SMITHFIELD, R.I. — The Holy Cross football team recorded its first win of the season with a dominating 43-22 victory at Bryant on Saturday, Sept. 14. 

Despite an early 16-7 deficit in the first quarter, the Crusaders (1-2) rattled off 28 unanswered points to build a commanding lead. The win marked the first of head coach Dan Curran's tenure at Holy Cross. 

Sophomore running back Jayden Clerveaux paced the offense with 80 rushing yards and his first career touchdown. Senior running back Jordan Fuller scored a pair of touchdowns. Senior quarterback Joe Pesansky completed 13 of his 16 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown pass to junior receiver Max Mosey; Pesansky also rushed for an eight-yard score. Mosey led all receivers with 67 yards on the day, in addition to his first career touchdown, while senior tight end Jacob Petersen had three receptions for 53 yards. 

Senior safety Curtis Harris-Lopez returned a kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown early in the first quarter. Defensively, senior linebacker Frankie Monte led the team with eight tackles. Sophomore safety Chisom Onwuzurigbo had an interception, the first of his career, and sophomore defensive end William Robinson blocked a point-after attempt. Senior defensive lineman Kevin Gillis had a 10-yard sack. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Despite a 46-yard pass that put the Bulldogs (1-2) at first-and-goal on their opening drive, the Holy Cross defense held Bryant to just a field goal with 8:45 to go in the first.
• Harris-Lopez responded with a 95-yard touchdown return on the ensuing kickoff, giving Holy Cross a 7-3 advantage. 
• The Bulldogs scored back-to-back touchdowns, including one on a blocked punt in the end zone, to take a 16-7 edge by the end of the first quarter. 
• Fuller ran the ball into the end zone from eight yards out, helping Holy Cross cut within 16-14 with 4:15 left in the first half. 
• A 27-yard pass to Fuller set up a scoring drive for the Crusaders, in which Pesansky's 30-yard completion to Mosey gave Holy Cross a 21-16 edge with 40 seconds to go in the first half. 
• Onwuzurigbo's interception on Bryant's opening drive of the second half gave the Crusaders the ball back at their own 45-yard line with 11:18 remaining in the third. Holy Cross used eight plays to march the 55 yards back to the end zone, with Fuller's one-yard touchdown extending the team's lead to 28-16 with 7:51 left in the third. 
• Aided by an 18-yard run by junior running back Sam Slade and a 37-yard completion from Pesansky to Mosey, Holy Cross put together another scoring drive to close out the third quarter, with Clerveaux's eight-yard touchdown making it a 35-16 game with 54 seconds left in the third. 
• Bryant had a 12-yard touchdown pass to snap the Crusaders' scoring surge with 12:23 left in the fourth, but Robinson blocked the point after, making it a 35-22 game. 
• Pesansky ran for an eight-yard score with 3:24 left, and Mosey rushed for the two-point conversion to secure a 43-22 lead for Holy Cross. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE: 

• Harris-Lopez's kickoff return touchdown was the first by a Crusader since Kalif Raymond returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Bryant during the 2015 season. 
• Fuller extended his Holy Cross program record for career rushing touchdowns to 44. 
• Clerveaux's 104 rushing yards are a career-best. Mosey also had a career high in receiving yards. 

UP NEXT: 

• Holy Cross returns home for a Family Weekend matchup against Yale on Saturday, Sept. 21. 
• Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Fitton Field. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-844-GOCROSS or by visiting the Holy Cross ticketing website. 

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