In a game in which Holy Cross tried its best to lose, the Harvard football team's offense did it one better.

Both sides littered the field with offensive miscues as the Crimson (0-1, 0-0 Ivy) lost to Holy Cross (2-0, 0-0 Patriot) in Saturday's season-opener 27-25, in front of 7,406 at Harvard Stadium.

Turnovers hurt the Crimson badly on Saturday. Harvard lost two fumbles, one on the opening kickoff, and threw three interceptions. The Crusaders, on the other hand, lost two fumbles but at least threw the ball only to themselves.

"We dug ourselves an unbelievable hole and because of that as much as anything we didn't put ourselves in position to win." Harvard Coach Tim Murphy said.

The most bumbling miscue exchange also proved the most damaging for the Crimson. Harvard had crept back in the game and was down 20-18. Crusader quarterback Brian Hall, who otherwise had a good day completing 16-of-23 passes and gaining 141 yards on 23 rushing attempts, fumbled on the Holy Cross 20-yard line and Harvard senior linebacker Michael Green recovered the ball.

On first-and-10, junior quarterback Neil Rose, who completed 7-of-9 passes for 78 yards and had just replaced the ineffective sophomore Barry Wahlberg, fumbled the snap from center and Holy Cross recovered.

"We got our chance because our defense turns the ball over and we turn it over the next play." Murphy said. "I believe at that point we certainly had the momentum."

Holy Cross then drove the length of the field on nine plays, highlighted by a 54-yard scramble by Hall, for a touchdown, putting the Crusaders up 27-18. Hall eluded the blitzing junior defensive end Phil Scherrer and darted up the right sideline, eluding several Crimson would-be tacklers.