Plymouth State earns first victory

By rbrown
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Updated: October 15, 2023

PLYMOUTH – Junior Willie Lombard scored on a 95-yard kickoff return and rushed for more than 100 yards to launch Plymouth State University to a 40-21 win over Fitchburg State University in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) football game at Panther Field on Saturday.

Fitchburg State found the end zone with just over a minute remaining in the opening quarter for the game’s first points, but Lombard hauled in the ensuing kickoff at the 5-yard line and sliced through the coverage team before sprinting up the left sideline and into the end zone.

FULL STORY | GAME STATISTICS

Plymouth State scored a pair of second-quarter TDs to pull in front, as junior Braden Lynn (Littleton, Mass.) hooked up with senior Jon Proia (North Chelmsford, Mass.) for a 16-yard score, before freshman Daeon Lynch (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) cashed in on a 4-yard run to make it 19-7.

Lombard extended the lead with a 34-yard dash through the Falcons’ defense early in the third quarter, and PSU’s defense forced a quick three-and-out. Freshman Derek Thomas (Glastonbury, Conn.) had a clear path to the punter for the block and sophomore Jake Dreyfus (Weymouth, Mass.) scooped up the ball and trotted into the end zone as the lead expanded to 33-7.

The Falcons used a 13-play, 65-yard drive to get another seven points on the board late in the third and each team added fourth-quarter touchdowns, PSU’s on a 3-yard dive by senior Tyler Kayo (Londonderry), to account for the final score.

Plymouth State improved to 1-5 (1-3 MASCAC). Fitchburg State slid to 0-7 (0-5 MASCAC).

COLGATE 27, DARTMOUTH 24 (OT)

HAMILTON, N.Y. — After rallying from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit, Dartmouth could not match a Colgate field goal in overtime when a 29-yard attempt was blocked, allowing the Raiders (2-4) to send their homecoming crowd of 2,732 home happy with a 27-24 triumph. Colgate won its second straight game following four losses to start the season, while the Big Green fell to 2-3 despite a career-high 185 receiving yards for Paxton Scott.

Dartmouth won the coin toss in overtime and elected to play defense first, only to have Raider running back Chris Gee rip off a 17-yard run down to the 8-yard line. But the Big Green stiffened up, keeping Colgate out of the end zone, forcing it to settle for a 20-yard field goal for the three-point lead.

FULL STORY | GAME STATISTICS

A false start did not help Dartmouth’s prospects on its possession, but on third-and-16 at the 31, Scott caught a short pass for his 10th grab of the day (matching a season and career high), then twisted and fought his way to the marker for a first down. When the Green could muster only 2 more yards on three plays, freshman Owen Zalc — who had ended an overtime victory at Penn two weeks ago with a 37-yard field goal — was summoned to attempt to tie the game with a 29-yarder and send it into a second overtime. Those plans went out the window, however, when his kick was batted away by Zack Pelland, ending the wild affair.

SAINT ANSELM 13, NEW HAVEN 9

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Fifth year captain Anthony Brown (Belton, Texas) rushed for two touchdowns out of the Wildcat formation and the Hawks defense forced three turnovers as the Saint Anselm College football team picked up a huge road win over the University of New Haven on Saturday, 13-9. The win snaps New Haven’s 18-game conference home winning streak. It also marks just the fourth win for the Hawks over the Chargers in program history, the first since 2019.

FULL STORY | GAME STATISTICS

ASSUMPTION 21, FRANKLIN PIERCE 17

RINDGE – The Assumption University football team survived four turnovers to pick up a 21-17 Northeast-10 Conference win at Franklin Pierce University on Saturday afternoon.

Franklin Pierce opened the game with a touchdown on their first possession of the contest, as Andrew Meleski scored on a 1-yard plunge. The Greyhounds responded with a touchdown of their own, as Jake Cady crossed the goal line on a QB sneak. The Ravens were the lone team to score in the second quarter, as Nolan Starzell connected on a 29-yard field goal.

FULL STORY | GAME STATISTICS

Assumption responded at the start of the third quarter, as Raekwon Washington scored from 1 yard out, making it 14-10 Greyhounds. The Ravens opened the fourth quarter by regaining the lead following an Alex Benitez rushing score. The Greyhounds responded with a 20-yard touchdown run by James Henderson to give the visitors a 21-17 with 7:21 remaining in regulation. Under two minutes remaining in regulation, the Assumption defense stiffened and stopped Franklin Pierce on fourth and 17.

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