1983 Holy Cross Crusaders football team

The 1983 Holy Cross Crusaders football team was an American football team that represented the College of the Holy Cross as an independent during the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Crusaders ranked No. 3 nationally but lost in the quarterfinals of the Division I-AA playoff.

1983 Holy Cross Crusaders football
NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal, L 21–28 vs. Western Carolina
ConferenceIndependent
Record9–2–1
Head coach
  • Rick E. Carter (3rd season)
Defensive coordinatorMark Duffner (3rd season)
Captains
  • Harry Flaherty
  • Matt Martin
  • Rob Porter
Home stadiumFitton Field
Seasons
← 1982
1984 →
1983 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Holy Cross ^     9 1 1
No. 17 Tennessee State     8 2 1
No. 7 Colgate ^     8 3 0
Lehigh     8 3 0
Lafayette     6 4 0
Northeastern     6 4 1
Southeastern Louisiana     6 5 0
William & Mary     6 5 0
Nicholls State     5 6 0
Bucknell     4 5 1
Delaware     4 7 0
Northwestern State     4 7 0
James Madison     3 8 0
Richmond     3 8 0
Western Kentucky     2 8 1
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

In their third year under head coach Rick E. Carter, the Crusaders compiled a 9–2–1 record (9–1–1 regular season). Harry Flaherty, Matt Martin and Rob Porter were the team captains.

An eight-game winning streak to open the campaign saw Holy Cross steadily climb in the weekly national rankings, reaching No. 1 in time for their last regular-season game. After suffering their first loss of the year in that season-ender—to Division I-A Boston College, in a game played at the New England Patriots' home stadium—the Crusaders dropped to No. 3 in the Division I-AA rankings, and earned a playoff first-round bye before being eliminated in the second round.

Holy Cross played its home games, including its first-ever home playoff game, at Fitton Field on the college campus in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 10 Boston University
  • Fitton Field
  • Worcester, MA
W 14–3 15,231
September 17 at UMass
  • Alumni Stadium
  • Hadley, MA
W 17–0 13,591
September 24 at New Hampshire No. 12
  • Cowell Stadium
  • Durham, NH
W 42–30 10,000
October 1 at Dartmouth No. 9
  • Memorial Field
  • Hanover, NH
W 41–14 10,753
October 8 No. 2 Colgate No. 6
  • Fitton Field
  • Worcester, MA
W 21–18 21,551
October 15 at Connecticut No. 4
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Storrs, CT
W 20–16 13,090
October 22 Brown^ No. 4
  • Fitton Field
  • Worcester, MA
W 31–10 16,004
October 29 Columbia No. 2
  • Fitton Field
  • Worcester, MA
W 77–28 12,861
November 5 at Harvard No. 2
  • Harvard Stadium
  • Boston, MA
T 10–10 8,000
November 12 at Delaware No. 3
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE
W 24–0 16,432
November 19 vs. Boston College No. 1
  • Sullivan Stadium
  • Foxborough, MA (rivalry)
L 7–47 38,512
December 3 No. 9 Western Carolina No. 3
  • Fitton Field
  • Worcester, MA (NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal)
L 21–28 10,814
  • Homecoming
  • ^ Family Weekend
  • Rankings from the latest NCAA Division I-AA poll released prior to the game

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