, Mass. — The 2022 Holy Cross football team continues to make history.

With a 35-19 victory over the University of New Hampshire in the second round of the NCAA FCS playoffs on Saturday, Dec. 3 at Fitton Field, the eighth-seeded Crusaders set a program record with their 12th win, improving to an unblemished 12-0 record on the year. Holy Cross advances to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time since 1983. 

The Crusaders rushed for 320 yards on the day. Senior running back Peter Oliver had a career-high 175 rushing yards and ran for a pair of touchdowns. Junior quarterback Matthew Sluka ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns, including a 47-yard score, and passed for one more touchdown. 

Senior linebacker Liam Anderson had a team-high six tackles, with three tackles for a loss of seven yards, and a fumble recovery. Senior safety Walter Reynolds tallied two interceptions, and senior defensive end Jake Reichwein had two tackles for a loss of eight yards. Senior defensive end Dan Kuznetsov and junior defensive end Brian Vaganek each had a sack. Junior Terrence Spence blocked a punt for the third time this season. 

Rainy and windy conditions made for a low-scoring first half, 7-5, but the Crusaders pulled away in the second half. The Crusaders held the Wildcats (9-4) to only 22 rushing yards — the lowest total by a Holy Cross opponent this season. 

Holy Cross will advance to face top-seeded South Dakota State in the quarterfinal round on Saturday, Dec. 10. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Reynolds picked off a pass with 11:20 to go in the first quarter, setting the stage for Oliver to rush for a 39-yard touchdown with 7:27 to go in the frame.
• A safety made it a 7-2 game with 3:26 left in the first. 
• Despite a fumble recovery by the Wildcats at the Holy Cross 40-yard line, the Crusader defense held UNH to just a field goal to cut the advantage to 7-5 with 5:14 left in the second quarter. 
• The Wildcats fumbled on their opening drive of the third quarter and Anderson recovered the ball at the New Hampshire 33-yard line. Oliver carried the ball in for a four-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 14-5 with 11:05 left in the quarter.
• On UNH's next drive, Reynolds had his second interception of the day and returned it 52 yards to the New Hampshire 19-yard line. Sluka later connected with junior wide receiver Jalen Coker for a five-yard touchdown pass, pushing the lead to 21-5 with 4:17 left in the third. 
• The Wildcats scored a touchdown with 2:07 left but were unable to convert on a two-point attempt, keeping the score at 21-11.
• Sluka had back-to-back fourth-quarter touchdown runs of three yards and then 47 yards to build a 35-11 lead for Holy Cross with 6:17 to go in the game. 
• New Hampshire scored with 1:46 to go and made the two-point conversion for a 35-19 final score. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• The Crusaders' fumble in the first quarter was only their first lost fumble of the year. 
• Oliver now has 2,662 career rushing yards; Saturday's performance helped him surpass Jerome Fuller (2,447 yards, 1988-1991) and Steve Silva (2,646 yards, 2001-2005) for the third-most career rushing yards in Holy Cross history. 
• Holy Cross has held its four opponents under 100 rushing yards in each of its last four games.