LEWISBURG, Pa. — The No. 12 Holy Cross football team held off Bucknell, pulling away for a 55-27 victory in Patriot League action on Saturday, Oct. 7. 

The Crusaders (4-2, 2-0 PL) totaled 574 yards of offense — including 202 yards in the first quarter alone — with 316 rushing yards. 

Junior running back Jordan Fuller totaled 162 yards of offense, including a career-best 147 rushing yards, while also rushing for four touchdowns. 

Senior quarterback Matthew Sluka completed 19 of his 28 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 122 yards. Senior wide receiver Jalen Coker caught a touchdown and finished with 96 receiving yards on the day. 

On defense, fifth-year linebacker Jacob Dobbs totaled 12 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack, while also forcing a fumble. Junior safety Curtis Harris-Lopez finished with eight tackles, including 2.5 TFLs. Senior cornerback Terrence Spence had an interception and two pass breakups to go with four tackles. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Holy Cross needed just two plays to score on its opening drive, with Sluka's 67-yard rush setting up a four-yard touchdown run for Fuller. 
• Sophomore Luis Palenzuela hit a 28-yard field goal to extend the Holy Cross lead to 10-0 with 9:36 to go in the first. 
• Bucknell (1-4, 0-2 PL) responded with a 47-yard touchdown rush to cut within 10-7 with 5:35 to go. 
• Coker caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from Sluka to put Holy Cross ahead 17-7 with 3:07 left in the opening quarter. 
• Bucknell came within 17-14 after a 33-yard touchdown reception with 11:44 to go in the second quarter. 
• Four-and-a-half minutes later, senior running back Tyler Purdy punched in a one-yard touchdown, and five minutes later, a one-yard touchdown rush by Fuller extended the Holy Cross lead to 31-14 with 2:03 to go in the first half. 
• Palenzuela kicked a 22-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the first half to make it a 34-14 game. 
• Bucknell cut within 34-21 with 10:07 left in the third quarter after a seven-yard touchdown. 
• A huge fourth-down stop by the Crusader defense gave Holy Cross the ball back at their own 48-yard line. Sluka had a 28-yard completion to senior receiver Byron Shipman, then a 24-yard touchdown pass to senior Phoenix Dickson helped push the Crusader lead to 41-21 with 5:03 left in the third. 
• The Bison scored just 50 seconds later, with a 40-yard touchdown pass, but missed the point after, cutting within 41-27.
• After Holy Cross turned the ball over on downs, Bucknell had a 28-yard completion to put the ball at the six-yard line. Spence pulled down an interception in the end zone to stop the Bison threat near the end of the third quarter. 
• Fuller scored on a 12-yard rush to put Holy Cross up 48-27 with 6:48 remaining. On Bucknell's next drive, Dobbs sacked Bison quarterback Ralph Rucker and forced a fumble that was recovered by senior defensive tackle Jared Dyer. Fuller then erupted for a 70-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 55-27 with 4:07 left.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE: 

• For the second time this season, Fuller rushed for four touchdowns in a game — he and Joe Segretti (1988) are the only two Crusaders in history to have two games with four rushing touchdowns in the same season.
• Fuller now ranks second in program history with 35 career rushing touchdowns; his 13 rushing touchdowns this season are tied for fifth in single-season program history. 
• Palenzuela's field goals were the first of his collegiate career. 
• Dobbs now has 396 career tackles, moving him into fifth place in program history. He now ranks fourth in program history with 20 career sacks, and his 42.5 TFLs are fourth-most in program history.

UP NEXT: 

• After a bye week, Holy Cross returns to action on Oct. 21 for a Patriot League matchup against Lafayette. 
• The Crusaders will host the Leopards for Family Weekend, with kickoff at Fitton Field set for 1 p.m. 

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
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