Holy Cross football seeks upset against Lehigh in season opener

WORCESTER – For the first full season since 2018, the Holy Cross football team opens the year against a Patriot League opponent, defending PL champion Lehigh no less, so, for the Crusaders , the stakes are high from the start.

"As a competitor, it's one of those games you look forward to," HC senior linebacker Adam Due said before practice earlier this week at Kuzniewski Field. "We're excited for the opportunity we have in front of us."

The No. 11 Mountain Hawks visit Fitton Field at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 29 as the Patriot League kicks off a new era with the addition of Villanova and William & Mary, bringing membership to 10 schools.

The Crusaders were picked sixth in the PL preseason poll.

"Going against a top team in the country and the reigning Patriot League champs is about as good an opportunity you can get to see where we're at," Holy Cross third-year coach Dan Curran said. "Our guy are excited to go against such a quality opponent. The game is really meaningful and it's an unbelievable opportunity. We're going to make the most of it and go have some fun with it."

Aug. 29 is the earliest Holy Cross has opened a season in program history . The Crusaders are looking for their first win in the month of August (0-7 all-time).

Coming into 2026, the Crusaders are a driven and determined group. There are 33 new players, including 15 transfers, and HC's returners have moved on from the disappointment of last year's 3-9 finish. Five of the losses were by eight points or less.

"We don't focus on last year," junior wide receiver Ty Curran said. "We were so close last year; we know what we can do. We have the pieces now. I think we're going to have a lot of success. We're focused on a new team and new energy."

Holy Cross entered preseason camp with a three-man battle among senior Cal Swanson, junior David Lynch and sophomore Dom Campanile for the starting quarterback position.

Over the last couple weeks, Swanson and Lynch separated themselves in the competition for QB1. Dan Curran said earlier this week that the team would not be publicly naming the starter before the opener, but it is likely to be Lynch, a transfer from Pitt.

"There will be one guy who's going to take the majority of the snaps," Dan Curran said, "but I expect to see all three of those guys on the field at some point Saturday. All three have earned the right to get on the field."

In 2025, Holy Cross averaged just 20.5 points per game to rank seventh out of eight teams in the PL, but with additions to the offensive line as well as wide receiver and running back rooms, the Crusaders expect improvement on offense.

"We've all progressed so much," Ty Curran said. "We will be a completely different looking offense than last year. The big thing is how much more explosive we are – more big plays, more highlight plays, more flip-the-field type plays."

Lehigh, which is coming off a 12-0 regular season in 2025, has a new coach in Rich Nagy, who served as the Mountain Hawks' defensive coordinator for the last three years. Nagy replaced Kevin Cahill, who took over at Yale for Oxford's Tony Reno.

Under Nagy, Lehigh ranked in the top five nationally in five major defensive categories last year.

Among the Mountain Hawks' five returning All-PL selections and 13 starters from last year is senior running back Luke Yoder, the 2025 PL Offensive Player of the Year who rushed for 1,409 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2025.

In a 38-3 win over Holy Cross last season, the Mountain Hawks rolled up 344 yards on the ground.

"We have to stop the run," Dan Curran said. "They know it. We know it. We won't completely stop a player of that category, but we will try to minimize it and put them in a different situation. That will be the key and hopefully that will allow us to get some takeaways, minimize what they do offensively and give our offense some good possessions."

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