WEST HAVEN, Conn. (Interstat) — Josh Pitsenberger rushed for 127 yards and three touchdowns to power the Yale Bulldogs to a season-opening 28-10 victory over the Holy Cross Crusaders on Saturday at Yale Bowl.

The Bulldogs’ ground game was the story, amassing a decisive advantage while their defense stifled a Holy Cross offense that struggled to find consistency. The loss extended a difficult start to the season for the Crusaders, who fell to 0-4.

Yale set the tone early with a methodical, 11-play, 76-yard opening drive that chewed more than five minutes off the clock. The march was capped by Pitsenberger’s first touchdown, a 1-yard plunge, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 9:16 remaining in the first quarter.

Holy Cross quarterback Cal Swanson, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound sophomore from Ardmore, Oklahoma, showed flashes, completing 15 of 30 passes for 193 yards and a late touchdown. However, the Crusaders’ offense was plagued by stalled drives, penalties, and a relentless Yale pass rush that sacked Swanson four times.

The Crusaders’ best first-half opportunity came on a drive that reached the Yale 22-yard line, but it ended with an incomplete pass on fourth down. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the half, with Yale taking its 7-0 lead into the break.

Holy Cross emerged from halftime with momentum. Swanson connected with running back Joseph Williams on a screen pass that turned into a 64-yard gain, moving the ball to the Yale 13-yard line. The drive stalled inside the 5-yard line, forcing the Crusaders to settle for a 23-yard field goal from Luis Palenzuela, cutting the deficit to 7-3.

The Bulldogs responded emphatically. Yale quarterback Dante Reno, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound sophomore from Sturbridge, Massachusetts, efficiently managed the offense, completing 13 of 18 passes for 166 yards and a score. He engineered a 77-yard drive that ended with Pitsenberger’s second 1-yard touchdown run, extending Yale’s lead to 14-3.

On Yale’s next possession, Reno found a favorite target in receiver Nico Brown. The junior from Huntington Beach, California, was the game’s leading receiver, hauling in five catches for 119 yards. The drive culminated in a 29-yard touchdown strike from Reno to Brown, pushing the Bulldogs’ advantage to 21-3 late in the third quarter.

Pitsenberger put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter, breaking free for a 10-yard scoring run, his third of the afternoon, to make it 28-3.

Holy Cross added a consolation score with under a minute to play. Swanson engineered a 14-play, 63-yard drive, finishing it with a 7-yard touchdown pass to receiver Charly Mullaly, who caught five passes for 38 yards.

Williams was a bright spot for Holy Cross, contributing 18 rushing yards, 64 receiving yards, and 83 return yards. For Yale, punter Reese Keeney of Knoxville, Tennessee, averaged 34.8 yards on five punts, often flipping field position in the Bulldogs’ favor.

The game’s final score of 38 total points fell well short of the pregame over/under line of 45.5. Yale, now 1-0, will open its Ivy League schedule next Saturday at home against Cornell. Holy Cross, still searching for its first win, will look to rebound on the road next Saturday against Fordham.