2018 Holy Cross Crusaders football team

2018 Holy Cross Crusaders football
Conference	Patriot League
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

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.

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.

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

Game summaries

at Colgate

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

See also: 2018 Colgate Raiders football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
40–35–5	2017	GATE, 35–7

at Boston College

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

See also: 2018 Boston College Eagles football team and Boston College–Holy Cross football rivalry

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
31–48–3	1986	BC, 56–26

Yale

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

See also: 2018 Yale Bulldogs football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
4–28	2017	YALE, 32–0

Dartmouth

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

See also: 2018 Dartmouth Big Green football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
38–38–4	2017	DART, 28–27

Bucknell

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

See also: 2018 Bucknell Bison football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
22–12	2017	HOLY, 20–0

at New Hampshire

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

See also: 2018 New Hampshire Wildcats football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
7–8	2017	HOLY, 51–26

at Harvard

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

See also: 2018 Harvard Crimson football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
25–42–2	2016	HOLY, 27–17

Lehigh

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

See also: 2018 Lehigh Mountain Hawks football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
13–19–1	2017	LEH, 34–21

at Lafayette

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

See also: 2018 Lafayette Leopards football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
15–17	2017	LAF, 10–7

Fordham

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

See also: 2018 Fordham Rams football team and Ram–Crusader Cup

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
28–25–2	2017	HOLY, 42–20

at Georgetown

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

See also: 2018 Georgetown Hoyas football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
19–11	2017	HOLY, 24–10