Holy Cross not intimidated by Boston College, as Crusaders excited to resume rivalry
Five years ago, when Holy Cross and Boston College resumed their historic football rivalry after a 32-year hiatus, the Eagles beat the Crusaders handily in Bob Chesney’s second game as HC coach.
“They were just a little too much for us at this point,” Chesney said after the 62-14 defeat.
Since that season, when HC won its final four games to finish 5-6, the Crusaders have captured four straight Patriot League titles, advanced to the 2022 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) quarterfinals, defeated a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent each of the last two years, and, this year, vaulted to a No. 5 national ranking.
The Holy Cross team – and program -- that will return to BC’s Alumni Stadium at noon Saturday is a much different one than the one the Eagles dominated in 2018.
“We’re closer,” Chesney said this week. “We’re certainly closer. We’ve recruited better. We’ve developed better. I fully believe in everybody that touches this program now. Everybody gives every single thing they’ve got. As a program, we’re just significantly better overall than what we were (in 2018).”
Holy Cross opened 2023 with a 42-20 victory over Merrimack at Fitton Field. Boston College, coming off a 3-9 season, failed to score in the first half of its first game against Northern Illinois and went on to lose in overtime, 27-24.
In its 2021 opener, Holy Cross beat UConn for its first win over an FBS opponent since 2002. Last year, the Crusaders defeated Buffalo with the memorable Matthew Sluka-to-Jalen Coker Hail Mary.
“Those were different teams and this is a new year,” Holy Cross senior running back Tyler Purdy said. “This will 100% be our biggest challenge. It will take a lot from us, but we do have that experience of playing in big games, so that helps us a little bit, but it’s going to take everything for us to try to win this game.”
Since 2017, HC has faced at least one FBS foe in six of the last seven seasons. (HC and BC were supposed to play in 2020). The Crusaders face Army later this season.
“We’re very excited for this opportunity,” HC fifth-year cornerback Devin Haskins said. “Any time you get to play a Power 5, ACC school, it’s a great opportunity for our program, and I think it will be a great game.”
None of HC’s current players were around when the Crusaders last played Boston College. From 1896 to 1986, the Jesuit foes played 82 times before their paths diverged, BC to the big time and HC to the non-scholarship era.
The Crusaders have learned about the history of the series, which BC leads, 48-32-3, by watching videos, listening to first-hand accounts, and reading all about it.
“We know it’s a huge rivalry,” Purdy said. “We know how big a deal it is to our alumni, and we’re just excited we get to have the opportunity to make them proud on Saturday.”
Holy Cross has won 18 straight regular-season games. The Eagles have won 33 in a row against FCS (or Division 1-AA) opponents.
“This will be a challenge,” Boston College coach Jeff Hafley said, “and our guys will be highly motivated to play the game for a lot of reasons.”
Against Northern Illinois, BC used two quarterbacks, starter Emmett Morehead, a redshirt sophomore, who was 4-10 for 30 yards, and sophomore Thomas Castellanos, who led the Eagles’ second-half comeback and finished 13-24 for 138 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for 67 yards and a TD.
Hafley said Wednesday he had chosen his starter for the Holy Cross game, but didn’t divulge who it will be.
“It’s two quarterbacks and a different offense with each quarterback,” Chesney said. “That’s going to be a lot on (defensive coordinator) Scott James and our defensive staff and players to buckle down and come away with a clean plan for each of these guys, and I think we’ll do just that.”
BC junior defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku and junior guard Christian Mahogany were All-ACC preseason selections. Graduate transfer receiver Ryan O’Keefe (from UCF) is on the Biletnikoff Award watch list.
“They are very good and there are a lot of places they are going to have a size advantage,” Chesney said. “They’re going to have some other advantages, but ultimately, we think we have a couple here and there, too. For us, it’s being able to say, ‘Let’s go out there and play our brand of football. Let’s do it our way.’
“It’s a little bit of a different ball game,” Chesney said, “but we’re going to play hard, we’re going to play together, and there’s not a doubt about that. There are certain areas we really, really like our guys.”
Former St. John’s High star receiver Jay Brunelle, who began collegiately at Notre Dame and was at Yale for the last two seasons, is also a BC graduate transfer. Jay’s brother, Matt, is a Holy Cross sophomore receiver.
Saturday will mark the 84th meeting between Holy Cross and Boston College. Only Colgate, who HC will face for the 85th time later this month, is a more common opponent for the Crusaders.
