BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Plymouth State University football team scored three second half touchdowns, but Bridgewater State University held on late for a 27-24 win in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at Swenson Field.
Bridgewater State took a 13-0 lead in the first quarter, but senior
Dan Carey (Plymouth, N.H.) got the Panthers on the board just before the half expired with a 36-yard field goal to cut the deficit 13-3 at the break.
The Bears scored a pair of TDs in the third quarter as the lead ballooned to 27-3, but senior
Ryan Milliken (Lebanon, N.H.) sparked the Panthers' comeback bid when he returned a kickoff 81 yards down the left hashmarks in the final minute of the third.
PSU got into the end zone twice in the fourth quarter to pull within three, 27-24, but time ran out on the Panthers.
Plymouth State falls to 0-3 and 0-1 in the MASCAC, while Bridgewater State gets its first win of the season to improve to 1-2 (1-0 MASCAC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 24, Bridgewater State 27
- Plymouth State (0-3, 0-1 MASCAC)
- Bridgewater State (1-2, 1-0 MASCAC)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- The Bears went 61 yards on nine plays on the opening drive to take an early 7-0 lead.
- BSU would drive 99-yards on 12 plays late in the first quarter to go up 13-0.
- With time running out in the first half, senior quarterback Brett Lavanchy (Walpole, Mass.) found classmate Gavin Moody (Concord, N.H.) for a 52-yard gain to the Bears' 14-yard line. Carey knocked in a 36-yard field goal with 17 seconds left in the first half to make it 13-3 at the break.
- The Bears added a rushing touchdown and defensive score to extend the lead to 27-3 in the third quarter, but Milliken's big return gave the Panthers momentum heading into the final 15 minutes.
- Senior Manny Sanchez (Hartford, Conn.) capped a 6-play, 41-yard drive with a three-yard TD run with 10:17 left to play, and PSU cut the lead to 27-24 on its next possession when junior Bryan Warren (Pine Bush, N.Y.) snagged a three-yard pass from junior Christian Paillet (Nashua, N.H.) in the end zone.
- The Panthers' defense held and PSU got the ball back at its own 28-yard line with just under a minute remaining. Paillet connected with senior Colby Moore (Ashland, N.H.) for a 36-yard catch but Moore was brought down at the Bridgewater 26-yard line as time expired.
By the Numbers:
- Lavanchy went 5-of-10 for 121 yards, while Paillet was 7-of-13 for 112 yards and a TD.
- PSU's defense was led by senior David Salazar's (Waltham, Mass.) 13 tackles, including ten solo stops. Classmate Terrell Lewis (New Boston, N.H.) broke up two passes and added five solo tackles, while graduate student Rowan Drew (Plymouth, N.H.) finished with one sack and seven tackles, with three for a loss.
- Junior Jack Glanville (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) led the rushing game with 44 yards on nine carries, followed by sophomore Willie Lombard (Bridgewater, Mass.), who ran for 40 yards in his return home.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State is on its bye next week but returns to action for a Homecoming Weekend battle with Framingham State on October 2nd.
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