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WORCESTER, Mass. – Colgate turned to a familiar script – Colgate Football – to register a big first victory of 2015.
 
The Raiders ran at will and played lights-out defense to spoil the Holy Cross homecoming in a 31-14 victory here Saturday. Colgate scored the game's final 28 points, including three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, to put a big digit into the win column.
 
After three tough losses to start the season, Colgate sits alone atop the Patriot League standings.
 
The Raiders rushed for 266 yards and piled up 411 yards of total offense in winning their fourth straight over Holy Cross. It's the longest Raider streak in the series since six in a row from 2001-06.
 
James Holland led the backfield attack with a career-high 141 yards on 24 carries.
 
The Raiders trailed 14-3 late in the second quarter and 14-10 early in the fourth. But Colgate put 21 on the board in the final period, capped by Chris Morgan's interception and 60-yard return for a touchdown.
 
Colgate is back in action this Friday night at Cornell. Kickoff from Ithaca is 7 p.m.
 

Bottom Line
• Colgate 31, Holy Cross 14

Won-Lost Records
• Colgate improves to 1-3 overall and 1-0 in the Patriot League.
• Holy Cross drops to 1-2 and 0-1.

Offensive Facts & Figures
• Colgate's revamped offensive line paved the way for Saturday's success. Max Hartzman (center) and Matt McDowell (right guard) made their first collegiate starts, and both Jordi Dalmau (left guard) and John Weber (left tackle) were in new positions. Only Grant Siegel was in his familiar role at right tackle.
• Holland's previous rushing high was 79 yards last year against Georgetown. He nearly doubled that total Saturday with 141 and became Colgate's first tailback to top the century mark since 2013.
• Holland brought home the John Turco Memorial Trophy after being named the most outstanding player of the Holy Cross homecoming game.
• Demetrius Russell was the last Raider tailback with 100 yards. He carried for 138 in a 34-14 win at Georgetown nearly two years ago.
• Saturday, Russell gained 14 yards on four attempts, but his 5-yard scamper into the end zone just before halftime was a game-changer.
• Melville was a solid 14-of-19 passing for 145 yards.
• His top two completions came back-to-back on the first two snaps of the fourth quarter and handed Colgate its first lead.
• He connected with Alex Greenawalt for 25 yards to the Holy Cross 22, and then found John Quazza across the middle for a touchdown that put the Raiders on top, 17-14.
• Melville also threw his first interception of the season early in the third quarter, snapping a streak of 157 pass attempts without a pick dating to last year's game against Holy Cross.
• Colgate finished the game 4-of-6 on fourth down; Holy Cross was 1-of-4.
• The Raiders maintained possession for 36:46 to Holy Cross' 23:14.
• Colgate committed eight penalties for 56 yards, while the Crusaders finished with three for 30.
 

Key Defensive Info
• Colgate pitched its first second-half shutout since last season's finale at Bucknell, when the Raiders won 21-6 after trailing 6-0.
• Colgate allowed just 101 yards of total offense after halftime and 264 for the game. Holy Cross finished with 69 rushing yards.
• Chris Morgan put the bow on Saturday's win with an interception and 60-yard return for a touchdown with 3:12 left. It was Morgan's third career interception and first this season.
• It also marked Colgate's first pick-six since Mike Armiento's 85-yard return two years ago at Cornell.
• Joe Figueroa made his first appearance of the season and contributed his first career interception. Starting at free safety for the first time after a preseason injury, Figueroa late first-quarter pick led to Colgate's first three points of the game.
• Pat Afriyie had two sacks in the game and now has 5½ for the season.
• Morgan, Kyle Diener and Ty McCollum were the Colgate tackle leaders with seven apiece.
 
Turning Point
• Holy Cross drove 77 yards in 16 plays to take a 14-3 lead with 4:14 left in the first half.
• But Colgate answered with a 13-play, 65-yard drive of its own, culminating in Russell's 5-yard TD run just 26 seconds before halftime.
• The Raiders converted two fourth-downs on the drive to stay in the game at 14-10 and head to the locker room with momentum.
• Colgate then dominated the fourth quarter, 21-0.
 
Turning Point II
• Another key moment was after Colgate had taken its initial lead of the game, 17-14, with 14:27 remaining.
• Holy Cross returned the ensuing kickoff 62 yards to the Colgate 37, and then the Crusaders gained nine yards on first down.
• But Colgate's defense stiffened on two rushing plays and then a fourth-down try fell incomplete, turning the ball back over to the Raiders.
• Colgate responded with a 14-play, 69-yard scoring drive – all runs, with Holland eight carries and Wilkins six – that took 8:39 off the clock.
• Wilkins' 2-yard run capped it and the game was all but decided at 24-14 with 4:02 showing.
 

From the Sources
• Colgate head coach Dan Hunt: (On the game) "It was really nice to respond in the fourth quarter and the second half this week after what we did last week. We're still not where we need to be from a penalty standpoint and from a red-zone standpoint offensively, but we took a lot of steps forward today toward the team we want to become."
 
Listen to the rest of Dan Hunt's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate linebacker Cameron Buttermore: (On the second-half shutout) "It felt great. We went in at halftime trying to establish an attitude to come out in the second half and put something together, and that's what we did."
 
Listen to the rest of Cameron Buttermore's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate tailback James Holland: (On his performance) "We knew coming into this game that we could run on this team. If we executed, only we could stop ourselves."
 
Listen to the rest of James Holland's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate offensive lineman John Weber: (On the line's new members, Hartzman and McDowell) "They stepped up. They played absolutely incredible, especially in the second half. We were able to move the ball at will on them in the run game, and it's because of those guys. They did great."
 
Listen to the rest of John Weber's comments HERE.
 
• Colgate quarterback Jake Melville: (On the running game) "In the second half, we were going with what was working. Our offensive line established the line of scrimmage and we were getting a push every single play. No need to change it up; just keep going with what was working."
 
Listen to the rest of Jake Melville's comments HERE.
 

• Colgate linebacker Pat Afriyie: (On the defense) "We knew what we had to do. The coaches had a great plan for us. We were all executing and I have to give it up to my teammates again. We just stuck to our plan, played sound, and you saw the results."
 
Listen to the rest of Pat Afriyie's comments HERE.
 
Gate Grab Bag
• Saturday's crowd for Holy Cross homecoming on a beautiful day at Fitton Field was 9,368.
• Colgate in the game honored the memory of Ryan Adams '19 and Carey Depuy '19, who died last Sunday in a small plane accident. The Raiders wore helmet stickers with the two students' initials, and will wear the stickers for the remainder of the season.
 
Up Next
• Colgate plays Friday night at rival Cornell.
• The Big Red (0-2) nearly pulled off an upset at Yale on Saturday but allowed 17 fourth-quarter points in a 33-26 loss.
• Kickoff from Schoellkopf Field is 7 p.m.