WORCESTER, Mass. – No. 8 Holy Cross (12-0, 6-0 PL) advanced to the NCAA DI FCS Championship Quarterfinal Round with a 35-19 victory over CAA co-champion New Hampshire (9-4, CAA) on a rainy, windy afternoon at Fitton Field.
 
Crusaders’ senior running back Peter Oliver and junior quarterback Matthew Sluka combined for 278 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Senior defensive back Walter Reynolds intercepted two passes to lead Holy Cross to the program’s second postseason victory.
 
The four-time defending Patriot League Champion Crusaders move on to the FCS quarterfinals for the first time in program history, where they will meet the winner of No. 1 South Dakota State and Delaware.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE IN THE FCS PLAYOFFS
This marks the third time since 2015 that a League program has advanced to the quarterfinal round. Colgate accomplished the feat in 2015 and 2018. This is also the ninth time a League team has made the quarterfinal round of the NCAA DI FCS Championship since 1997.  
 
NCAA DI FCS CHAMPIONSHIP ONLINE BRACKET
 
NCAA DI FCS Championship Second Round
AT NO. 8 HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (12-0, 6-0 PL) 35, NEW HAMPSHIRE WILDCATS (9-4 CAA) 19
Fitton Field/Worcester, Mass.                                          Noon ET (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WORCESTER, Mass. – Senior running back Peter Oliver and junior quarterback Matthew Sluka combined for 278 rushing yards and four touchdowns to lead Holy Cross to a 35-19 victory over New Hampshire to advance to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA DI FCS Championship. 
*The Crusaders’ ground attack produced four rushing touchdowns, tying Colgate for a Patriot League single-game postseason record. The Raiders rushed for four touchdowns at James Madison in 2015.
*Holy Cross senior defensive back Walter Reynolds intercepted two passes to tie another Patriot League single-game postseason record, set by Fordham’s Ian Williams in 2014 against Sacred Heart.
*Oliver paced the Crusaders’ offense in wet, slick conditions, rushing for scores in the first and third quarters. His 175 rushing yards on 30 carries are both career highs. 
*Sluka rushed for 103 yards and two scores on 12 carries. He also completed 6-of-16 passes for 63 yards, including a five-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Jalen Coker in the third quarter. 
*Senior linebacker Liam Anderson finished with a team-leading six tackles, 3.0 TFLs and a fumble recovery, while senior defensive lineman Jake Reichwein added three tackles and 2.0 TFLs. 
*Crusaders’ senior defensive back John Smith intercepted his 13th career pass in the fourth quarter, tying him for first among active FCS players. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
*Reynolds intercepted a pass from UNH’s Max Brosmer at the 11:20 mark in the first quarter, giving the ball back to the Crusaders’ offense. Six plays later, Oliver rushed for a 39-yard touchdown run to put Holy Cross in front, 7-0. 
*The Wildcats got on the scoreboard late in the quarter, blocking a Crusaders’ punt attempt out of the back of the end zone for a safety. 
*Holy Cross junior defensive back Terrence Spence answered with a block of his own less than two minutes later. It was the sixth blocked punt of the season for the Crusaders, the second-best mark in the FCS, and Spence’s third blocked punt of the campaign.
*The Crusaders’ defense held UNH to 49 yards of total offense and three first downs in the first half, going into the break with a 7-5 lead.  
*After Anderson recovered a fumble, Oliver capped a six-play drive early in the third quarter to give the Crusaders a 14-5 lead. 
*Holy Cross capitalized on another Wildcats’ turnover, as Reynolds returned an interception to the UNH 19-yard line, setting up an eventual five-yard touchdown pass from Sluka to Coker, extending the lead to 21-5. 
*UNH scored with 2:07 remaining in the third quarter on Brosmer’s 11-yard strike to Kyle Lepowski. 
*The Crusaders’ answered as Sluka rushed for a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to take a 35-11 lead. 
*New Hampshire found the end zone once more and converted a two-point pass, making the final score 35-19.
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.