Hail Sluka! QB hurls scoring pass on final play to as Holy Cross upsets FBS foe Buffalo

GETZVILLE, N.Y. — Here was another early-season road trip to an FBS opponent for the Holy Cross football team, and yet another inspiring and most memorable effort from the Crusaders.

Last year, it was HC's season-opening upset over UConn. Saturday night, Matthew Sluka found his inner Doug Flutie, completing a 46-yard scoring pass to Jalen Coker on the game's final play to give Holy Cross a 37-31 victory over Buffalo of the Mid-American Conference at UB Stadium.

Twice HC trailed by two touchdowns, but the Crusaders come home with one of their most memorable victories.

Sluka accounted for 384 yards of total offense, 238 passing and 146 rushing as the Crusaders improved to 2-0 entering their home opener Saturday against Yale. Coker caught just four passes, but for 147 yards and two TDs.

Sluka was last year's New England Gold Helmet Player of the Week honoree after a Week 1 victory. He may well have outdone that accomplishment with his Satujrday performance in Western New York.

MORE: Receivers Ayir Asante, Jalen Coker have raised Holy Cross offense to next level

The Crusaders effectively ran the ball to set up the pass. They rushed for 219 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and finished with 457 total yards.

Jacob Dobbs was in on 11 tackles and Walter Reynolds had seven solos and an assist for a HC defense that held the Bulls (0-2) to just one touchdown after halftime.

The Crusaders, who earlier had trailed, 14-0 and 21-7, took their first lead of the night with 7:12 remaining, on Derek Ng's 28-yard field goal for a 31-28 edge. HC had a time-consuming drive (6:01) going deep into Buffalo territory until Shaun Dolac (15 tackles) sacked Matthew Sluka for a 4-yard loss at the Bulls' 7 on third-and-4.

The Bulls drove into HC territory trying to regain the lead, but Hugh Kelly successfully defended Cole Snyder's pass intended for Justin Marshall on fourth-and-9, returning possession to the Crusaders at their 35 with 3:26 left.

But Sluka threw incomplete toward Ayir Asante on third-and-2, so Patrick Haughney punted to the Buffalo 16, giving Bulls a final chance with 2:18 on the clock.

Buffalo's first three plays on the drive went for 11, 11 and 9 yards. Snyder's 8-yard completion to Marshall put the Bulls on HC's 40.

Mike Washington ran 6 yards for first down to put Buffalo on the Crusaders' 34 with 1:06 to play.

After Snyder fired three incomplete passes, Buffalo's Alex McNulty connected on a 52-yard field goal with 31 seconds left to tie the game at 31.

Holy Cross came out of the locker room after halftime ready to keep running the ball right at the Bulls. The Crusaders ground a 16-play drive to start the second half, covering 75 yards and more than half of the third quarter, with Jordan Fuller powering into the end zone from the 2.

Twelve of the plays were carries. Ng's PAT with 7:25 left in the period drew HC even with Buffalo at 21-21.

But the Bulls answered back on their first play from scrimmage, Snyder's 69-yard TD strike to Marshall, and HC again was trailing by a TD.

And again, it was the Crusaders' turn to score, with Sluka slinging a 62-yard scoring pass to Coker with 2:32 left in the third, also on a drive's first play. Ng's kick made it 28-all, the score entering the fourth quarter.

The Crusaders trailed by a touchdown at halftime, hanging with the Bulls as Sluka was effective, especially running the ball. he carried 12 times in the half for 109 yards net and was 6-of-10 passing for 71 yards and a 17-yard touchdown to Assante.

HC's other TD of the half came on a Fuller 4-yard run.

Holy Cross opened its season with a 31-17 victory at Merrimack in Week 1, while Buffalo lost, 31-10, to Maryland of the Big Ten.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Matthew Sluka fires touchdown pass on final play to lift Holy Cross over Buffalo