Joseph Williams Runs for 206 Yards and Three Touchdowns as Holy Cross Dominates Richmond 33-14
Joseph Williams rushed for 206 yards and scored three touchdowns as Holy Cross reeled off 26 unanswered points to defeat No. 21-ranked Richmond 33-14 at Fitton Field on Saturday. The performance powered the Crusaders to a dominant ground game that ultimately wore down the visiting Spiders.
Richmond struck first in the contest when Aziz Foster-Powell capped the opening drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, marking his eighth score of the season. Holy Cross answered quickly as Williams broke free for a 21-yard touchdown run. After a muffed punt by the Crusaders, Richmond capitalized when Ashten Snelsire connected with Andreas Hill on an 11-yard touchdown pass to restore a seven-point lead for the Spiders.
The momentum shifted decisively before halftime. Williams pulled Holy Cross within a single point at 14-13 by punching in a 3-yard touchdown run during the second quarter. From that point forward, the Crusader defense pitched a shutout, holding Richmond scoreless across the final three quarters of play.
Holy Cross took the lead for good late in the third quarter when Jake Croce scored on a 2-yard run, capping an extensive 96-yard drive. Williams then put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter with a blistering 62-yard touchdown run. Croce added his second score of the afternoon on another 2-yard run with 5:01 remaining on the clock.
As a team, Holy Cross racked up 323 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground, averaging an impressive 7.5 yards per carry. Richmond finished the afternoon with 209 total yards of offense, while Snelsire completed his passing day with 81 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
With the win, Holy Cross improves its record to 4-5 overall and 4-2 in the Patriot League. The Crusaders will visit Georgetown next Saturday in search of their fifth straight Patriot League win. Richmond drops to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in league play following the loss.
