A year after history, what’s next? | 2023 Holy Cross Football Season Preview

Tickets are now on sale to watch the four-time defending Patriot League champion Holy Cross football team during the upcoming 2023 season. Full season ticket packages for Holy Cross' five home games, including the Crusaders' four games at Fitton Field and one contest at Polar Park, begin at just $80 and provide fans access to a number of exclusive benefits. To purchase season or single-game tickets, fans can visit the Holy Cross ticket website, call or text 1-844-GO-CROSS, or email tickets@holycross.edu.

Throughout the last few seasons, a mantra of the Holy Cross football team has been: Why Not Holy Cross? 

Defeating FBS opponents? Earning come-from-behind and last-second victories? Ranking in the top 10 nationally? Contending alongside traditional FCS powerhouses? Hey, why not? 

The 2022 campaign for the Crusaders was a historic one, and there’s a laundry list of reasons: 

• A 12-0 start set a program record for wins in a single season
• The Crusaders’ 11-0 regular season was just the third in program history, and the first since 1991
• Holy Cross won a Patriot League-record fourth straight outright conference title (and they’re the only team in all of FCS contending for a fifth consecutive league title this year)
• The Crusaders extended their Patriot League winning streak to 17 games and their regular season winning streak to 16 games 
• With victories over both Yale and Harvard, Holy Cross defeated both Ivy League rivals in the same season for the first time ever 
• Holy Cross earned the No. 8 seed and a first-round bye in the FCS playoffs, and advanced to the FCS quarterfinals for the first time since 1983 with a second-round win over New Hampshire 
• …and that’s not to mention other numerous instant-classic victories, including a Hail Mary victory over FBS foe Buffalo and a two-point conversion in overtime over Fordham

Entering 2023, the preseason No. 5 Crusaders have earned their spotlight in the national conversation — and as a result, the question has arguably become less of “why not us?” and more one of: “what’s next?” 

But, as head coach Bob Chesney frequently reminds and cautions his team: The leading cause of success is well-managed failure, but the leading cause of failure is mismanaged success. The Crusaders aren’t looking in the rear-view mirror, and they know they aren’t the same team they were a year ago. In order to take the next step, meticulous preparation and unrelenting effort are critical.

“It does not matter what we did last year,” Chesney said. “We’re not the same team. We have a lot of new faces, and a lot of new people — and we’re going to ask a lot of the same people to play different roles. We are guaranteed nothing because of the success we had a year ago, and our guys certainly understand that. 

“When we stepped foot on the field for the preseason on Aug. 3, it had nothing to do with last year. We quickly understood and realized that we’re a very different team with very different goals — and with a lot of different people doing it. The challenge has been laid for us, and we don’t look back and expect anybody to hand us anything. If anything, we realize that the bullseye on our backs just got a little bit bigger.”

OFFENSE

Dean Kennedy, who served as the Crusaders’ quarterbacks coach in 2022, takes over as offensive coordinator in 2023, guiding an offense that returns a number of key contributors following a dominant 2022 season. Throughout 2022, Holy Cross averaged 37.4 points per contest and 449.4 yards of total offense a game. In Patriot League play, the Crusaders averaged 43.0 points per game. 

All eyes will be on senior quarterback and captain Matthew Sluka this fall as he seeks to build upon his 2022 campaign, in which he was a Walter Payton Award finalist. The 2023 Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and Stats Perform Preseason All-American enters the year ranking sixth in program career history in rushing yards (2,337) and third in rushing touchdowns (29).

A year ago, he finished with 11 rushing touchdowns and 1,234 yards on the ground — the most rushing yards of any FCS quarterback — while also completing 153 passes for 2,489 yards and 26 touchdowns. Sluka also finished 11th among FCS quarterbacks in touchdown passes, eighth in points responsible for (222) and second in passing yards per completion (16.27); all the while, he only had four interceptions. 

Sluka’s primary target a year ago, now-senior receiver Jalen Coker, joins Sluka on the Walter Payton Award watch list entering the year. Coker earned All-Patriot League first team honors in 2022, leading the team with 11 touchdown receptions (tied for fourth in single-season program history) and 912 receiving yards (ninth in single-season program history). He caught at least one touchdown in eight different games this season, with three touchdown catches in a win over Fordham. Coker ranks tied for 10th in program history with 16 touchdown catches throughout his career. 

Junior receiver Justin Shorter, a two-time All-Patriot League honoree as a kick returner, had 32 catches for 431 yards and four touchdowns a year ago. 

Despite the loss of three-time All-Patriot League running back Peter Oliver, junior Jordan Fuller has been central in Holy Cross’ explosive offense the last two seasons, with 22 career touchdowns — already ranking tied for eighth in program history. He was also an All-Patriot League second team selection in 2022 after tallying 536 yards on 111 carries with 13 touchdowns. Fifth-year running backs Tyler Purdy (502 career rushing yards) and Jordan Forrest (341 career rushing yards) have also spent substantial time on the field for Holy Cross, with Purdy earning All-Patriot League honors during the Spring 2021 season. 

