WORCESTER, Mass. — Last year, the University of New Hampshire football team cut things a little tight in a win over Holy Cross.

Not this time.

The Wildcats, led by redshirt freshman quarterback Sean Goldrich and a getting-stingier defense, broke open their game with the Crusaders in the second half on the way to a 38-17 win on Thursday night at Fitton Field.

UNH, ranked No. 14 in Football Championship Subdivision in the pre-season, improved to 11-3 in season openers under head coach Sean McDonnell.

The Wildcats intercepted two Holy Cross passes and recovered a fumble and did not have a turnover themselves.

“I was real excited with how we hung onto the ball,” McDonnell said. “I thought Sean did a nice job with it and made some good reads and put the ball on people and made some good plays. For a freshman coming in, it was probably above my wildest dreams how he played. I'm happy for him.”

The Wildcats move on to Minneapolis to play their Football Bowl Subdivision game against the University of Minnesota on Sept. 8.

In last year's game against Holy Cross, UNH needed a score in the last two minutes to match a Crusader TD and pull out a 39-32 victory.

Thursday night's game required no such drama.

Goldrich directed a well-balanced offense and completed 21 of his 31 pass attempts for 193 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 10 times for 71 yards.

Andy Vailas, a sophomore out of Bedford and Bishop Guertin of Nashua, had a TD pass, too, during a brief appearance in the first half.

Sophomore Nico Steriti and junior Chris Setian each had 12 carries and scored a touchdown. Steriti gained 67 yards and Setian 56.

The defense, after giving up a 37-yard run that led to a Holy Cross touchdown in the first half, cranked it up in the second half.

Holy Cross had 225 yards of offense in the first half, just 121 in the second.

UNH collected 531 yards of offense, 279 rushing and 252 through the air.

The Wildcats broke the game open with a pair of huge drives — the first went for 98 yards and the second a mere 95 — in the third quarter.

UNH went up 25-10 with the 98-yarder. Sophomore running back Jimmy Owns capped it with his first career TD from 1-yard out with 7:34 left in the period. Mike MacArthur's conversion kick was wide.

The last 3 yards of the second drive actually came in the first minute of the fourth quarter. Goldrich finished it off with a 3-yard scoring pass to Joey Orlando in the right corner of the end zone. MacArthur's kick made it 32-10.

Soon, the Wildcats had the lead up to 38-10 when a Manny Asam interception set up a 2-yard TD run by Setian.

Goldrich and Vailas each threw a touchdown pass in the first half.

Goldrich also led the Wildcats to a Steriti rushing touchdown that opened the scoring. Steriti scored from 3 yards out with eight minutes left in the first quarter. Mike MacArthur's extra point kick was blocked.

Holy Cross answered with a 4-yard keeper by quarterback Kevin Watson to take the lead at 7-6 early in the second period.

The Wildcats responded with passing touchdowns on their next two possessions and moved in front, 19-7.

Vailas connected with senior Joey Orlando down the left sideline for a 38-yard score to complete his only turn at QB in the first half. MacArthur's kick made it 13-7.

Vailas completed all four of his passes in his six-play stint in the half.

Five plays later, UNH defensive tackle Jared Smith pressured Watson and Dontra Peters picked off the quarterback's harried pass.

Goldrich took the Wildcats back down the field and capitalized with an 8-yard scoring pass to R.J. Harris. Goldrich tried to run in the conversion on a fake, but came up short and it was 19-7.

The Crusaders marched to a 32-yard John Macomber field goal on the last play of the half to cut the lead to 19-10.

It never got any closer.