Harvard beats Holy Cross 30-7

Team pages: Holy Cross · Harvard

Holy Cross2-57
Harvard5-030Final
Sat, Oct 17 · Harvard Stadium, Boston, Mass. · Crowd 6,581ESPN+

Harvard beat Holy Cross 30-7.

We had Harvard favored. It won.

Next: Holy Cross vs Bucknell, Sat Oct 24 · 1:00 PM ET

Next: Harvard vs Princeton, Sat Oct 24 · 3:00 PM ET

How it swung

Before kickoff, our ratings gave Harvard an 88% chance, and the closing betting line (Harvard was a 15.5-point favorite) put it at 89%.

Favored the whole way: Harvard never fell below 85%.

Holy Cross never had better than a 15% chance.

FinalHarvard 30-7 Holy CrossHarvard wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.
50%75%90%Q1Q2Q3Q489% at halfHarvardWon30-7Scores
50%75%90%Q1Q2Q3Q489% at halfHarvardWon30-7Scores
50%10%25%Q1Q2Q3Q411% at halfHarvardLowest 0%Lost7-30Scores
50%10%25%Q1Q2Q3Q411% at halfHarvardLowest 0%Lost7-30Scores

No single play moved the chance by 20 points.

No single play moved the chance by 20 points.

Harvard’s chance to win after every play.
How to read this chartStarts from the pregame line (Harvard -15.5), at 88% for Harvard (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores.

Every drive

Harvard scored on 5 of its 11 drives; Holy Cross on 1 of its 10.

Harvard’s drives are teal, Holy Cross’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.

own goalgoal lineQ1Holy Cross: Punt, from 75 yards out to 58PuntHarvard: Turned over on downs, from 72 yards out to 0DownsHoly Cross: Missed field goal, from 75 yards out to 11Missed FGHarvard: Field goal, from 80 yards out to 19Field goalQ2Holy Cross: Touchdown, from 73 yards out to 0TouchdownHarvard: Fumble, from 75 yards out to 32FumbleHoly Cross: Punt, from 68 yards out to 43PuntHarvard: Field goal, from 84 yards out to 20Field goalHarvard: End of half, from 65 yards out to 29End of halfQ3Harvard: Punt, from 69 yards out to 77PuntHoly Cross: Punt, from 59 yards out to 46PuntHarvard: Punt, from 80 yards out to 62PuntHoly Cross: Interception, from 82 yards out to 45InterceptionHarvard: Field goal, from 89 yards out to 24Field goalHoly Cross: Punt, from 75 yards out to 66PuntHarvard: Touchdown, from 67 yards out to 0TouchdownQ4Holy Cross: Punt, from 74 yards out to 62PuntHarvard: Touchdown, from 84 yards out to 0TouchdownHoly Cross: Interception, from 63 yards out to 51InterceptionHarvard: Turned over on downs, from 7 yards out to 2DownsHoly Cross: Uncategorized, from 98 yards out to 69Uncategorized

Box score

Harvard 30, Holy Cross 7

Harvard covered −15.5 by 7.5. The total, 37, stayed under 45.5.

Holy Cross leaders

  • Passing David Lynch 11 of 22, 120 yds, 2 INT
  • Rushing Joseph Williams 16 for 123 yds; Jake Croce 7 for 30 yds
  • Receiving Joseph Williams 4 for 87 yds, 1 TD; Jake Croce 1 for 35 yds

Harvard leaders

  • Passing Charlie Smith 19 of 32, 297 yds, 1 TD
  • Rushing Najee Calhoun 13 for 43 yds; Kise Flannery 5 for 36 yds, 2 TD
  • Receiving Henry Shoemaker 3 for 83 yds, 1 TD; Seamus Gilmartin 3 for 62 yds

Before kickoff

Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.

Recent games

Last three games

Holy Cross · 2-4

Rated 198th in our preseason ratings, 201st now.

2-1 in its last three, capped by a 27-point win over William & Mary as a 6-point underdog.

W 41-14 @ William & Mary #250 of 668

won by 27 as a 6-point underdog

Holy Cross won 41-14 at William & Mary. Chance to win started at 23%, low 22%, high better than 99%.

W 38-30 @ Lafayette #226 of 668

won by 8 as a 4-point underdog

Holy Cross won 38-30 at Lafayette. Chance to win started at 31%, low 30%, high 99%.

L 28-38 vs Yale #224 of 668

lost by 10 as a 21-point underdog

Holy Cross lost 28-38 vs Yale. Chance to win started at 9%, low under 1%, high 58%.

L 7-45 @ Miami (OH) #86 of 668

lost by 38 as a 30.5-point underdog

Holy Cross lost 7-45 at Miami (OH). Chance to win started at 2%, low under 1%, high 3%.

