WORCESTER, Mass. – Brendan Cassamajor's nine-yard touchdown reception with 2:56 left in regulation capped an improbable 18-point comeback win for Colgate over Holy Cross, 29-28, in a classic Patriot League clash Saturday afternoon at Fitton Field.Â
Holy Cross took a 47-yard punt return to the end zone for a 28-10 lead with 7:50 left in the third quarter. Plenty of time for a Raiders team that has now played in five one-possession games – and they proved it.Â
Colgate immediately responded with a gotta-have-it drive, going 79 yards in eight plays capped by a third-down bullet from Jake Stearney to Reed Swanson in the back of the end zone. Colgate's missed extra point kept it a 28-16 deficit through three quarters.Â
The defense did its job – forcing a three-and-out – and the offense went back to work. Stearney and the Raiders converted three third downs on a 14-play, 58-yard drive that ended with a fourth-down scramble and score by Stearney, cutting the deficit to 28-23 with 12:43 left.
Colgate's defense made the stand of the game on 4th-and-1 near midfield with just under six minutes remaining. Running back Jayden Clerveaux ran into a maroon wall at the line of scrimmage, injecting more life into the surging Raiders who took over on downs.
Danny Shaban accounted for 43 of the 61 yards on the game-winning drive, including a 30-yard bolt right up the gut into Crusader territory. On 2nd-and-7 from the Holy Cross 9, Stearney with pressure in his face dumped it off to Cassamajor, who leaked out of the backfield for the go-ahead score. A missed two-point conversion kept it 29-28 Raiders with 2:35 showing.
Holy Cross managed two first downs to cross midfield before Colgate's defense turned up the heat once more. A 3rd-and-6 false start pushed the Crusaders back, and back-to-back incomplete passes sent the Raiders sideline into total elation. Colgate had overcome its largest deficit since 2007 to beat Holy Cross for the first time since 2018.
Stearney was 23-of-40 for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Shaban racked up 98 yards on 13 carries for an average of 7.2 yards per attempt. Eight different receivers had at least one reception, led by Max Walters (59 yards) and Brady Hutchison (42 yards) who each had five.Â
Colgate drew first blood with a near-perfect opening drive. Stearney was 5-for-5 for 51 yards through the air. Walters had receptions of 12, 15, and 8 yards before Shaban capped off the 10-play, 69-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run to give the Raiders an early 7-0 lead.Â
The game was tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter but Holy Cross had the momentum, scoring on back-to-back drives to open a 14-7 advantage. Luke Vogeler trimmed the deficit to 14-10 with a 34-yard field goal that split the uprights just before the halftime intermission.Â
The Raiders went three-and-out on their opening drive of the second half and Holy Cross made them pay with a 10-play, 50-yard drive capped by a six-yard touchdown pass from Braden Graham to Lincoln Fisher to give the home team a 21-10 margin with 8:26 left in the third.
Another three-and-out for Colgate's stagnant offense led to Max Mosey's 47-yard punt return for a touchdown and the Crusaders had everything working with a 28-10 lead with 7:50 left in the third quarter. That's when Colgate's offense found another gear.Â
The Raiders flipped the script with a run of three consecutive touchdown drives to close within 28-23. After both teams traded punts and field position, Colgate's game-winning drive was capped by Cassamajor's nine-yard touchdown reception.Â
NOTES
- Colgate snaps a five-game skid against Holy Cross with its first win over the Crusaders since September 2018. This was also Colgate's first win at Holy Cross since 2017.
- Colgate moves back to 2-2 in Patriot League play with its first road victory in conference play since its 37-34 overtime thriller at Lafayette in November 2023.
- The Raiders' 18-point second-half deficit was its largest comeback win since coming back from 28 down to beat Dartmouth in overtime 31-28 in September 2007.
- Danny Shaban finished with a career-high 98 rushing yards on 13 carries.Â
- Trooper Price was a force on defense, racking up a collegiate-best 15 tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup.Â
- Zach Jones also had a career-high eight tackles, besting his previous-high of six at Villanova (Sept. 6).Â
UP NEXT
Colgate (3-5, 2-2 Patriot) has completed its stretch of three-of-four on the road and now closes out the regular season with three-of-four at home. The Raiders host Merrimack next Saturday as part of Family Weekend festivities. Kickoff from Andy Kerr Stadium is 1 p.m.Â
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