Lombard reaches rushing milestone

PLYMOUTH – Senior Willie Lombard had a monster day on the ground, setting a career-high in rushing yards for the second time in three weeks, while surpassing the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season, but the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth rallied to hold off Plymouth State University, 47-42, in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) football game at Panther Field on Saturday.

GAME STATISTICS

UMass Dartmouth scored twice in the final two minutes of the second quarter to build a 27-14 halftime lead, but Lombard ripped off a pair of huge scoring runs in a three-touchdown third quarter as PSU vaulted ahead of the unbeaten Corsairs, 35-27, midway through the third. After a touchdown, UMD converted a two-point attempt to deadlock the game at 35-35 heading to the fourth quarter.

The visitors pulled ahead with 8:47 remaining, but a failed PAT kept it a six-point game (41-35). The Corsairs extended the lead to 47-35 two minutes later, but freshman Devin Connally made an outstanding catch at the front of the end zone to cut the deficit to 47-42 with 3:30 left on the clock. The Corsairs were able to chew up the remaining time on the clock, though, converting a key third-and-one before a pair of kneel downs ended the game.

Lombard finished his final game with 252 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. He closes out the season with 1,179 rushing yards, becoming the first Panther to reach the 1,000-yard threshold since PSU Hall of Famer Jeff Mack  ran for a program record 1,779 yards during the 2008 season. His 16 rushing TDs are tied for the fourth-most in program history.

Prior to kickoff, Plymouth State honored its 16-member senior class in an on-field ceremony; Lombard, Mikey Levesque (Manchester, N.H.), Seth DiSalvo (North Andover, Mass.), Lane Davide (West Warwick, R.I.), Braden Lynn (Littleton, Mass.), Gustavo Regalado (Lawrence, Mass.), Caden Dubiel (Swampscott, Mass.), Matthew Griffing (West Brookfield, Mass.), Dylan Leonard (West Bridgewater, Mass.), Evan Wilson (Derry, N.H.), Frank Capaldo (Melrose, Mass.), Trent McDaniel (Helendale, Calif.), Teddy Fellows (Topsfield, Mass.), Michael Pesiridis (Arlington, Mass.), Josh Crosswhite (Littleton, Mass.) and Dustin Silvia (Bridgewater, Mass.).

Plymouth State finishes the season at 5-4 (5-4 MASCAC). The Panthers have finished .500 or better in the league every year since 2015. UMass Dartmouth improves to 10-0 (9-0 MASCAC) and, by virtue of capturing the MASCAC championship, will compete in the NCAA Tournament.

BENTLEY 41, SAINT ANSELM 14

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Saint Anselm College football team suffered a 41-14 loss to Bentley in their season finale on Saturday afternoon.

GAME STATISTICS

The Hawks concluded their 2024 season with an overall record of 5-5 and a Northeast-10 Conference record of 5-3. Bentley improved to 7-2 (6-2 NE10).

Bentley outgained Saint Anselm in total yards, 416-226. The Falcons picked up 23 first downs in the game, while the Hawks moved the chains 21 times.

Bentley nearly doubled up Saint Anselm on the ground with 101 rushing yards (3.7 yards per attempt) compared to just 53 rushing yards (1.6 yards per rush) for the Hawks.

CORNELL 39, DARTMOUTH 22

 Patrick Campbell picked off Cornell quarterback Jameson Wong to set up a go-ahead touchdown with 8:50 left in the third quarter, but the Big Red responded with 23 consecutive points, on their way to downing the 24th ranked Dartmouth 39-22 on Saturday afternoon. The Big Green tied a season high with three interceptions on the afternoon, but it also turned the ball over four times themselves and Cornell capitalized.

GAME STATISTICS

With the loss, Dartmouth falls to 7-2 and 4-2 in the Ivy League. Cornell improves to 4-5 and 3-3. The Big Green still have a chance to share the Ivy League Championship with a win over Brown next Saturday combined with a Harvard loss against Yale.

FRANKLIN PIERCE 21, ASSUMPTION 19 (OT)

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