1997 Holy Cross Crusaders football team

The 1997 Holy Cross Crusaders football team was an American football team that represented the College of the Holy Cross during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Holy Cross tied for second-to-last in the Patriot League.

1997 Holy Cross Crusaders football
Conference	Patriot League
1997 record	4–7 (2–4 Patriot)
Head coach	Dan Allen (4th season)
Captains	Dominic Blue Jeff Laboranti
Home stadium	Fitton Field

1997 Patriot League football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Colgate $^		6	–	0					7	–	5
No. 24 Bucknell		5	–	1					10	–	1
Fordham		4	–	2					5	–	6
Holy Cross		2	–	4					4	–	7
Lehigh		2	–	4					4	–	7
Lafayette		2	–	4					3	–	8
Towson		0	–	6					2	–	8
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

In their second year under head coach Dan Allen, the Crusaders compiled a 4–7 record. Dominic Blue and Jeff Laboranti were the team captains.[1]

The Crusaders were outscored 308 to 182. Holy Cross' 2–4 conference record placed it in a three-way tie for fourth in the seven-team Patriot League standings.[2]

The team's claimed 4–7 and 2–4 records count the season-opening Towson matchup as a Holy Cross win by forfeit, as Towson agreed in October 1997 that it had used an academically ineligible player in that game.[3]

Holy Cross played its home games at Fitton Field on the college campus in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 13	at Towson	Minnegan Stadium Towson, MD	W 7–27‡	2,000	[4][3]
September 20	Georgetown*	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	W 25–21	5,827	[5]
September 27	Dartmouth*	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	L 6–35	3,000	[6]
October 4	Princeton*	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	L 7–21	8,542	[7]
October 11	at Columbia*	Wien Stadium New York, NY	W 45–16	3,335	[8]
October 18	at Harvard*	Harvard Stadium Boston, MA	L 24–52	7,094	[9]
October 25	at Bucknell	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	L 6–18	7,872	[10]
November 1	Colgate ^	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	L 7–42	2,826	[11]
November 8	at Lehigh	Goodman Stadium Bethlehem, PA	W 20–14	4,865	[12]
November 15	Lafayette	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	L 23–34	1,105	[13]
November 22	Fordham	Fitton Field Worcester, MA (rivalry)	L 12–28	725	[14]
*Non-conference game Homecoming ^ Family Weekend • ‡ Towson forfeit

References

1. "2019 Holy Cross Football Fact Book" (PDF). Worcester, Mass.: College of the Holy Cross. p. 126. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
2. "Football All-Time Year-by-Year Results". Patriot League Football Record Book (PDF). Center Valley, Pa.: Patriot League. 2020. p. 6. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
3. Free, Bill (October 3, 1997). "Forfeit Forces Towson to Look Again for First Patriot League Victory". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
4. Free, Bill (September 14, 1997). "Towson Routs Holy Cross in Patriot Debut". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Md. p. 10C – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Home Is Sweet for HC". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. Associated Press. September 21, 1997. pp. C20, C21 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Vellante, John (September 28, 1997). "Dartmouth Batters HC". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. E19 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Vellante, John (October 5, 1997). "Holy Cross Kicking Itself After a Loss". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. D22 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Columbia Humbled; Fordham Pummeled". Daily News (metro ed.). New York, N.Y. Associated Press. October 12, 1997. p. 97 – via Newspapers.com. Attendance figure in "Summaries". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. October 12, 1997. p. C17.
9. Greenidge, Jim (October 19, 1997). "Menick, Harvard in a Rush". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. D17 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Baker, Wayne (October 26, 1997). "Peer Pressure: Tailback Has Record Game as Bucknell Remains Unbeaten". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pa. pp. C1, C10 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Colgate Ends Skid vs. Crusaders in Style". Press & Sun-Bulletin. Binghamton, N.Y. Associated Press. November 2, 1997. pp. 4F, 6F – via Newspapers.com.
12. Blockus, Gary R. (November 26, 1997). "Turnovers and Quick Strikes Doom Lehigh". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pa. p. C7 – via Newspapers.com.
13. Burgin, Sandy (November 16, 1997). "Moore Than Enough: Lafayette Ace Pummels HC". Telegram & Gazette. Worcester, Mass. p. D1.
14. "Fordham Wins Finale Against Holy Cross". Rockland Journal-News. White Plains, N.Y. Associated Press. November 23, 1997. p. 9D – via Newspapers.com.