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WORCESTER, Mass. (9/10/11) – Ryan Taggart completed 13-of-16 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns to lead Holy Cross to a 37-7 victory over Colgate in the Patriot League opener for both teams Saturday at Fitton Field.

Holy Cross (1-1, 1-0) scored on its first five possessions to build a 37-0 lead, before Nate Eachus found the end zone for the Raiders on a 1-yard run for the final score of the game.

Eachus finished the game with 96-yards rushing on 25 carries and one score, while sophomore wide receiver Daniel Cason recorded a career-high nine catches for 70 yards in the loss.

Colgate (1-1, 0-1) opened the game with a 6-play, 59 yard drive, including a 48-yard run by quarterback Gavin McCarney, but freshman Joe Uglietto missed a 30-yard field goal attempt to keep the game scoreless. The Crusaders then followed with a 10-play, 60 yard drive on their opening possession capped off by a 33-yard field goal from John Macomber to take a 3-0 lead.

The Raiders moved the ball into Holy Cross territory on their second drive, but were forced to punt after dropped pass on 3rd-and-6. The Crusaders then put together a 4-play, 80-yard drive to build a 9-0 lead. The extra point attempt was no good after hitting the upright. Colgate tried to answer back in the beginning of the second quarter with a 14-play, 45 yard drive, but gave the ball back to Holy Cross after a loss of downs. The Raiders went for it on 4th-and-12 from the Holy Cross 27 yard line.

Holy Cross then scored on its third possession of the game to make the score 16-0, with 7:44 remaining in the second quarter. Colgate would piece together another long drive, which included a 13 yard run from Eachus, but again turned the ball over on a loss of downs after going for it on 4th-and-4 from the 9-yard line. The Crusaders got possession of the ball with 41 seconds remaining and let the clock run down to make the halftime score 16-0.

After deferring the kickoff to the second half the Crusaders opened the third quarter with a 69-yard drive, capped off by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Taggart to Kyle Toulouse to make the score 23-0. Colgate then moved the ball to the Crusaders 28 yard line but failed on a 4th-and-2 attempt to end the drive. Holy Cross took advantage of the of the loss of downs by moving the ball 73-yards for another score to make it 30-0.

McCarney had the Raiders marching down the field again, but threw his first collegiate interception, which was returned 60 yards for a touchdown by Jimmy Thomas to make the score 37-0. Colgate would find the end zone on its next possession as Eachus dove in from one yard out for the final score of the game.

McCarney finished the game completing 16-of-26 passes for 125 yards, while running 16 times for 97 yards. Junior linebacker Patrick Friel led the Raiders defense with a career-high 16 tackles, three for a loss and one forced fumble.

Colgate will be back in action next Saturday as it travels to Dartmouth. The game is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. at Memorial Field and will be the season opener for the Big Green.

GAME NOTES: The loss for Colgate was its first in a Patriot League opener since 2007 … the last time the Raiders won at Fitton Field was in 2005 (27-14) … with the 96 yards rushing Eachus now has 3,983 in career, just 17 shy of becoming the third Raider to reach 4,000 … the 16 tackles for Friel are the most for a Raider since Mike Gallihugh recorded 17 against Massachusetts in 2007.