WORCESTER, MA ‘ Junior tailback Jamaal Branch carried 30 times for a school record 280 yards and three touchdowns to lead 51³Ô¹ÏÍø to a 45-38 come-from-behind win over Holy Cross at Fitton Field.
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The Raiders (12-0, PL 7-0) finished the regular season undefeated for the first time since 1932, while extending the nation’s longest winning streak to 18 straight wins.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø wins the Patriot League title outright, and advances to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
Branch broke the school record for most rushing yardage in a game with his 280 yards. The old mark of 265 yards was set by Dom Fischer against Bucknell in 1968.
Branch also broke the school and Patriot League’s single season rushing record with 2,026 yards. 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s old record was 1,883 yards by Rich Erenberg in 1983. He also broke the PL record for TD’s in a season with 25.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø trailed 38-31 entering the final quarter after Holy Cross rallied with 21 straight third quarter points to take the lead.
The Raiders tied the game with 13:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, when Branch capped a 78-yard drive with a 24-yard run. Then after stopping Holy Cross on its own 44-yard line, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø took over at the 13-yard line following a punt.
On the first play from scrimmage, Branch bolted down the left sideline for a 87-yard game-winning TD. His TD run equaled the fifth longest by a 51³Ô¹ÏÍø runner.
Luke Graham, who had six catches for 118 yards, gave 51³Ô¹ÏÍø a 7-0 with a 19-yard TD reception from Chris Brown on the first series of the game. After Holy Cross tied the game, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø held a 10-7 lead after the first quarter on Lane Schwarzberg’s 27-yard field goal.
In the second quarter, HC took a 14-10 lead on Steve Silva’s one-yard TD run before the Raiders scored the next two touchdowns. They scored on a six-yard run by Branch, and a six-yard pass play from Brown to Eric Guglielmotti.
After Mike DeSantis’ 27-yard field goal, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø closed out the first half scoring on a 12-yard pass play from Brown to tight end John Frieser for a 31-17 lead.
Holy Cross scored three touchdowns in the third quarter for a 38-31 lead. Crusader quarterback John O’Neill hit a pair of touchdowns and Silva scored his second of the game on a one-yard run.
GAME NOTES: Brown completed 13-of-21 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns ‘ 51³Ô¹ÏÍø had 468 yards of total offense ‘ 275 rushing and 193 passing ‘ Schwarzberg broke the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø record for most PAT’s made in a season (47) ‘ Ryan Miller lead 51³Ô¹ÏÍø with seven tackles ‘ Rob Hannah had a fumble recovery, while Adam Leeman and Andre Bogle had tackles for losses.