L 10-35 @ Colgate #208 of 668

lost by 25 as a 4.5-point underdog

Holy Cross lost 10-35 at Colgate. Chance to win started at 30%, low under 1%, high 31%.

L 10-35 vs Lehigh #140 of 668

lost by 25 as a 14-point underdog

Holy Cross lost 10-35 vs Lehigh. Chance to win started at 22%, low under 1%, high 24%.

Last 4 games

Harvard · 4-0

Rated 195th in our preseason ratings, 167th now, up 28 spots.

4 straight wins — but still hunting a ranked opponent.

W 41-29 @ Cornell #213 of 668

won by 12 as a 7-point favorite

Harvard won 41-29 at Cornell. Chance to win started at 64%, low 32%, high better than 99%.

W 20-17 vs Colgate #155 of 668

won by 3 as a 4.5-point favorite

Harvard won 20-17 vs Colgate. Chance to win started at 69%, low 6%, high better than 99%.

W 14-10 @ Brown #229 of 668

won by 4 as a 13.5-point favorite

Harvard won 14-10 at Brown. Chance to win started at 77%, low 73%, high 97%.

W 31-7 @ New Hampshire #225 of 668

won by 24 as a 14.5-point favorite

Harvard won 31-7 at New Hampshire. Chance to win started at 81%, low 67%, high better than 99%.

Week by week

Harvard

Wk 3: W 31-7 at New Hampshire▲24N. HampshireWk 4: W 14-10 at Brown▲4BrownWk 5: W 20-17 vs Colgate▲3ColgateWk 6: W 41-29 at Cornell▲12Cornell
  • Wk 3Wat New Hampshire31-7
  • Wk 4Wat Brown14-10
  • Wk 5Wvs Colgate20-17
  • Wk 6Wat Cornell41-29

Holy Cross

Wk 1: L 10-35 at Colgate▼25ColgateWk 2: L 7-45 at Miami (OH)▼38M. (OH)Wk 3: L 28-38 vs Yale▼10YaleWk 4: W 38-30 at Lafayette▲8LafayetteWk 5: W 41-14 at William & Mary▲27William…
  • Wk 1Lat Colgate10-35
  • Wk 2Lat Miami (OH)7-45
  • Wk 3Lvs Yale28-38
  • Wk 4Wat Lafayette38-30
  • Wk 5Wat William & Mary41-14

Power rating by week

Harvard is rated 2.4 points ahead as of week 6. Our power rating by week; higher is better.

-6-8-11Wk 0Wk 3Wk 6HarvardHoly Cross

The series

Harvard leads the series 39-16-1

56 meetings since 1904 · Harvard has won the last 3

Harvard wonHoly Cross won1904: Harvard by 231911: Harvard by 81912: Harvard by 191913: Harvard by 401920: Harvard by 31921: Harvard by 31922: Harvard by 201923: Harvard by 61924: Harvard by 61925: Holy Cross by 11926: Holy Cross by 51927: Harvard by 81928: tie1929: Harvard by 61930: Holy Cross by 271931: Harvard by 71932: Harvard by 71933: Holy Cross by 31934: Holy Cross by 201935: Holy Cross by 131946: Harvard by 71947: Harvard by 71948: Harvard by 71949: Harvard by 81950: Holy Cross by 191951: Holy Cross by 271960: Harvard by 71962: Holy Cross by 141965: Harvard by 101968: Harvard by 71969: Harvard by 131971: Holy Cross by 51974: Harvard by 101975: Harvard by 111980: Harvard by 11981: Holy Cross by 142003: Harvard by 202004: Harvard by 352005: Harvard by 102006: Harvard by 172007: Holy Cross by 32008: Harvard by 12009: Holy Cross by 72010: Harvard by 282011: Holy Cross by 82012: Harvard by 492013: Harvard by 62014: Harvard by 232016: Holy Cross by 102018: Harvard by 22019: Harvard by 102021: Harvard by 252022: Holy Cross by 92023: Harvard by 102024: Harvard by 12025: Harvard by 3519042025
  • 2025Harvard 59-24
  • 2024Harvard 35-34
  • 2023 · neutral siteHarvard 38-28
  • 2022Holy Cross 30-21
  • 2021Harvard 38-13

Line, fans and home field

The betting line, and the fans

Our model and the betting line agree on Harvard’s chances here.

50-50Model 88% · Line 89%Holy CrossHarvard

Harvard favored by 15.5 · Total 45.5

How games like this usually go

Harvard by 15.5, and it went to form

50%90%Q1Q2Q3Q450%90%Q1Q2Q3Q4

Half of games8 in 10 gamesThis game

The band is where a favorite’s chance ran in the 251 games since 2025 with a favorite of 14.5 to 21.5 points.

The market

The total fell 5 points.

opened 50.5now 45.5

Total: 50.5 → 45.5

The books’ cut: 5.3%, the margin built into the odds

Where next