EASTON, Pa. — The Holy Cross football team held off Lafayette, earning a 34-28 win on Saturday, Oct. 26 to remain undefeated in Patriot League play. 

The Crusaders (4-5, 3-0 Patriot League) took an early 21-0 lead before the Leopards (4-4, 1-2 Patriot League) stormed back; Holy Cross' defense held off a potential scoring drive in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to secure the victory. 

Junior receiver Max Mosey paced the Holy Cross offense with two touchdowns — one receiving, one rushing. He totaled 74 receiving yards and 28 yards on the ground. Sophomore running back Jayden Clerveaux rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown. Senior receiver Justin Shorter totaled 51 receiving yards and scored a touchdown. 

Sophomore placekicker Daniel Porto connected on two field goals, including a school-record 53-yarder in the first half. 

Senior safety Curtis Harris-Lopez had a team-high nine tackles, along with a tackle for loss. Senior safety Ryan Ruane finished the game with eight tackles. Sophomore cornerback Eli Thompson had five solo stops, four pass breakups and a tackle for loss. Sophomore linebacker Cam Santee had five tackles and two TFLs. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Senior quarterback Joe Pesansky found Mosey for a 58-yard touchdown to give Holy Cross a 7-0 lead just over two minutes into the game. 
• Pesansky's six-yard touchdown pass to Shorter made it a 14-0 game in favor of the Crusaders with 4:41 to go in the contest. 
• To open the second quarter, Mosey took back-to-back snaps and had a 24-yard rush on third down followed by a four-yard rush to score and extend the Holy Cross lead to 21-0. 
• Lafayette got on the board with 9:24 left in the second quarter after a two-yard touchdown pass on fourth down. 
• After recovering a Crusader fumble on the ensuing kickoff, the Leopards capitalized and made it a 21-14 game with 5:38 left in the half with an eight-yard quarterback keeper. 
• Less than a minute later, Clerveaux ran for a 28-yard score to push the Holy Cross lead back to 14 points with 4:48 left in the half. 
• Lafayette countered on the next drive with a 30-yard touchdown run to cut within 28-21 with 2:25 remaining in the half. 
• To cap off a high-scoring second quarter, Porto hit a 53-yard field goal to extend the Crusader lead to 31-21 entering halftime. 
• After a scoreless third quarter — aided by senior defensive lineman Damon Donalds, who blocked Lafayette's 28-yard field goal attempt late in the third — Porto opened the fourth quarter with a 24-yard field goal to extend the Holy Cross lead to 34-21 with 8:58 to go. 
• Lafayette would go on to score on a 12-yard touchdown reception on the next drive, cutting the lead to 34-28 with 6:43 left. 
• Holy Cross could not score on its next drive, and the Leopards took over with 2:28 left in regulation. Lafayette marched down the field to the Holy Cross 16-yard line, but back-to-back incomplete passes — including a fourth-down attempt to the end zone that fell through the hands of receiver Avery Jones — kept the Leopards off the board. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE: 

• Holy Cross has won 22 of its last 23 Patriot League contests. The Crusaders have won six straight Patriot League contests and 17 straight conference games on the road. 
• Porto's 53-yard field goal bested the previous record of 52 yards, set by Derek Ng during the 2022 season. 
• Mosey's 610 receiving yards on the year are the second-most in the Patriot League this season. He, Shorter and senior tight end Jacob Petersen are tied for the conference lead with five touchdown receptions each this year. 
• At 3-0, Holy Cross remains the only undefeated team in the Patriot League this year. 

UP NEXT: 

• Holy Cross will enjoy a bye week before resuming game action on Nov. 9 against Lehigh. 
• Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. at Fitton Field. Tickets can be purchased through the Holy Cross Ticket Office. 

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