NEW HAVEN, Conn. –- Senior kicker Derek Ng hit a 47-yard field goal with 48 seconds left in the fourth quarter as the Holy Cross football team posted a come-from-behind win, 20-17, over Yale on Saturday, Sept. 18 at the Yale Bowl.
Trailing 14-0 in the second quarter, the Crusaders (2-1) rallied to take a 17-14 lead over the Bulldogs late in the third. After Yale (0-1) tied things up in the fourth quarter, Ng’s late kick broke the tie and gave Holy Cross the victory.
Sophomore quarterback Matthew Sluka rushed for 85 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also recording 80 passing yards. Senior running back Peter Oliver rushed for 67 yards, while freshman wide receiver Justin Shorter had a 63-yard reception.
Junior linebacker Jacob Dobbs tallied 13 tackles, including four tackles for loss and a pair of fourth-quarter sacks. Senior safety Walter Reynolds had six tackles and a game-sealing interception to help pace the Crusaders’ defense.
Holy Cross returns to action on Sept. 25 with a road contest at Monmouth. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
· After a scoreless first, Yale quickly tacked on a pair of touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead with 10:18 left in the second quarter.
· Ng made a 44-yard field goal to put Holy Cross on the board with 6:47 left in the first half.
· Sluka brought the Crusaders within one score with 28 seconds remaining in the opening half, capping off a seven-play, 82-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run.
· After Yale missed a field goal with 6:32 left in the third, sophomore quarterback Marco Siderman connected with Shorter for a 63-yard gain that put the ball on the two-yard line for the Crusaders. Sluka later had a one-yard carry to give Holy Cross its first lead of the day at 17-14.
· Yale hit a field goal with 14:15 left in regulation to tie the game at 17-17.
· The game remained tied as the Crusaders began a drive at the Yale 48 with 5:01 left in the fourth. Sluka used a five-yard rush to convert on a fourth down, and ensuing rushes from Oliver and Purdy put the Crusaders in position for Ng to hit a 47-yard field goal with under a minute remaining.
· Reynolds picked off Yale’s first passing attempt of their final drive, sealing the 20-17 victory for the Crusaders.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
· Dobbs has recorded double-digit tackles in every game this season.
· This is just the third time since 1982 that Holy Cross has won at the Yale Bowl. The Crusaders’ most recent road win over Yale came on Oct. 1, 2005.
· Ng’s game-winning field goal was his longest of the season.
· This marks the second game-winning field goal Ng has hit over the Bulldogs; he hit a 45-yarder against Yale in overtime in 2018 to give Holy Cross a 31-28 victory.