Three years ago, Holy Cross hired Bob Chesney to return the football program to prominence. The administration did not place a timetable on when the program needed to be contending by but if they did, I am not sure they thought the program would reach that level so soon.

The Crusaders have won back to back Patriot League titles but the program lacked that signature regular season win. Holy Cross finally got that win with their 38-28 win over UConn on Saturday.

It was a back and forth affair but thanks to some timely plays in the fourth quarter on both offense and defense, the Crusaders were able to hold on and pull away.

Chesney talked about the effort his team put forth and the perseverance they displayed late in the game.

“Just an unbelievable effort. We came out and we executed at a very high level on that first drive. Then we slowed down a little bit, and there were ups and downs in there, but I think our guys just played very, very hard. We’re a good football team, they’re a good football team, and there were going to have to be some heroic plays made. And I think there were a bunch made on both sides of the ball by both teams. And I just think we were able to withstand a couple of their final blows there to get this thing under wraps.”

The win was the first for the Crusaders over an FBS opponent in 19 years. The last time Holy Cross beat an FBS opponent was 2002 when the Crusaders won at Army. The significance of the win was not lost on Chesney.

“I think for this program, it means a heck of a lot. It’s the first time it’s happened since back against Army, with Ari Confesor making all those plays. It’s been a little while, but I think it’s a different brand of football at this time. I think these guys are proud, they came here to be the best on the field and be the best off the field, and I think right now this is the carryover of that momentum and the missed opportunities from that South Dakota State game that we were able to make the most of today.”

Senior defensive lineman Jason Modak knows what this win means for the program and the perception of the program both locally and nationally.

“It’s big. Over the past few years, we’ve been looking for a big win, and we definitely got it today. We wanted to come in on Week 1 and make a big statement, and I think we did that. We’ve just got to build from here.”

Modak made one of the key plays of the first half when he intercepted a tip ball and returned it for a pick six.

“I don’t even know who tipped it. I just saw the ball in the air, caught it … and then thank god all my teammates came to block for me. It’s just awesome — I don’t know how to put it into words. Just unbelievable. My phone’s blowing up right now, it’s frozen.”

As far as what that play meant to the team, Modak referred to it as a momentum play.

“Any time you have a big play on defense — we call them X-plays — those big plays can change the game.”

Both sides of the ball played well but the defense seemed to be the catalyst throughout the game making big play after big play. Modak talked about the defense’s effort and ability to make plays.”

“We were flying around. That was a big thing during camp, just cause a lot of turnovers, make big plays, put a lot of pressure on the offense. And I think Coach James called a great game today, and we executed our game plan well.”

Of course we’d be remised if we didn’t talk about the performance of sophomore quarterback Matthew Sluka and junior running back Tyler Purdy. Both played a big hand in the win. Sluka in particular is growing before our very eyes as a player.

Chesney elected to play both Sluka and sophomore Marco Siderman. Sluka developed the hot hand in the second half both as a runner and passer and Chesney elected to stick with him.

Purdy talked about the young quarterback’s performance in the second half.

“Sluka did a great job. He’s matured a lot from his freshman to sophomore year, and he did a great job leading us. He’s more of a silent leader on our team, but he did a great job, very composed, making the right plays, running the ball when he needed to. He did a great job.”

When the Crusaders needed to convert a key down or make that big play, they turned to Purdy who has emerged as a multi-faceted weapon for the offense. His second touchdown of the day sealed the game.

“When I scored that, it was a great feeling. And I’m just so happy that my o-line did such a great job today. CJ Hanson, Nick Olsofka, John Brekke, Luke Newman, Pat McMurtrie — they just did such a great job today. I give them all the credit, I just ran behind them. They created the holes for me, I just had to run the ball.”

When asked what he thinks this win means to the program, Purdy pointed to the work that was put in to make it happen.

“It means everything. This is what we’ve been working for this whole offseason — ever since I’ve gotten here — and we’ve just been building up to this point. To get a huge win like this, it means everything. Especially to share it with my brothers, people that mean the most to me, it’s amazing.”

The win might have come against a Connecticut team that is struggling to get back on track after a year off but that does not take away from what Holy Cross accomplished on Saturday.

The victory was just another step in the maturation of a program that is becoming a viable contender in the FCS ranks.