Holy Cross’s fourth straight Patriot League title a rush
Holy Cross 42 Lehigh 14
If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. At least that’s what the Holy Cross football team must have been thinking.
The Crusaders, ranked seventh in the Football Championship Subdivision coaches’ poll, threw just two passes in the second half of their 42-14 win over Lehigh on Saturday afternoon in Worcester, as the ground game worked, and they kept their record spotless (9-0, 5-0 Patriot League) and clinched their fourth straight league title at Fitton Field in Worcester.
“I’m going to enjoy this one on purpose,” said Holy Cross coach Bob Chesney. “It takes a full year to put a trophy in a trophy case. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
The Crusaders rushed 32 times for 212 yards and three touchdowns in the second half, bringing their total for the day to 338 yards and five touchdowns on 51 carries.
Quarterback Matthew Sluka (16 carries, 146 yards, TD) and Peter Oliver (17 carries, 136 yards, TD) led the way in yardage, but sophomore Jordan Fuller found the end zone three times for Holy Cross.
Fuller, who entered the game with 328 rushing yards and seven scores, picked up 39 yards on nine carries against the Mountain Hawks (1-8, 1-3).
The Crusaders usually provide a balanced attack, but the run game got going early as Fuller found the end zone from 2 yards and Oliver finished an eight-play, 80-yard drive by punching in a 1-yard score in the first half.
“Nobody runs the ball against [Lehigh],” Chesney said. “I think coach [offensive coordinator Chris] Smith and the offensive line; they were so physical, so tough up front. And then I thought the running backs up front . . . they were just so tough, so physical today.”
With 1:26 remaining in the first half, the Crusaders went into their two-minute drill. Sluka completed 5 of 6 passes on the drive for 51 yards and rushed for 15 more, capping it with a 6-yard scoring strike to Spencer Gilliam for a 21-7 lead at halftime.
Lehigh quarterback Dante Perri found Jalen Burbage for a 35-yard score in the second quarter. Perri had a solid showing, going 18 of 27 for 200 yards and two scores, but couldn’t match the highpowered offense of the Crusaders.
From there it was all Sluka and Fuller. Sluka rushed for a 4-yard score and Fuller added touchdowns from 5 yards and 1 yard. The Crusaders allowed just one score after the break on a 39-yard pass from Perri to Geoffrey Jamiel to open the second half.