“I know the (HC-BC) rivalry goes back a really long time,” Haskins said, “and I know the last time we played them they handed it to us. I think we’re ready to change that script.”
RB Jordan Fuller earns national honors for 5 TD day
Junior running back Jordan Fuller’s five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) in the season opening win over Merrimack were the most by a Crusader in a single game since the great Gordie Lockbaum scored six against Dartmouth in 1986.
Fuller was the first HC player to rush for four TDs in a game since Steve Silva in 2005.
“I think Coach (Dean) Kennedy (HC’s offensive coordinator) did a great job setting us up for success,” said senior running back Tyler Purdy, who had two carries for 16 yards and a long kickoff return of 27 yards against the Warriors, “and Jordan had the game of his life. He played unbelievable. All offseason, he dominated the lifts and dominated the runs. He’s one of the leaders of our offense. It’s amazing to watch him.”
The 6-foot, 231-pound Fuller rushed for a career-high 120 yards.
For his efforts, Fuller earned National Offensive Player of the Week accolades from Stats Perform. He was the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week and the recipient of the Gold Helmet Award, presented by the New England Football Writers.
“He did such a good job of bringing his pad level down and just staying physical through the runs, which you would expect for him to do,” HC coach Bob Chesney said. “Overall, he did a really good job.”
As Fuller said after the game, and Chesney reiterated earlier this week, HC’s offensive line and tight ends did a terrific job opening things up for Fuller.
Fuller, who scored a team-high 13 rushing touchdowns last season, ranks fifth on the all-time list in that category with 26.
Career day for returning LB Jacob Dobbs
Against Merrimack, fifth-year senior linebacker Jacob Dobbs played for the first time in almost a year and recorded a career-high 21 tackles.
Dobbs, a 2021 All-American and Buck Buchanan Award finalist, suffered an elbow injury at Colgate in Week 4 last year and missed the rest of the season.
Dobbs added two quarterback hurries in the Merrimack game and was a catalyst for the HC defense that limited the Warriors to a field goal in the second half.
HC coach Bob Chesney commended Dobbs for his efforts on the field and in the locker room at halftime, when the Crusaders trailed, 17-14.
“(Defensive coordinator) Scott James and the staff did an amazing job with adjustments at halftime,” Chesney said, “and we listened to Jake give the mantra for the second half to our guys. That leadership, his voice is heard. He’s been there before. They will follow him for sure. I thought he did a great job.”
Explosive plays benefit Holy Cross
The Crusaders ran just 21 plays in the second half of last week’s game, and scored 28 points. Holy Cross’ time of possession was only 19:34, but the Crusaders had 17 explosive plays, highlighted by a Jordan Fuller 49-yard run and senior quarterback Matthew Sluka’s 51-yard completion to Jalen Coker, both in the second half.
“That is not a lot of time to hold the ball,” HC coach Bob Chesney said, “but when we did, we made the most of it.”
Freshman fit in for Crusaders
Two freshmen, defensive lineman Brice Stevenson and safety Stu Smith, started for the Crusaders last week, and nine others saw action against Merrimack.
Some first-game jitters contributed to HC’s slow start, but coach Bob Chesney liked the second-half response.
“There were a lot of young guys on that field and it does take a minute to settle in,” Chesney said. “I think they wanted to be perfect and they were afraid to make mistakes. In the second half, we played football.
“Usually, it’s Game 1 to Game 2 where you see your largest improvements,” Chesney said. “I’m glad we didn’t wait for the game to be over to start improving. From the first half to the second half, I thought we improved greatly. You could watch the confidence grow from some of the young guys on that field as the second half rolled along, and that was exciting.”
Teams will honor the late Bill McGovern
At Saturday’s game, Boston College will honor longtime Eagles assistant coach and Holy Cross All-American Bill McGovern, who passed away in May at age 60.
McGovern spent 16 seasons across two stints on the BC coaching staff, and his impactful career included 30 years at the collegiate level, most recently at UCLA, and eight in the NFL.
At Holy Cross, McGovern went from a walk-on freshman to an All-America senior, and, later, a HC Varsity Club Hall of Fame inductee.
McGovern played for coach Rick Carter and Holy Cross, helped lead his teams to a 31-13-1 record, and, in 1983, the program’s first Division 1-AA playoff appearance.
As a senior in 1984, McGovern set a 1-AA single-season record with 11 interceptions, which is still the Holy Cross single-season mark.
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @JenTolandTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Holy Cross excited to resume football rivalry with Boston College
