WORCESTER, Mass. — The Holy Cross football team came up just short in its home opener, dropping a 21-20 result against the University of New Hampshire on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Fitton Field.
Senior quarterback
Joe Pesansky completed 19 of 29 passes for 301 yards on the day. He connected with senior tight-end
Jacob Petersen for a 71-yard touchdown; Petersen finished the day with a career-best 110 receiving yards on six receptions. Senior receiver
Justin Shorter had five catches totaling 95 yards. Senior running back
Jordan Fuller rushed for 84 yards, including a nine-yard touchdown run.
Sophomore cornerback
Cam Jones finished with a career-best 11 tackles on the day. Senior linebacker
Frankie Monte totaled six tackles, contributing on a sack and also forcing a fumble. Senior safety
Curtis Harris-Lopez had five tackles, including one for a loss of three yards, and an interception.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Sophomore kicker Daniel Porto put the Crusaders on the board with a 31-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in the first quarter.
- A long kick return by the Wildcats to close the first quarter put them in prime position for a five-play, 37-yard touchdown drive to open the second. Seth Morgan passed to a wide-open Logan Tomlinson for a 12-yard scoring play, giving the Wildcats a 7-3 lead with 12:43 to go in the second.
- Holy Cross again scored in the closing seconds of the second quarter, with Porto's 27-yard field goal bringing the Crusaders within 7-6 with two seconds to go before halftime.
- Early in the second half, a 52-yard completion from Pesansky to Shorter set up a nine-yard touchdown run for Fuller, putting Holy Cross ahead by a score of 13-7 with 12:47 left in the third.
- New Hampshire immediately responded with a quick six-play, 65-yard drive to regain the lead with a two-yard touchdown pass with 10:21 left in the third.
- The Crusaders kept the back-and-forth third quarter going on the next drive, with Pesansky connecting with Petersen twice, first for a 19-yard grab and then again for a 71-yard touchdown to give Holy Cross a 20-14 lead with 9:43 left in the third.
- That score held until the fourth quarter, when the Wildcats took a 21-20 lead with 9:18 remaining.
- The Crusaders were unable to score in the final minutes, despite a pair of three-and-outs by the Holy Cross defense in the closing minutes of the game.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- Harris-Lopez's interception was the first of the year for the Crusaders and the first of his career.
- Fuller extends his Holy Cross career record for rushing touchdowns to 42; he leads all active FCS players in that category.
UP NEXT:
- Holy Cross hits the road for a matchup against Bryant on Saturday, Sept. 14.
- Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Smithfield, R.I.
FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS
Be sure to follow the Holy Cross football team — and all things Crusader Athletics — on social media!
Twitter - @HCrossFB | @goholycross
Instagram - @hcrossfb | @goholycross
Facebook - Holy Cross Football | Holy Cross Athletics
YouTube - GoHolyCross