First-year offensive line coach Chris Zarkoskie will guide a deep and talented offensive line, with four projected starters who have earned All-Patriot League honors in their careers: senior left tackle Luke Newman, senior left guard Eric Schon, fifth year right guard and captain C.J. Hanson and fifth year right tackle Pat McMurtrie. Newman was additionally named an All-American by Stats Perform and the Associated Press in 2022. Senior Christo Kelly projects to be the team’s starting center, replacing three-time All-Patriot League honoree Nick Olsofka. Depth along the offensive line has long been a strength for the Crusaders, and fifth year Dalton Daddona and senior Declan McCauley have seen significant playing time throughout their careers on The Hill.

Fifth-year tight end Sean Morris is a two-time All-Patriot League selection, and while he is primarily known for his blocking prowess, he totaled 167 yards on 12 receptions in 2022. In each of the last two seasons, Morris has also caught a touchdown in playoff games for the Crusaders (in 2021 at Villanova and in 2022 at South Dakota State). 

DEFENSE

In 2022, the Holy Cross defense ranked atop the Patriot League in total defense (331.5 yards per game) and scoring defense (21.5 points per game) under defensive coordinator Scott James, who enters his sixth season in that role with the Crusaders this fall. 

Fifth-year linebacker and four-time captain Jacob Dobbs returns this season, headlining the Crusader defense as the Patriot League’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. He suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4 of the 2022 season after a stellar 2021, in which he was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, earned All-America honors and was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award. In 34 career contests, he ranks in the top 10 in program history with 309 career tackles, 34.5 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks. 

Even with the loss of All-American linebacker Liam Anderson, who signed with the Indianapolis Colts in April, Holy Cross boasts a deep and talented linebackers room. Senior Dante Bolden has played in every game since his freshman season, starting 13 contests last year and recording 43 tackles. Now-junior Frankie Monte had eight starts in 2022, totaling 27 tackles.

Fifth-year cornerback and captain Devin Haskins was a human highlight reel in 2022, earning All-America honors while also being named to the All-Patriot League first team twice, both as a defensive back and a special teams non-specialist. He recorded 47 tackles, four interceptions and 12 pass breakups, but perhaps more memorable were his Patriot League-record and nation-leading four blocked punts — which he recorded in four consecutive games between Sept. 24 and Oct. 22. 

Key losses in the secondary include corner John Smith and safeties Walter Reynolds, Terrell Prince and Cristos Argys, but Holy Cross still returns a number of experienced players. Senior cornerback Terrence Spence appeared in every game last season, tallying eight pass breakups and an interception while also blocking three punts. Fifth-year safety Kamryn Molton has played in 22 games over the last two seasons. Safety Jake Jarmolowich also appeared in all 13 games in 2022 with one start; now-junior safety Curtis Harris-Lopez had two TFLs and two forced fumbles a season ago. 

Senior Dillon Springer started every game in 2022 at defensive tackle, recording 16 tackles, and will help anchor a defensive line that loses top contributors Dan Kuznetsov and Jake Reichwein from a year ago. Senior defensive end Brian Vaganek played in every game last year, recording 19 tackles and 3.5 TFLs, including an eight-yard sack in a playoff victory over New Hampshire. 

SPECIALISTS 

Fifth-year punter Patrick Haughney is the veteran among Holy Cross’ specialists; he is a three-time All-Patriot League honoree and was a semifinalist for the FCS Punter of the Year Award in 2022. Last season, he punted 39 times for a total of 1,572 yards, averaging 40.3 yards per punt. Entering 2023, he is averaging 41.2 yards per punt, currently standing as the best career average in program history. 

Following the graduation of the program’s all-time leading scorer, kicker Derek Ng, a trio of placekickers will look to fill in to his role: junior Jack Norris, sophomore Luis Palenzuela and freshman Daniel Porto. 

Two new long snappers also arrive on The Hill: junior transfer Francisco Castro and freshman Dan Rosenberg. 

SCHEDULE OUTLOOK 

Holy Cross’ season gets underway on Saturday, Sept. 2 with a home matchup against Merrimack, with kickoff set for 2 p.m. at Fitton Field. 

The following weekend, the Crusaders travel east to face historic rival Boston College in an FBS showdown on Sept. 9. Holy Cross has won its last two matchups against FBS opponents, with a victory over Connecticut in 2021 and Buffalo in 2022. 

Other nonconference contests include a road game against Yale (Sept. 16), the EBW Football Classic at Polar Park vs. Harvard (Sept. 30) and another FBS matchup at Army West Point on Veteran’s Day. 

Conference play gets underway with a Homecoming contest on Sept. 23 vs. Colgate; the Crusaders will travel to Bucknell (Oct. 7), Fordham (Oct. 28) and Lehigh (Nov. 4) while also hosting Lafayette (Oct. 21) and Georgetown (Nov. 18). 

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