It's tough catching up with the Crusaders

Relentless offense can run opponents ragged

WORCESTER - It was a sweltering New England day, and the Holy Cross defense walked off the field early in the second quarter after a long scoring drive by Brown - 11 plays, to be exact.

The drive resulted in a 30-yard field goal. After a long kickoff return, HC scored a touchdown in two plays, taking just 15 seconds off the clock.

The Crusaders' offense, which led the Patriot League in total offense and scoring, was met by its grumpy defense as one unit left the field and the other reentered.

"Give us a break. We're dying out there," the defense pleaded, according to receiver Brett McDermott.

That moment defined the Crusaders' dominance on offense - they were so superior at times that they not only wore out opposing defenses but their own.

According to coach Tom Gilmore, it was a reflection on the team's "ability to strike fast on offense." But there were times last year, McDermott said, when HC couldn't end games soon enough, and part of that was attributable to the offense's quick-strike ability as it led the Crusaders to their second straight 7-4 finish.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, it's good, but sometimes it can be bad toward the end of the game when we're trying to burn some clock," Gilmore said.

This season, it can safely be assumed an offense that averaged 463 yards per game (335 passing) will run more as Mike Pedone, who served 12 years as offensive line coach, transitions into offensive coordinator.

He'll have four starters returning on the line he developed, along with the league's Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Dominic Randolph; two senior receivers; all-league tight end Ryan McGuire; and two productive running backs.

Gilmore said the Crusaders would be prioritizing the run regardless of coordinators.

"The fact that Coach Pedone has an offensive line background enhances the chances of that happening, but we're going to do what moves the football and scores points," Gilmore said. "I would hope it would be a more balanced attack, but if we have to throw it every down, that's fine, too."

McDermott, who had 56 catches for 727 yards last season, said the change toward a more balanced offense should make the passing game better.

"With [Pedone's] mind-set, I think the run will be a little more emphasized and that will help the pass a lot because it'll make us a little more predictable," McDermott said.

Gilmore said this offense could be his best, but just because it has the potential to do so doesn't mean it will.

"I think we're going to be able to run the ball a lot better than we have," Gilmore said. "That's going to allow us to do two things: It's going to allow us to be more balanced and have a run game, and that in turn will open up our pass game even more and make us an even bigger-play threat."

A balanced offense may be even more important because the defense is young. Five starters are gone, but Gilmore said their replacements are just as talented. If the games become shootouts, Randolph, who set the school record for total offense (3,741 yards) last season, said he likes his team's chances.

"We're used to scoring a lot and expect to score a lot, so I don't see that as pressure since we run and throw the ball real well," he said.

When pressed about how the offense could improve, Randolph immediately thought of those winded defenders shuffling between the bench and field.

"We joke about it on the sideline," he said. "Obviously, they don't care if we would score, but hopefully, we can give them a little more break."