2018 Holy Cross Crusaders football team

The 2018 Holy Cross Crusaders football team represents the College of the Holy Cross in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Crusaders, led by first-year head coach Bob Chesney, play their home games at Fitton Field as a member of the Patriot League. They finished the season 5–6, 4–2 in Patriot League play to finish in a tie for second place.

2018 Holy Cross Crusaders football
Conference	Patriot League
2018 record	5–6 (4–2 Patriot)
Head coach	Bob Chesney (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Patrick Murphy (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Scott James (1st season)
Home stadium	Fitton Field (Capacity: 23,500)

2018 Patriot League football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 8 Colgate $^		6	–	0					10	–	2
Holy Cross		4	–	2					5	–	6
Georgetown		4	–	2					5	–	6
Lehigh		2	–	4					3	–	8
Lafayette		2	–	4					3	–	8
Fordham		2	–	4					2	–	9
Bucknell		1	–	5					1	–	10
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

Previous season

The Crusaders began the 2017 season led by 14th-year head coach Tom Gilmore for the first seven games of the season before he was fired following a 2–5 start. Offensive coordinator Brian Rock was named interim head coach for the final four games. They finished the season 4–7, 3–3 in Patriot League play to finish in a three-way tie for third place.

Preseason

Preseason coaches poll

The Patriot League released their preseason coaches poll on July 26, 2018, with the Crusaders predicted to finish in fourth place.[1]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Colgate	71 (11)
2	Lehigh	63 (3)
3	Fordham	45
4	Holy Cross	40
T–5	Bucknell	31
T–5	Lafayette	31
7	Georgetown	13

Preseason All-Patriot League team

The Crusaders placed four players on the preseason all-Patriot League team.

Offense Blaise Bell – WR

Defense Teddy Capsis – DL Neil Vorster – DL Ryan Brady – LB

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	1:00 p.m.	at Colgate	Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	Stadium	L 17–24	5,304
September 8	1:00 p.m.	at Boston College*	Alumni Stadium Chestnut Hill, MA (rivalry)	ACCN Extra	L 14–62	40,311
September 15	1:00 p.m.	Yale*	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	Charter TV3	W 31–28 ^OT	7,397
September 22	1:00 p.m.	Dartmouth*	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	Charter TV3	L 14–34	7,175
September 29	1:00 p.m.	Bucknell	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	Charter TV3	L 16–19	8,275
October 6	1:00 p.m.	at New Hampshire*	Wildcat Stadium Durham, NH	NBC Sports Boston	L 0–28	6,497
October 12	7:00 p.m.	at Harvard*	Harvard Stadium Cambridge, MA	ESPN+	L 31–33	10,056
October 27	1:00 p.m.	Lehigh	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	Charter TV3	W 56–0	1,779
November 3	12:30 p.m.	at Lafayette	Fisher Stadium Easton, PA		W 40–14	3,914
November 10	12:00 p.m.	Fordham	Fitton Field Worcester, MA (Ram–Crusader Cup)	Stadium	W 17–13	2,988
November 17	12:30 p.m.	at Georgetown	Cooper Field Washington, D.C.		W 32–31	1,803
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

[2]

Game summaries

at Colgate

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	0	0	3	14	17
Raiders	14	10	0	0	24

at Boston College

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	0	0	7	7	14
Eagles	21	13	14	14	62

Yale

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Bulldogs	21	7	0	0	0	28
Crusaders	14	0	0	14	3	31

Dartmouth

	1	2	3	4	Total
Big Green	3	17	7	7	34
Crusaders	0	0	0	14	14

Bucknell

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bison	0	6	6	7	19
Crusaders	7	0	0	9	16

at New Hampshire

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	0	0	0	0	0
Wildcats	14	0	14	0	28

at Harvard

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	0	7	7	17	31
Crimson	9	11	10	3	33

Lehigh

	1	2	3	4	Total
Mountain Hawks	0	0	0	0	0
Crusaders	7	21	14	14	56

at Lafayette

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	0	17	23	0	40
Leopards	14	0	0	0	14

Fordham

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	7	3	0	3	13
Crusaders	0	0	14	3	17

at Georgetown

	1	2	3	4	Total
Crusaders	5	0	7	20	32
Hoyas	7	17	7	0	31

References

1. http://patriotleague.org/news/2018/7/26/patriot-league-football-preseason-major-awards-poll-and-all-league-announced-7-26-18.aspx
2. "Football - 2018 Schedule". Holy Cross Athletics. Retrieved 17 May 2017.