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WORCESTER, Mass. – Three-fifty remaining and 80 yards to pay dirt.

That was Colgate's predicament trailing Holy Cross 24-21 here Saturday with the season in the balance. The Raiders stood 1-5 overall and were staring at the prospect of continuing their losing ways in the Patriot League just as they had during most of the non-conference slate.

But given a late lifeline, Gavin McCarney did what he does best and helped Colgate escape with a 28-24 victory. It wasn't quite a miracle, but it might yet be a cure for this jumble of a season.

"We had a lot of time, with close to 4 minutes left and all three timeouts," McCarney said. "We just continued what we had been doing and started moving the ball."

Playing in just his fourth full game of the year because of various injuries, McCarney showed once again why he was the preseason pick to repeat as Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year. He can beat you with his feet and his arm.

Nothing but Green Grass
Demetrius Russell plunged for a third-down conversion to get the winning drive moving, and one play later McCarney on a planned pass sprinted 28 yards into Holy Cross territory. On the very next snap, McCarney found Brian Lalli alone behind the defense for a 31-yard touchdown pass with 59 seconds left.

"On my run, we were going to try to take a shot there and it just opened up," McCarney said. "John Weber did a great job just pushing his man downfield and there was nothing but green grass. I took off and secured the ball. I knew we had a lot of time.

"Then it was a great route by Brian Lalli; a little stop-and-go. They were playing Cover-2, so the middle of the field was wide open. A linebacker is not going to stay with him and he made a great catch."

That McCarney and Co. even had a chance at the winning score came by virtue of yet another interception from super safety Mike Armiento. The Raiders junior baited Holy Cross freshman quarterback Paul Pujals into his only real mistake of the game, picking him in the end zone as the Crusaders were attempting to ice the game.

"I knew they were going to go out and up on me; that's what they did on film," Armiento said. "So I saw it coming and just tried to make a play.

"My teammates did an outstanding job, and I was just in the right place at the right time."

The interception was Armiento's fifth this season and 11th of his career. He also recovered a first-quarter fumble caused by linebacker Kris Kent at the Colgate 1-yard line, meaning Armiento (pictured right) had a hand in preventing 14 potential Holy Cross points.

"He's made plays in every game and, right now, he would be our most valuable player by far," Colgate head coach Dick Biddle said. "The key was the kids didn't get too down and the defense for the most part kept us within one score. I didn't want to tie the game and go to overtime, and it worked out."

Saturday's win improved the Raiders to 2-5 overall and 1-0 in the Patriot League. It also marked Colgate's first victory here since 2005 and improved Biddle's record against the Crusaders to 12-6.

One Last Gasp
Holy Cross wasn't dead after the Lalli score. Kalif Raymond returned the ensuing kickoff 38 yards to the 42 with still 49 ticks remaining, and the Crusaders had all three timeouts.

But Raiders linebacker Austin Dier got a hand on Pujals' first-down pass, and then Colgate freshman tackle Nathan Obinwa chased down the Holy Cross quarterback for a 5-yard sack. Pujals found Nate Stanley for 10 yards to set up fourth-and-5, but Mike Fess couldn't handle a wide-open reception and Colgate had the victory.

"That's why you play college football," Dier said. "As a defensive player and one of the captains of the team, that's what you want. You want to be on the field with the game on the line.

"It was an all-around team effort for sure."

Colgate began its fourth-quarter comeback right around the 15-minute mark. The Raiders drove 75 yards in 10 plays to cut the deficit to 24-21 with 10:22 showing. Ed Pavalko plunged in from the 1 for his first collegiate rushing touchdown.

"It's always nice to get the first one of the year," said Pavalko, who has previous receiving TDs each of the last two seasons. "It takes me back to high school a little bit. When I get the chance to carry it, I try to make the most of it."

Holy Cross (3-5, 1-1) had snapped a 14-14 halftime deadlock with 10 third-quarter points. John Macomber kicked a 37-yard field goal on the opening drive of the half, and then the Crusaders took advantage of a Raiders turnover to make it 24-14 on Pujals' 6-yard pass to Raymond late in the period.

History Maker?
Colgate's first-half scores came on McCarney's 5-yard run in the first quarter and his 10-yard pass to John Maddaluna III in the second. The latter play capped a 99-yard drive – tying for longest in football history, right? – after Armiento's fumble recovery inside the 1.

The TDs by Maddaluna and Lalli were career firsts as the two wideouts continue making hay while the starters are away. Maddaluna had a catch against Cornell two weeks ago and posted two more Saturday for 19 yards, while all four of Lalli's for 49 yards were the first on his ledger.

"We've got a great group of guys on this team," Lalli said. "Unfortunately, we've had some injuries. Some guys have been held down and it's forced some of the younger guys to step up. But no matter who we put it, no one skips a beat and I'm happy with how we played today."

Lalli was especially thrilled to be on the receiving end of Colgate's biggest play of 2013.

"We ran it a few plays earlier and knew the middle of the field would be open," he said of the TD catch. "I just did what I had to do. I ran my route, was fortunate enough to get the ball thrown to me and happy to make a play for my team."

Holy Cross tallied its first two touchdowns on 1-yard runs by Pujals to open the scoring and Gabe Guild near the final minute before halftime.

Pujals has won Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors each of the last four Saturdays. His case is strong again this week after completing 25-of-40 for 232 yards, although he would like to have at least one throw back.

"A true freshman, that's very impressive to come out and put up a game like that," Armiento said. "He's an unbelievable player and he'll get better, but today wasn't quite his day."

Armiento and Kent led the charge for Colgate defensively by combining for 18 tackles. Armiento finished with 10 tackles, all solo, for his fourth double-digit total, while Kent had two for lost yardage among his seven solo stops and one assist.

23 More Plays
Bobby Stup added six tackles, including a TFL, while Dier, Jake Kern, Adam Bridgeforth, Cameron Buttermore and Vinny Russo all posted five tackles against a Holy Cross offense that ran 78 plays to Colgate's 55. Oddly enough, the Raiders ended up with more yards, 418-405, while time of possession favored the home side by about 4 minutes.

"They were converting third downs and had us in the red zone a few times," Dier said. "But we just stuck to the plan and Mike Armiento made another play for us. Then we gave it to the best quarterback in the country, and you know what's going to happen."

McCarney (pictured right) was an efficient 18-of-23 passing for 241 yards, with two touchdowns against one interception. He added 71 yards on the ground to total 312 for the game, extending to 11 his school record of career 300-yard games.

"He makes plays," Biddle said. "Some of those when you're trying to win the game, some quarterbacks overthrow the receiver. But he hit Lalli right on the numbers. Holy Cross had some receivers open and they couldn't connect.

"Gavin does the little things that keep you in the game and make you win. His just being out there makes us a better football team."

Dan Cason caught six passes for 123 yards, moving his career totals to 121 for 1,650. The senior wideout is tied for sixth in catches on the Colgate chart and seven yards shy of 10th in receiving yards. Russell and Jimmy DeCicco combined for 20 rushing attempts and 99 yards.

Now the rest of the Patriot League schedule awaits, continuing next week at Georgetown. Kickoff is 1 p.m.

"Coming in here 1-5 was a terrible taste in our mouths, but we have everything in front of us," McCarney said. "We're just taking them one at a time, like a championship game every week. We're excited for the win."

Biddle is happy his Raiders are 1-0 in what he calls the second season.

"If we get some more guys healthy and our kids play hard, we've got a legitimate shot," he said. "We've played a very tough schedule and played some good people, and sometimes that makes you resilient and your kids hang in there."