WESTFIELD, Mass. – Senior
Manny Sanchez (Hartford, Conn.) rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown and Plymouth State University won its fourth straight game, topping Westfield State University, 17-7, in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) game at Alumni Field on Saturday afternoon.
Freshman
Evan Wilson (Derry, N.H.) had a pair of sacks and sophomore
Emmanuel Ughu (Milford, N.H.) had a fumble recovery as the Panthers fought back to an even .500. PSU churned out 202 yards on the ground in the win.
PSU's four-game winning streak runs the Panthers' record to 4-4 (4-2 MASCAC), while Westfield State remains winless on the season at 0-8 (0-6 MASCAC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 17, Westfield State 7
- Plymouth State (4-4, 4-2 MASCAC)
- Westfield State (0-8, 0-6 MASCAC)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- Westfield botched a handoff on its opening possession and Ughu dove on the loose ball, but Plymouth State was unable to capitalize on the turnover.
- The Panthers relied on a heavy dose of Sanchez and junior Jack Glanville (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) on the ground during its next possession, chewing up more than 8:30 on the clock and senior Dan Carey (Plymouth, N.H.) booted a 36-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
- PSU got good field position following a 22-yard punt return by senior Ryan Milliken (Lebanon, N.H.) and aided by an Owls' penalty for another 15 yards. Sanchez and Glanville split six carries and Sanchez capped the drive with an eight-yard TD run to push the advantage to 10-0 with just under five minutes left in the half.
- Neither offense was able to do much from then as the Panthers took the 10-0 advantage into halftime.
- Plymouth State took the second half kickoff and moved the ball down to the Westfield 13-yard line on a drive that was extended by an Owls' penalty on fourth-and-one. Sanchez ripped off a big 19-yard gain on the ground, but the drive stalled with a PSU fumble at the Owls' 5-yard line.
- The Panthers' defense held, though, forcing Westfield to punt from its own end zone thanks to a huge sack by Wilson and PSU's ensuing drive started from the Westfield 32-yard line. Sanchez drove the ball into the red zone and junior Ryan Coyle (West Milford, N.J.) took it the rest of the way for a six-yard TD run to make it 17-0 with 1:15 left in the third.
- The hosts came back with their best drive of the afternoon, covering 77 yards over 14 plays and ending with a touchdown to cut the lead to 17-7.
- PSU went three-and-out, but senior Brett Lavanchy's (Walpole, Mass.) punt pinned Westfield deep, and the Panthers' defense didn't allow the Owls past midfield. Plymouth State's offense took over from there, successfully running off the final 4:17 to close out the win.
By the Numbers:
- PSU outgained the Owls on the ground by a 202-114 margin.
- The time of possession was nearly a perfect split, with PSU holding the ball for 30:24.
- Plymouth State went 5-of-10 on third downs and scored on three-of-five red zone possessions.
- The Panthers' defense only allowed Westfield into the red zone once.
- Sanchez posted his third 100-yard rushing game of the season, all coming within the last four weeks.
- Junior Bryce Wronski (Middleton, Mass.) led the defense with 12 tackles, including six solo stops and one tackle for a loss. Wilson made three tackles in the backfield, including a pair of sacks, to finish with eight total tackles.
- PSU has won four straight and five-of-six against the Owls.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State returns home to Panther Field on Saturday (Nov. 6) for a Senior Day contest against Mass. Maritime Academy. Kickoff is slated for noon.
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