Harvard survives late rally, beats Holy Cross 35-34 after 2-point conversion stop

The Crusaders drew within one on the final play of regulation but elected to go for the win and came up short.

Harvard squeaked out a win over Holy Cross Saturday in a game that saw three touchdowns in the final two minutes.

The Crimson held a 20-point lead near the end of the third quarter, but the Crusaders stormed back and took a 28-27 lead with under two minutes remaining, capitalizing on a missed extra point by Harvard earlier in the half.

Harvard went right back down the field and scored a touchdown of its own one minute later, and converted a 2-point attempt to solidify a seven-point lead with 45 seconds remaining.

Holy Cross quarterback Joe Pesansky got to work again and led his offense down the field for a potentially game-tying touchdown with no time on the clock. The Crusaders aimed to end the game right there with a 2-point conversion for the win, but the Crimson held firm and sealed a victory, 35-34.

“We practice it every week, end-of-game situations … and Jaden Craig is the best QB in the Ivy League. So, we just trust our training and got the job done,” Harvard wide receiver Cooper Barkate said in a postgame interview.

“I mean, they almost won it three times there at the end, so crazy game. I’m just glad to be a part of it.”

Barkate finished with six receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. Jaden Craig was 20 for 25 with 257 yards, and three touchdowns.

Pesansky completed 21 of his 35 attempts for 277 yards and three touchdowns. Jayden Clerveaux was Holy Cross’s leading rusher, totaling 165 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Receiver Max Mosey caught six passes for 149 yards and a pair of scores, including an 84-yard touchdown delivered by Pesansky.

With the win, Harvard moves to 4-1 on the season heading into an Ivy League battle with Princeton on Oct. 26. Holy Cross is 3-5 and heads to Lafayette for its next contest.