'It feels like second nature': Harris-Lopez getting a kick out of new role for Holy Cross

WORCESTER — Holy Cross senior safety Curtis Harris-Lopez earned his way on to the field playing special teams for the Crusaders.

“That’s a way for kids to get on the bus,” Harris-Lopez said at the beginning of Wednesday’s practice at Kuzniewski Field. “That’s something I focused on before trying to play defense.”

Harris-Lopez earned a starting spot last season and tied for the team lead with four pass breakups, and, with a team-high 10 tackles, he was a standout in HC’s season-opening 20-17 loss at URI.

Harris-Lopez is also trying a new role on special teams this year, as HC’s primary kickoff returner.

“I’m loving that,” Harris-Lopez said.

Harris-Lopez was a star running quarterback at Nashua North High School and the 2020-21 Gatorade New Hampshire Football Player of the Year, and his fast, physical and explosive style certainly lends itself in the return game.

During spring ball, Harris-Lopez, HC coach Dan Curran and the staff talked about trying him out there.

“I wanted to be able to do something other than defense,” Harris-Lopez said. “I knew I had some skills I could bring to the table and returning was one of them. It feels like second nature.”

Harris-Lopez occasionally lined up for kick returns in high school, but opponents rarely kicked to him.

Against URI, Harris-Lopez averaged 21.7 yards on three returns with a long of 28 yards.

“He’s a guy we count on a ton in the return game,” Curran said. “I firmly believe he’s going to break one. He was close (at URI).”

Harris-Lopez set the tone for the Crusaders defensively against the Rams. He broke up a pass and forced one of six fumbles (HC recovered three of them).

“That’s just how I play all the time,” Harris-Lopez, a team captain, said, “with a competitive mindset to go out there and win. Since I started football I’ve played like that.”

Harris-Lopez, who also played safety in high school, emerged as the quarterback of HC’s defensive backfield last season. He ranked third on the team in tackles.

“What he did (against URI) didn’t surprise me,” Curran said. “He had success last year, but he had a really good off-season and he has really developed his game and developed as a leader in that locker room. You can see his confidence growing.”

The Crusaders host the University of New Hampshire in their home opener at 2 p.m. Saturday at Fitton Field.

UNH recruited Harris-Lopez heavily, and the Wildcats’ roster includes a lot of players he faced in high school.

“I was grateful for them recruiting me,” Harris-Lopez said, “but I wanted to be able to go and experience another place.”

Former Holy Cross defensive coordinator Scott James , who is now on the UNH staff, recruited Harris-Lopez to HC.

The last time the Crusaders and Wildcats met was in the 2022 FCS playoffs. HC won the game, 35-19, at Fitton Field, and Harris-Lopez was on all four special teams units that day.

“There were a lot of emotions going into that game,” Harris-Lopez said. “I felt like I was going against home. I wanted to come out on top.”

The sentiment will be the same Saturday as the Crusaders seek their first win of 2024.

HC coach Curran ready for home debut

Curran’s first home opener as Holy Cross coach will be against his alma mater, the University of New Hampshire.

Curran was a star fullback for the Wildcats in the late 1990s and earned All-Atlantic 10 honors as a senior after rushing for more than 1,000 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns.

He has remained close to the program, as well as to former coach Sean McDonnell and current coach Rick Santos .

“I was talking to my wife (Megan) about it the other night,” Curran said, “and the best analogy I could make was I had three older brothers and an older sister growing up, and they got the best of me for a good portion of my life. As much as you loved them and cared about them, you almost played and competed that much harder against them because you respected them so much. You wanted their validation. I would say it’s probably the same thing for me going against the University of New Hampshire, the amount of respect I have for that program and the people who are part of it.”

HC and UNH last met in the 2022 FCS playoffs. The Crusaders won, 35-19, on a rainy day at Fitton Field. The all-time series is tied, 9-9.

UNH fell at UCF, 57-3, in its 2024 opener, but Santos, the former Wildcats star quarterback who succeed McDonnell in 2021, thought his team fought against its Big 12 opponent.

“Their goal-line stand at the end of the game tells you all you need to know about UNH,” Curran said.

Curran, likewise, was proud of his team’s effort at URI, but he emphasized that the Crusaders have to get off to a faster start against UNH. HC missed some early offensive opportunities against the Rams and had just 100 yards and three points in the first half.

“We have to play cleaner the first couple series to build momentum and build confidence,” Curran said.

The Wildcats made 14 straight FCS playoff appearances from 2004-17, which was the second longest streak in FCS history. They returned to the postseason in 2022.

“Over the last 20 years, you probably can’t find another program in the Northeast that’s been as consistent as far as the tradition of winning and doing in the right way,” Curran said. “Rick has carried on the legacy that was built by the people before him, but also by being true to himself.”

UNH is the second of three straight CAA foes for Holy Cross.

“At the end of the day,” Curran said, “it’s about two good football teams who are going to play a physical brand of football and hopefully give the fans a good show on Saturday.”

Changes to layout at Fitton Field for 2024

The Holy Cross sideline and fan home section has been relocated to the north side of Fitton Field, opposite where it has been in previous years.

After consultation with the HC coaching, facilities, equipment, external relations and sports medicine staff, as well as surveys with student-athletes and alumni and fan focus groups, the change was made for a number of logistical reasons.

Increased accessibility for fans entering Gate D from Freshman Field parking, guests utilizing the handicap accessible platform access having the opportunity to be on the home sideline, and closer proximity to the home locker room were among them.

TV cameras for game broadcasts will still be set up on the old home side, so they will now show the Crusaders’ sideline and fan section.

“Really showcasing Holy Cross through our broadcasts, our student-athletes, our coaches, our students and our great fans, I think that will be a real positive for us,” Holy Cross vice president for intercollegiate athletics Kit Hughes said.

An expanded concourse with new concession offerings is also located on that side of the field.

“From a fan experience standpoint,” Hughes said, “I think (the change) will better serve the entire fan group. It’s a big change, and I recognize that. The feedback we’ve got has been largely positive. For some, it will be a big change and something they may not be quite sure about yet, but in the big picture for the program, it’s the best thing we can be doing for all those reasons and we’re excited about it.”

RB Fuller honored for strong start to season

During spring ball, Curran and his staff took a conservative approach with senior running back Jordan Fuller , who was coming off a season-ending left ankle injury and subsequent surgery, and they tried to keep his workload light during training camp.

“Although that’s not in Jordan’s DNA,” Curran said. “He always wants one more set and one more rep, which is one reason why he’s been super successful, because of his work ethic and commitment.”

Fuller, who led FCS with 18 rushing touchdowns in 2023, looked as strong as ever in the opener at URI while gaining 139 yards on 28 carries. He scored the go-ahead TD with 1:47 left.

“We knew once the season got here, we would have to start to increase the workload a little bit,” Curran said. “We didn’t know it was going to be to that extent on Saturday, but we needed some momentum, we needed to stay on schedule and obviously there is no better way to do that than establishing the run.”

Fuller, the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week, recorded his seventh 100-yard rushing game and his 41 ^st career touchdown, the most of any active FCS player.

“The offensive line had a great day,” Curran said, “but I thought Jordan did a great job finding hidden yards. The line was giving him 2 or 3, and he was spinning and falling forward for 5 or 6. He did that consistently. He ran with an attitude.”

—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @JenTolandTG.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 'It feels like second nature': Harris-Lopez getting a kick out of new role for Holy Cross