The Holy Cross football team returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 25 with a road nonconference matchup at No. 20 Monmouth. Kickoff in West Long Branch, N.J. is set for 1 p.m., and the game will be broadcasted live on ESPN+.
The Crusaders (2-1) come off a come-from-behind victory over Yale, posting a 20-17 victory on Sept. 18 in New Haven, Conn. After trailing early by a score of 14-0, Holy Cross rallied back and held the Bulldogs to just three points in the second half; with the game tied 17-17 late, senior kicker
Derek Ng hit a 47-yard field goal with 48 seconds remaining, and senior
Walter Reynolds had an interception on Yale's final drive to seal the victory. The Crusaders' most recent road win over Yale came on Oct. 1, 2005; this is just the third time since 1982 that Holy Cross has won at the Yale Bowl.
Three Crusaders earned recognition from the Patriot League following the win. Ng was named Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season; his 45-yard field goal was his longest of the year, and this marks the second game-winning field goal Ng has hit over the Bulldogs, as he hit a 45-yarder against Yale in overtime in 2018 to give Holy Cross a 31-28 victory in Worcester. Sophomore quarterback
Matthew Sluka also became a two-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for a pair of touchdowns in the victory, totaling 85 yards on the ground and 80 yards in the air.
Following a standout performance at Yale, junior linebacker
Jacob Dobbs was recognized not only as the Patriot League's Defensive Player of the Week, but also as the Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week. He totaled a team-high 13 tackles in the win, including four tackles for loss and a pair of fourth-quarter sacks. He has recorded double-digit tackles in each game this season, and leads the Patriot League in sacks and tackles for loss; he ranks second in FCS in total tackles (42).
As a team, Holy Cross ranks eighth among all FCS teams in interceptions, with six this year; the defense has gained eight total turnovers in three games, ranking ninth in FCS. The Crusaders also lead the Patriot League offensively with an average of 26.3 points per game.
This marks the first matchup between Holy Cross and Monmouth since 2019, when the Crusaders fell to Monmouth, 44-27, in an NCAA FCS playoff contest.
Monmouth (2-1) began the season with a loss to Middle Tennessee before posting back-to-back road wins against Fordham and Charleston Southern. Saturday will be the Hawks' home opener. Running back Juwon Farri has scored four touchdowns this season, and his 324 rushing yards rank third in all of FCS.
Following the road contest, the Crusaders return to Worcester for their next three games, beginning with a Homecoming matchup against Harvard on Oct. 2.