Maybe it’s because a few of us were not at the last playoff game or maybe it is just because we are down to the quarterfinals but we are JACKED for this game! Holy Cross is a good team and has proven that they deserved to be a seed. This should be a fun matchup with beautiful weather!

Run the Ball and Control the Clock

This game will be quick. Both teams want to run the ball and that will keep the clock moving. What will really make a difference is if the Jacks are able to sustain drives through the run. In the spring matchup, the Jackrabbits ran the ball for 281 yards and the Crusaders had 112. The Jacks have ran the ball pretty consistently this season. Last week, against a Delaware defense that is similar in scheme, the Jacks rolled to 222. However, this Holy Cross run defense is really good and allows just 111.6 per game. Delaware was at 135 per game. The most yards they have allowed on the ground this year was to Fordham (243) and since that game they have allowed just 81, 56, 43, and 22. If the Jacks can have similar success to the Delaware game and be efficient in the redzone, they will win this game.

Stop the Run

It’s no secret, the Jackrabbits are excellent at stopping the run. This year they have held opponents to just 70.6 ypg (2.4 ypc). The most rushing yards they gave up this year was 127 yards to NDSU. The only other team to crack 100 yards was Indiana State and a large chunk of that was earned on a fake punt. Holy Cross is a bit different than any team the Jacks have faced this year due to the reliance on quarterback runs. NDSU runs some QB power but most of the other teams with mobile QBs (UND and MSU) relied on the QB to make plays outside of the original play call. Holy Cross is is excellent at running the ball. Seven times this year they have ran for 250+ yards which led to averaging 243.8 per game. Their season low was 99 yards (2.5 ypc) in a 24-21 win at Lafayette in the middle of the season. So this is good on good. The Jacks will need to stop the run. Make Holy Cross one dimensional.

Punt Block

Holy Cross is good at blocking punts, period. They have 8 blocks on the year, all from corners who are excellent at jumping the snap count. The Jackrabbits punt operation has struggled at times throughout the season with blocking assignments and overall speed of the operation. It is imperative that the Jackrabbits not allow Holy Cross to have a momentum shifting play like a blocked punt. Folks need to be assignment sure when they step onto the field and focused on their job. As one mentioned on the podcast, if the Jackrabbit offense doesn’t get stopped we won’t have to worry about it!

Win the response

The Crusaders are a chippy bunch that plays to the echo of the whistle and seems to revel in getting their opponent stirred up. New Hampshire did not handle it well and I think the Jacks will be better. They average over 8 penalties and 76.5 yards of penalties. Mental performance coach, Kris Kracht, tweeted about “winning the response” earlier this week and it is the perfect thought to carry into this week. We were all witnesses last week when we saw AJ Coons “win the response” after the Delaware defender was making a fool of himself. Let’s see the entire team “win the response” this week.

Turnovers

The Jackrabbits have been excellent in turnover margin this year and are currently +12 on the year which is good for 6th in all of the FCS. The Crusaders have been even better and are currently +17. If the Jacks can force Holy Cross to become one dimensional there may be some turnovers but we can’t rely on Holy Cross to turn the ball over. The Jackrabbit offense and specials must protect the ball and not give the Crusaders any momentum.

Crowd Noise

The Jackrabbit crowd was awesome last week with plenty of noise. We expect a bigger crowd this week with more noise. The Jacks forced a false start and created communication issues for the Blue Hens last week. The playoff crowds are the best because it is the diehards. If you are attending, which you should, show up ready to stomp your feet and yell!

Of Note…

• Tailgating opens at 6am.
• If you are a Holy Cross fan and want to experience tailgating, come to the “Jackrabbit Book Club” as shown in Google Maps. We’ll show you a good time! The HC fans we met in the spring were great.
• Bring a cowbell
• Adam Bock, Graham Spalding, and Daeton Mcgaughy are all listed on the depth chart. If true, this is the healthiest the Jackrabbits have been all season. Caleb Francl is the only game 1 starter currently out.
• Tickets are available here!

Go Jacks!

Ben, Brendan Chad, Dallas, Kyle, Matt