WORCESTER, Mass. (Interstat) — In a stunning reversal of fortune and expectation, the Colgate Raiders scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to erase a 14-point deficit and stun the Holy Cross Crusaders 29-28 on Saturday at Fitton Field.

The victory, secured on a failed two-point conversion attempt with 2:35 remaining, handed Colgate its second win of the season against four losses, while Holy Cross remained winless at 0-6. The outcome defied both the pregame projections and the flow of the contest for three quarters, as Interstat’s game simulator had projected a Holy Cross victory by a score of 28-21, and its ELO system gave the Crusaders a 91.80 percent probability to win.

Colgate quarterback Jake Stearney, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior from Chicago, Illinois, engineered the comeback, finishing the game having completed 23 of 40 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target was Reed Swanson, who hauled in a 7-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. Stearney also punched in a 4-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter to begin the Raiders’ final push.

The game’s momentum appeared to belong firmly to Holy Cross after a disastrous sequence for Colgate late in the third quarter. Following a Crusaders touchdown that extended their lead to 28-14, the Raiders’ offense stalled deep in its own territory. A punt from Colgate’s Tyler Fontenot was then returned 47 yards for a touchdown by Holy Cross’s Max Mosey, seemingly putting the game out of reach at 28-14.

Colgate responded immediately, however, with a 10-play, 79-yard drive capped by Stearney’s touchdown pass to Swanson. While the extra point was missed, the drive restored a measure of belief for the visitors.

The Raiders’ defense then stiffened, forcing a Holy Cross punt and setting the stage for the game-winning drive. Stearney methodically moved Colgate down the field, with running back Danny Shaban providing a crucial spark. Shaban, a 6-foot, 205-pound back from Redding, Connecticut, was the workhorse for the Raiders, rushing for 93 yards on 13 carries, including a 30-yard burst during the final scoring drive.

The drive culminated with Stearney finding Brendan Cassamajor on a 9-yard touchdown pass with 2:35 left on the clock, pulling Colgate to within a single point at 28-27. In a bold decision, Colgate head coach opted to go for a two-point conversion and the lead. The attempt, a pass from Stearney, fell incomplete, but the Raiders had successfully clawed back to a one-point deficit.

The onus then fell on the Colgate defense to get one final stop. Holy Cross, led by quarterback Braden Graham, managed to move the ball near midfield, but the drive stalled. Graham’s final pass on fourth down fell incomplete, sealing the improbable victory for the Raiders.

For Holy Cross, the loss was a crushing blow in a season full of narrow defeats. Graham, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound sophomore from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, threw for 127 yards and two touchdowns. His primary scoring connection was with Lincoln Fisher, who caught four passes for 37 yards and both of those touchdowns. The Crusaders’ ground game was paced by Jayden Clerveaux, who rushed for 79 yards on 18 carries.

The game began as a back-and-forth affair. Colgate struck first with an impressive 15-play, 74-yard opening drive that consumed over half of the first quarter, finished by a 3-yard touchdown run from Shaban. Holy Cross answered with a 12-play, 75-yard drive of its own, capped by a 1-yard quarterback sneak from Dominic Campanile to tie the game at 7-7.

Holy Cross then seized control in the second quarter. After a blocked punt gave the Crusaders prime field position, Graham connected with Fisher for an 11-yard touchdown to take a 14-7 lead. Colgate managed a 34-yard field goal from Luke Vogeler just before halftime to trim the deficit to 14-10.

The third quarter belonged entirely to the Crusaders, who scored two quick touchdowns to build their 28-14 advantage before Colgate’s dramatic fourth-quarter rally.

The victory provides a significant boost for Colgate as it heads into the heart of its Patriot League schedule. The Raiders will host Merrimack next Saturday. Holy Cross, still searching for its first win, will look to regroup when it welcomes Lafayette to Fitton Field next Saturday.