CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard Football defeated in-state foe Holy Cross in thrilling fashion, 35-34, on Saturday under sunny skies at Harvard Stadium. With the Crimson's third consecutive victory, it improved to 4-1 on the season, while the Crusaders dropped to 3-5 overall.
 
Much like basketball, this afternoon's contest was a game of runs. After the teams traded touchdowns, Harvard scored 20 straight points only to have Holy Cross answer with a 21-0 run.
 
With the Crimson facing a 28-27 deficit, Jaden Craig directed a 6-play drive, covering 75 yards in 59 seconds. The possession ended with a Cooper Barkate 18-yard TD catch, with Harvard converting its second 2-point try of the day, leaving 45 seconds on the clock.
 
Holy Cross, however, would not go down without a fight. Facing a 35-28 hole, the Crusaders drove 64 yards in 41 seconds, with Joe Pesansky connecting with Jacob Petersen for the 25-yard TD. The score helped Holy Cross move to within 35-34 of Harvard. The Crusaders ultimately went for two and the win, but its attempt was thwarted by the Crimson as it emerged with the 1-point decision.

How It Happened

• Following a scoreless first quarter, Harvard forced a Holy Cross fumble on the first play of the second period. Ty Bartrum picked up the ball at the 12 and returned it 88 yards for the TD, helping the Crimson take a 7-0 lead.
• The Crusaders answered with a touchdown on the ensuing possession, marching 71 yards in 10 plays. The Joe Pesansky-to-Max Mosey 12-yard completion knotted the score at 7-7 with 9:12 left in the second frame.
• Jacob Psyk recovered a fumble near midfield with 3:44 left in the second, giving the Crimson prime field position. Harvard found the endzone six plays later when Xaviah Bascon fought through the line of scrimmage for the two-yard score. The Crimson missed the point-after and held Holy Cross on the last possession of the half, to take a 13-7 lead into the locker room.
• Harvard opened the second half with a 12-play drive that featured a key 4^th-and-2 conversion. On the fourth-down play, Charles DePrima gained five yards to ultimately set up the Craig-to-Scott Giuliano 11-yard touchdown connection on the very next snap. The Crimson then converted the 2-point conversion as Craig found DePrima to put the hosts ahead, 21-7.
• Harvard continued to put points on the board when Craig threw a dart to Ryan Osborne for an 18-yard TD. The play was originally called an incompletion but was overturned after further review. The seventh play of a 75-yard drive pushed the Crimson to a 27-7 advantage with 2:02 to go in the third.
• After allowing 20 consecutive points, Holy Cross ended its scoring drought just before the end of the third quarter. Pesansky teamed with Mosey for the 84-yard touchdown reception to make it a 27-14 Harvard lead.
• The Crusaders inched closer with a touchdown at the 7:47 mark of the fourth quarter. After pinning Harvard at its own 1-yard line and forcing a 3-and-out, Holy Cross took over at the Harvard 27. Four plays later, Jayden Clerveaux rushed 13 yards up the middle to help the visitors get within 27-21.
• Clerveaux found paydirt once again, this time scoring from two yards out with 3:23 to go in the fourth quarter. The TD gave Holy Cross a 28-27 lead with 1:44 left, setting up the final tense moments of the game.

Team Notes

• With today's win, Harvard…
  • Extends its season-long winning streak to three games.
  • Defeats Holy Cross for a second straight season and improves to 47-26-2 all-time vs. the Crusaders.
  • Wins its ninth consecutive home game.
  • Secures its 67^th victory since 2014, the most among Division I schools in the state of Massachusetts.
  • Has at least four victories in its first five outings for the fifth straight season.
• Harvard's fumble return for a touchdown in the second quarter was its first since Justin Mitchell returned a fumble 13 yards for the score vs. Brown on Sept. 24, 2021.
• The Crimson converted its first 2-point conversion of the season in the third quarter and then added another, which put it up, 35-28, with 45 seconds left in the contest.

Player Notes

• Ty Bartrum (13 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 touchdown): Scored the second TD of his career with his 88-yard fumble return in the second quarter (first since 96-yard INT return vs. St. Thomas in 2023)… Tied a career high with a game-high 13 tackles.
• Jaden Craig (20-25 passing, 257 yards, 3 touchdowns): Completed a season-high 80 percent of his pass attempts… Has seven TDs over his last two games, his most over a 2-game span in his career.
• Cooper Barkate (6 receptions, 91 yards, 1 touchdown): Scored his sixth touchdown of the season and has found paydirt in four of five games this season… Finished with his second-highest receiving-yards total of the campaign… Totaled at least 76 yards receiving in every outing this year.
• Xaviah Bascon (7 attempts, 31 yards, 1 touchdown): Found the endzone for the third time this season with his second-quarter TD.
• Scott Giuliano (1 reception, 11 yards, 1 touchdown): Caught the first touchdown of his career in the third quarter… The TD was his first on his fourth career reception (2^nd this season).
• Ryan Osborne (1 reception, 18 yards, 1 touchdown): Hauled in his third touchdown of the season… Has a TD reception in two straight games.
• Jacob Psyk (3 tackles, 1 fumble recovery): Recovered the first fumble of his career late in the second quarter.
• Austin-Jake Guillory (12 tackles): Set a career high with 12 stops, including game-high-tying seven solo tackles (Bartrum).

Up Next

Harvard will complete its two-game homestand next Saturday when it welcomes Princeton to Cambridge. Kickoff at Harvard Stadium is slated for 3 p.m. ET, with Ivy League contest airing live on ESPN+.