BROOKINGS, S.D. - No. 8 Holy Cross (12-1, 6-0 PL) fell to No. 1 South Dakota State (12-1, 8-0 MVFC), 42-21, in the NCAA DI FCS Championship Quarterfinal Round on Saturday at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, in Brookings, S.D.
Crusaders’ junior quarterback Matthew Sluka broke a Patriot League single-game postseason record with 213 rushing yards on 26 attempts. It was the most rushing yards allowed by the Jackrabbits’ top-ranked run defense this season. Fordham All-American Chase Edmonds previously held the record with his 208-yard performance against New Hampshire in 2014.
Head coach Bob Chesney and the four-time defending Patriot League champion Crusaders completed one of the best seasons in program history, advancing to the FCS quarterfinals for the first time after winning their first 12 games of the season.
No. 1 South Dakota State will advance to play No. 4 Montana State in the NCAA DI FCS Championship Semifinal Round next week.
NCAA DI FCS CHAMPIONSHIP ONLINE BRACKET
AT NO. 1 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE JACKRABBITS (12-1, 8-0 MVFC) 42, NO. 8 HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (12-1, 6-0 PL) 21
Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium/Brookings, S.D. Noon ET (ESPN)
BOX SCORE
BROOKINGS, S.D. – Junior quarterback Matthew Sluka rushed for a career-high 213 yards with one touchdown on 26 carries, but No. 8 Holy Cross could not outlast top-seeded South Dakota State in a 42-21 loss in the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs.
*Sluka rushed for more yards against the Jackrabbits’ top-ranked run defense than any other player this season to break Chase Edmonds’ Patriot League single-game postseason record.
*The junior signal-caller also completed 13-of-27 passes for 122 yards and an interception.
*Crusaders’ senior running back Peter Oliver carried 14 times for 57 yards and a touchdown, while senior running back Tyler Purdy threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Sean Morris.
*Holy Cross rushed for 261 yards on 43 attempts, the most against the Jackrabbits this season. Entering the game, South Dakota State had only allowed two teams to rush for more than 100 yards during the 2022 season, allowing 70.8 rushing yards per game.
*Junior wide receiver Jalen Coker finished with five receptions for 63 yards.
*Holy Cross senior linebacker Liam Anderson finished with a team-high nine tackles, while senior defensive lineman Jake Reichwein added six tackles and 1.0 TFL.
*Senior defensive backs John Smith and Walter Reynolds added six and five tackles, respectively, for the Crusaders’ defense.
HOW IT HAPPENED
*Sluka put the Crusaders on the scoreboard early, rushing for a 56-yard touchdown at the 7:15 mark in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead.
*The Jackrabbits’ Hunter Dustman connected on field goals from 29 and 23 yards at the end of the first quarter to make the score 7-6.
*Holy Cross extended its lead to 14-6 when Purdy took a hand-off, then tossed a pass to Morris for a 27-yard touchdown at the 9:10 mark in the second quarter.
*South Dakota State’s Isaiah Davis capped an 8-play drive with a three-yard touchdown run, then converted the ensuing two-point conversion to tie the score at 14 points.
*The Jackrabbits took their first lead when Jason Freeman returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown. It was just Holy Cross’s seventh turnover of the season, the fewest in the FCS.
*The Crusaders’ Oliver evened the score at 21 with a one-yard touchdown run to cap an 11-play drive. Sluka’s 36-yard run set up the score, taking the Crusaders to the Jackrabbits’ two-yard line.
*Mark Gronowski threw a touchdown pass and rushed for another score in the fourth quarter to give South Dakota State an insurmountable 14-point lead with less than three minutes remaining in the game.
RECAP:
HOLY CROSS
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athlete can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.