At Rhode Island Game

Having followed Merrimack ever since they beat HC and Chesney, I don't see any comparison to Kearney. Kearney had no head coaching experience while Curran has years as a head coach and one of his big wins came over a favored Chesney-coached HC on his record.
GO CROSS GO!

And if we're comparing to Chesney, coming from Assumption, he was a risky hire at the time

I will build onto this but some initial takeaways from URI’s 2-deep and game notes:

1) VERY heavy on 4th/5th and even 6th year players. Of the starting 22, they have 10 players (5 on O and 5 on D) that are some form of 5th/GR. They have an additional 4 on each side that are either SR or Red Shirt Juniors. Said another way, they are only starting 3 players on each side with less than 3 full years at URI or another D1 program. “Youngest” starters are a couple RS Sophs so still kids in their 3rd year of College Ball.

2) 15 new D1 transfers of which 13 are on the 2-deep.

Headliners include obviously QB Helms (Clemson), starting WRs Greg Gains III (Iowa State - 4 star from Tampa), Shawn Harris (1,100 career yards at Stony Brook & UMASS) & Multi year all NEC RB Malik Grant (Sacred Heart). OL features multi year starters from Stonehill LG Buxton (6’5 330) and RG Robinson (6’2 295) who started all 12 games for Mercer last season.

Defense brought in All NEC DL Primrose (6’1 280) from SHU, depth at Safety from Neal (Boise St) and States-Jones (South Alabama).

Other URI Players to watch / Returning Starting Experience : Offense

- QB RS-SO Devin Farrell (6’0 195) - Limited action last year as Hill’s #2. 2023 Transter from VA Tech. Dual-threat. How much will he play relative to Helms?
- RB/PR RS-SR Gabe Goat (6’0 205) - #2 RB last year (225 yds 2 TDs / 26 rec 216yds 1 TD) All CAA Punt Returner. 2024 Captain.
- WR RS-SO Marquis Buchanan (6’4 175) - Freshman All-America in ‘23. 42 rec 638 yds 4 TDs. FBS type talent. Match-up problem. 
- LT RS-JR Brock Bethea (6’5 305) - Started all 11 games at OT in ‘23
- RB/KR SR Deon Silas (5’8 190) - 161 rush yds / 25.5 KR avg
- TE/H RS-SR Brady Roark (6’2 230) - 6 starts in ‘23. 3 rec 25 yds

Defense

- OLB JR AJ Pena (6’2 243) - All CAA in ‘23 and AA candidate in ‘24. Game wrecker Liam Anderson type. Will come from everywhere. 59 tackles 15.5 TFLs 9 sacks in ‘23
- NG Westley Neal (6’0 315) - 5 TFLs in ‘23. Captain in ‘24. Pre-season All CAA
- CB SR Fredrick Mallay (5’9 175) - Preseason All CAA. 2 INT 8 PBUs in ‘23
- OLB SR Gabe Solomons (6’4 240) - 34 tack 1 sack 5 PBUs 4 QBH in ‘23
- SAF RS-SR Emmanuel Gomes (6’0 200) - 22 tack 3.5 TFLs 
- DL R-SR Malachi Burby (6’3 265) - 21 tack 2.5 TFLs

K/P

K - So Ty Groff (9-13 FGs / 5-5 40-49 yds 1-3 30-39 yds 47 long) 
P - So Devin Walter (39.2 avg / 15 in 20 / 4 > 50 yds)
LS - Donato Crisanti - All CAA in ‘23

Am I still the only one worried that HCDC only had 4 winning seasons in his 11 years at MC?

How to watch / keys to the game:

When URI has the ball - Clearly much has been made of the 3 stud WRs for URI and rightfully so. The biggest athletic match-up advantage on the entire field on paper is Gains and Buchanan’s FBS size/speed and Harris’ 5 years of production v the youth across the Holy Cross secondary. Even Jarmo in his 3 full games last year (Merrimack, BC and Army) mostly flashed in run support and hasn’t really been repeatably tested over the top in a single game as a starting FS. However, I expect URI to try to establish the run game with their stable of 3-4 very capable RBs to allow both QBs to settle in. 

