# 2019 Holy Cross Crusaders football team

The 2019 Holy Cross Crusaders football team represented the College of the Holy Cross as a member of the Patriot League during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Bob Chesney, Holy Cross compiled an overall record of 7–6 with a mark of 5–1 in conference play, winning the Patriot League title. The Crusaders advanced to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where they lost in the first round to Monmouth. They played their home games at Fitton Field in Worcester, Massachusetts.

## Preseason
### Preseason coaches' poll

The Patriot League released their preseason coaches' poll on July 30, 2019 (voting was by conference head coaches and sports information directors). The Crusaders were picked to finish in second place, receiving 2 of 14 first-place votes.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Colgate | 72 (12) |
| 2 | Holy Cross | 58 (2) |
| 3 | Georgetown | 51 |
| 4 | Fordham | 39 |
| 5 | Lehigh | 38 |
| 6 | Lafayette | 21 |
| 7 | Bucknell | 15 |

### Preseason All-Patriot League team

The Crusaders had three players selected to the preseason All-Patriot League team.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 3:30 p.m. | at Navy* | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD | CBSSN | L 7–45 | 28,531 |
| September 7 | 1:00 p.m. | New Hampshire* | Fitton FieldWorcester, MA | Charter TV3 | W 13–10 | 8,372 |
| September 21 | 1:00 p.m. | at Yale* | Yale BowlNew Haven, CT | ESPN+ | L 10–23 | 5,684 |
| September 28 | 12:00 p.m. | at Syracuse* | Carrier DomeSyracuse, NY | ACCN | L 3–41 | 40,575 |
| October 5 | 2:00 p.m. | at Bucknell | Christy Mathewson–Memorial StadiumLewisburg, PA | Stadium | W 21–14 | 2,693 |
| October 12 | 12:30 p.m. | at Brown* | Brown StadiumProvidence, RI | ESPN+ | W 47–31 | 3,026 |
| October 19 | 1:00 p.m. | Harvard* | Fitton FieldWorcester, MA | Charter TV3 | L 21–31 | 10,381 |
| October 26 | 1:00 p.m. | Colgate | Fitton FieldWorcester, MA | Charter TV3 | W 31–10 | 10,926 |
| November 2 | 12:30 p.m. | at Lehigh | Goodman StadiumBethlehem, PA | Stadium | W 24–17 | 4,545 |
| November 9 | 12:00 p.m. | Lafayette | Fitton FieldWorcester, MA | Charter TV3 | L 20–23 | 5,236 |
| November 16 | 1:00 p.m. | at Fordham | Coffey FieldBronx, NY (Ram–Crusader Cup) | Stadium | W 49–27 | 3,704 |
| November 23 | 12:30 p.m. | Georgetown | Fitton FieldWorcester, MA | Stadium | W 24–0 | 7,152 |
| November 30 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 14 Monmouth* | Kessler StadiumWest Long Branch, NJ (NCAA Division I First Round) | Stadium | L 27–44 | 2,817 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### At Navy

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Crusaders | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Midshipmen | 10 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 45 |

### New Hampshire

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| Crusaders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 13 |

### At Yale

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Crusaders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Bulldogs | 6 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 23 |

### At Syracuse

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Crusaders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Orange | 17 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 41 |

### At Bucknell

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Crusaders | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Bison | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |

### At Brown

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Crusaders | 13 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 47 |
| Bears | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |

### Harvard

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Crimson | 17 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Crusaders | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |

### Colgate

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Crusaders | 7 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 31 |

### At Lehigh

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Crusaders | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Mountain Hawks | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |

### Lafayette

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leopards | 14 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 23 |
| Crusaders | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 20 |

### At Fordham

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Crusaders | 0 | 0 | 14 | 35 | 49 |
| Rams | 0 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 27 |

### Georgetown

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hoyas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crusaders | 0 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 24 |

## FCS Playoffs

The Crusaders received an automatic bid (due to winning their conference) for the postseason tournament, with a first-round pairing against Monmouth.

### At Monmouth–First Round

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Crusaders | 0 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 27 |
| No. 14 Hawks | 7 | 19 | 11 | 7 | 44 |