NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The No. 5/6 Holy Cross football team cruised to a 49-24 victory over defending Ivy League champion Yale on Saturday, Sept. 16 at the Yale Bowl.

After Yale (0-1) cut within 21-17 at halftime, stifling defense by the Crusaders (2-1) held the Bulldogs (0-1) to just one touchdown — with 27 seconds remaining — in the second half. 

Senior quarterback Matthew Sluka totaled six touchdowns on the day, four in the air and two on the ground. He finished with 373 total yards of offense, completing 23 of his 30 passes for 275 yards. 

Senior wide receiver Jalen Coker caught three of Sluka's touchdown passes, with 124 yards on nine receptions. Junior running back Jordan Fuller rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown, while fifth-year running back Tyler Purdy had 51 rushing yards. Junior tight end Jacob Petersen scored his first career touchdown. 

Fifth-year linebacker Jacob Dobbs had a dominating performance, with 17 total tackles, including 12 solo tackles and a tackle for a loss of four yards, along with a forced fumble. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Yale scored on its opening drive, taking a 7-0 lead with 9:53 left in the first. The Crusaders immediately responded, with Sluka using a 19-yard rush to even up the game just over two minutes later. 
• The Bulldogs regained the lead with a 29-yard field goal early in the second quarter. 
• Sluka connected with Coker on a three-yard pass to give Holy Cross the lead back, 14-10, with 8:19 to go in the half. 
• Sluka's 18-yard touchdown run with 1:44 left in the second quarter extended the Crusader lead to 21-10. 
• Yale quickly responded with a touchdown with 46 seconds left, cutting the lead to 21-17 heading into the half. 
• Right out of halftime, Sluka and Coker connected again, this time for a four-yard touchdown pass, giving the Crusaders a 28-17 advantage with 8:58 to go in the third. 
• To open the fourth, a 22-yard completion from Sluka to Coker put the Crusaders at the one-yard line. After a penalty, Fuller's 11-yard rushing touchdown extended the Holy Cross lead to 35-17. 
• Petersen caught an eight-yard pass for a touchdown, building a 42-17 lead with 7:35 remaining. 
• Dobbs forced a Yale fumble, which senior cornerback Malik Scott returned 28 yards to the Yale five-yard line. That set up a five-yard touchdown pass from Sluka to Coker, with the Holy Cross lead growing to 49-17 with 5:50 remaining. 
• The Bulldogs got on the board again and snapped the run of 28 unanswered points by Holy Cross, scoring a touchdown with 27 seconds remaining. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• With the 25-point victory, Holy Cross posted its largest margin of victory over Yale ever — besting the 24-point win in 2022 that set the previous record. 
• Holy Cross has now defeated the Bulldogs in four of the teams' last five meetings. Prior to 2018, the Crusaders had only beaten Yale four times in 32 total meetings. 
• Sluka is now tied for second in program history with 33 career rushing touchdowns, matching the mark set by Steve Silva from 2001-05. 

UP NEXT: 

• Holy Cross returns home for a Homecoming matchup and its Patriot League opener against Colgate on Sept. 23. 
• Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Fitton Field. 
• Tickets for the game begin at $20 and can be purchased through the Holy Cross Ticket Office. For more information, fans can call or text 1-844-GO-CROSS or email tickets@holycross.edu. 

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