HC is starting 8 sophomore on Defense including Christian Ross as a Medical Redshirt Soph. E I G H T! How big a jump did these 8 make in the offseason? LB Drew Spins and CB Cam Jones will see their first ever action not just starting but playing the position. The young Holy Cross DL has the highest ceiling of any position group w/ Robinson, Stevenson, George and Ross (and include Reynolds rotating as a RS-SO) Are they a year or even a mid season away from being able to play with Top 25 Offensive talent (which I believe URI has) or did the reps as frosh have these guys looking a year ahead of where they would otherwise be a Sophomores. 

Biggest question for URI is obviously at QB - Was playing against some of the best athletes in the country every day for 4 years enough for Helms to start unfazed? Farrell as a dual-threat likely relies on his legs to settle himself down. The URI O-Line also returns only one starter from last year’s team (LT Bethea) BUT brought in 2 Guards with plenty of starting experience at other programs (Mercer and Stonehill). Can HC take advantage of an OL that has solid individual pieces but hasn’t worked together in a game yet?

When HC has the ball - Similar to URIs OL, HC returns only 1 starter in Center Kelly but 2 5th years with valuable experience as multi-year reserves (Declan and Daddona). URI runs a 3-4 base Defense and their front is the strength of their D. URI will attempt to likely keep all 7 in the box to not allow HC to get its run game going. New staff or not, “run the damn ball” has been the identity of Holy Cross football for 5 years. This likely will create opportunities for HC WR’s in man coverage. Can anyone create separation besides Shorter? Can the OL give Joe P time to go through his progressions? 

Special teams - Clear advantage to URI as noted in the scouting report above. They return their very capable starting Kicker, Punter, Long Snapper and KR Silas. Big unknowns for HC across the board here. Field position is always a deciding factor but especially week 1. 

Prediction - URI 38 HC 28 - Tough to see HC getting this one unless some of those questions above are answered in the affirmative. 

not alone. I think a lot of folks have confidence in the OL rotation from the last few seasons, meaning the line starting Saturday has a ton of snaps under their belt even in playoff games.

And the transfer from Iowa State (4 star from Tampa) WR Gains III is 6’3 205. All 3 WRs are a problem. Harris from UMASS/Stony Brook is 5’9 but quick and caught ~1100 yds worth of receptions v CAA comp.

Wha-a-a-a?🥵 HC is playing two of the six original Yankee Conference teams, we deserve a chip of granite off the YC grave stone if we beat them both.

HC's mythical Crusader on it's mythical horse will be carrying a mythical banner for home grown talent when it gallops into Meade Stadium. In addition to everything else it would be fabulous for HC to show that a team made up of mostly one school football players can compete well against these teams made in a lab with parts from all over the country.

Not that I'm putting down anyone who transfers, college students should control where they go to school. But it would be nice to see a team of home grown players show the traditional model can succeed also.

Went to practice Tuesday. Met Coach Curran he is excited.

Question will Joe P with his arm and Jordan Fuller with his legs be able to make up for those long runs by Sluka on 3rd down when we needed it most the last few years.

#84 Elijah Carson is explosive with the ball.

All five of the Globe's sports prognosticators pick HC to win Saturday.
BTW, if one doesn't like the Globe's political slant (which mirrors the State in which it is located), there is an alternative.

DHarry and I watch A LOT of HS Film. We loved Alijah from day 1 just after his Junior Year. If he’s 5’11 v 5’9 OR played at a 5A/6A Texas HS instead of 2A….he ain’t at HC.

Still, he had several FBS offers including Tulsa, UNM along with very good FCS programs Furman, Jackson State etc. A full year with Grautski and he is a difference maker. Can’t teach his God given twitch and burst. My only concern for him this year is he’s never been close to hit like he will and at ~5’9 170 you worry about injuries and fumbles as a frosh.