Nevertheless, Fitzpatrick showed plenty of gusto in relief of Harvard’s all-league QB, running a pair of naked bootlegs around left end for crucial first downs to ice the game on the Crimson’s final possession.

On the second such play, he fancied himself a fullback, lowering his shoulder into Holy Cross cornerback Dave Seger and falling forward past the sticks for what proved to be the game-clinching first down.

New-Name Defense

Harvard is without seven of its defensive starters from last season, but that certainly didn’t show in its efforts Saturday.

Junior linebacker Dante Balestracci, a back-to-back All-Ivy League selection, said he didn’t sense much difference in the players surrounding him.

“The changes are really only in the faces,” said Balestracci, who led Harvard in tackles with nine and forced a fumble. “The only question was if we were going to jell by the first game, and we did that.”

Balestracci keyed a stingy front seven that held Holy Cross to just 45 net yards rushing.

The Crimson defensive backfield, meanwhile, had a decent showing as openers go.

Senior Xavier Goss, who made the switch from cornerback to free safety this year, played well against both the run and pass, finishing with eight tackles.

Fellow defensive backs Niall Murphy and Benny Butler also had big games and were right behind Goss with six and five tackles, respectively.

—Staff Writer Jon P. Morosi can be reached at morosi@fas.havard.edu.