WORCESTER — After Joe Pesansky completed his first three pass attempts last week at Colgate, Holy Cross senior wide receiver Justin Shorter, who caught the first two before Pesansky connected on a 38-yarder with freshman Alijah Cason, knew HC’s senior quarterback was on.
“From there,” Shorter said before Tuesday’s practice at Kuzniewski Field, “just the rhythm he had, and just seeing him get in that mode put me in that mode, too.”
Pesansky finished 25 for 28 for 289 yards and four touchdowns, all to Shorter. Pesansky’s completion percentage (.893) was the second highest in single-game program history and helped the Crusaders rout the Raiders, 38-7, in their Patriot League opener.
“We gained a new swag,” Shorter said. “We found a new groove, and I think everybody is playing their role and understanding their role, and the coaches are putting us in the best positions to win. Our confidence is through the roof right now.”
Shorter caught 11 of Pesansky’s completions for a career-high 140 yards. Shorter’s four TD receptions tied the program single-game record.
Before the game, Pesansky told Shorter to get open and he would get him the ball.
“Nothing is ever that simple,” Pesansky said Tuesday, “but at the end of the day, it comes down to being football players. We kept it simple. I trusted him, he trusted me, and we got the ball to the right spot. You can’t get that done without the protection of the offensive line and the defense getting turnovers (three interceptions, fumble recovery). This was a team win, and Justin put himself in position to be successful.”
Shorter was the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week and the recipient of the Gold Helmet Award, presented weekly by the New England Football Writers. Cason was the PL Rookie of the Week.
Shorter, a two-time All-Patriot League honoree and a 2024 preseason All-PL selection, was HC’s leading returning receiver from last year’s team and a focal point of the 2024 offense.
He found the end zone for the first time this year at Colgate.
“It was great for him,” Holy Cross coach Dan Curran said. “Throughout the season, he has talked about things he can do to improve and get better. He has always been a natural playmaker and has shown that he plays really hard. The big things we talked about where consistency and the little details that are going to help him in his route running. He really honed in on that the last week or two, and I think the end result was what he did last Saturday.”
Shorter’s 11 catches were also a career best.
“I was just playing my game out there, doing the same thing I usually do,” Shorter said. “It was just the ball was finding me when it was up in the air, and I was able to go make plays. Joe was hot. He was flowing. He just kept feeding me the ball and, for us, that puts us on the same page.”
The Crusaders began the year 1-4 and were coming off a loss at Syracuse, but Pesansky thought the team had its best week of practice heading into the Colgate game.
“With a lot of 1-4 teams there will be some doubt creeping in,” Pesansky said, “but we responded last week in practice better than we have all year. I think that speaks to how strong we are as a team, how we play together and play for each other. Everything we want is ahead of us, and we just have to continue to get better each week.”
Rams visit for Homecoming
The Crusaders put together their most complete game of 2024 against Colgate, and HC will be looking to put forth a similar effort Saturday against Fordham.
The Rams (0-6, 0-1) visit Fitton Field at 1 p.m. for HC’s Homecoming game.
Pesansky, playing in place of injured Matthew Sluka, made his first career start last year at Fordham and helped the Crusaders to a 49-47 win.
In 2022, Holy Cross and Fordham waged a classic battle at Fitton Field. The Rams scored first in overtime before Sluka hit Shorter with the tying touchdown pass, and Ayir Asante, taking a toss from Shorter, went in for the winning 2-point conversion on a reverse sweep. HC walked off with a 53-52 victory.
“Holy Cross and Fordham bring out the best in each other,” Curran said.
HC has won seven straight in the series.
Fordham, besieged by injuries but getting healthier, according to Curran, fell to Lafayette, 28-23, in its PL opener. Curran thought the Rams outplayed the Leopards.
“They are peaking at the right time,” Curran said, “and we know we will get their best shot.”
Plenty of contributors
At Colgate, Pesansky completed balls to eight receivers, and the Crusaders used 25 players on defense.
“We’re truly a team,” Curran said.
Seven HC defenders had at least three tackles, and the unit had four more takeaways to bring its turnovers gained to 13, the sixth most in FCS.
“I’m a big believer in rotating guys, particularly on defense,” Curran said. “It’s how you develop guys, and it also creates depth and competition. There is no way you are going to get through a 12-game schedule healthy, so the ability to have guys push each other at each position is important.
“Some of it is due to injuries,” Curran said, “but the way we rep guys in practice and have a rotation set, we stay with it, even in big moments. It gives those kids confidence. They earned those opportunities. To have that many guys play on Saturday was awesome.”
Milton on their minds
Pesansky, who grew up in Tampa, is one of several Holy Cross players from Florida, which was bracing all week for Hurricane Milton.
“(The storm) has been a huge concern for our program,” Curran said. “Our kids have been great on the surface, but we’re trying to do our best to support those guys and make sure they’re getting everything they need. Our thoughts and prayers are with everybody that’s down there right now, and we are supporting our kids, who are doing a great job focusing on what is going on here.”
Coker into NFL groove, chats with Shorter
On Monday, Shorter talked with former Holy Cross receiver Jalen Coker, who led the Carolina Panthers with four receptions and 63 yards in last week’s loss to the Chicago Bears.
Coker, an undrafted free agent, began the year on Carolina’s practice squad before signing to the active roster two weeks ago.
“He definitely feels good,” Shorter said, “and being able to find a role in (the Panthers’) offense is big. It shows all the guys here that it’s possible to play in the NFL, and I think Holy Cross prepared him for it.”
Coker set Holy Cross career records for receiving yards and TD receptions.
Coker loved HC’s performance at Colgate, Shorter said, and he was impressed by Shorter’s four-touchdown game.
“He said he wanted to get four in a game, too,” Shorter said with a laugh. “He had three last year against Yale. He gives me tips, and we drive each other. Having that brotherly love feels good for both of us.”
Extra Points
Bentley graduate quarterback Brett Pullman of Worcester and Holy Name High was the Northeast-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week. In the Falcons’ win over Pace, Pullman was 30 of 52 for 330 yards and four touchdown passes. … Assumption senior defensive back Shakeer McPherson was the NE-10 Special Teams Player of the Week. McPherson returned a blocked field goal 86 yards for a touchdown in the Greyhounds’ win at Southern Connecticut State.
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @JenTolandTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Holy Cross football finds its scoring connection
