PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Willie Lombard (Littleton, Mass.) had a monster day on the ground, setting a new 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.
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 (Boynton Beach, Fla.) 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 '09 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.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 42, UMass Dartmouth 47
- Plymouth State (5-4, 5-4 MASCAC)
- UMass Dartmouth (10-0, 9-0 MASCAC)
How it Happened:
- Plymouth State caught a break when the Corsairs fumbled the opening kickoff, setting up PSU at the UMass Dartmouth 29-yard line. The Panthers were able to move to the 9-yard line, but a 29-yard field goal attempt in the heavy wind blew wide of the uprights.
- UMD countered with a 7-play, 80-yard TD drive to snag an early 7-0 lead.
- The teams traded punts on the next two possessions, but PSU got rolling on its third drive. The Panthers moved into UMD territory behind three Lombard runs, but a sack left PSU at midfield as the quarter expired. Lynn connected with Connally for an 18-yard gain and Lombard ripped off a 23-yard rush, before Lynn scampered three yards for the touchdown to pull even, 7-7, with 12:22 left in the half.
- UMass Dartmouth marched down the field to retake the lead with a 14-play, 70-yard drive, culminating in a touchdown.
- The Panthers answered right back. Lynn converted a third-and-eight with a 23-yard catch-and-run to junior Gregory Walker (Boxford, Mass.). It looked like Lombard had tied the game with a nine-yard run, but a holding penalty nullified the score to set up a third-and-13 from the 19-yard line. PSU took advantage of a defensive holding penalty to get a fresh set of downs, and Lynn escaped trouble and scrambled nine yards for the touchdown on the very next play to tie the game at 14-14.
- UMD returned the ensuing kickoff 68 yards for a score to go right back in the lead, but a bad snap on the PAT left the score 20-14.
- The Corsairs snagged an interception near midfield with less than a minute before halftime, then quickly drove down field for another TD to make it a 27-14 game at the half.
- Coming out of the halftime break, PSU needed just three plays to cut into the margin. After a pair of modest runs, Lombard broke free for a 60-yard burst to the end zone to pull within 27-21 just 1:26 into the third.
- The Panthers' defense came up big as Wilson and Levesque teamed up to tackle the UMD running back behind the line of scrimmage on a fourth-and-three from the PSU 34-yard line, and Lombard took the handoff on the very next play for a 65-yard touchdown run. DiSalvo was good on the extra point to put the hosts in the lead, 28-27, with 9:44 left in the third.
- PSU's defense held the Corsairs to a three-and-out and a bad snap on a punt attempt resulted in the Panthers taking over at the UMD 14-yard line. Lombard found pay dirt for the third time, this time busting through the line from one yard out, as the hosts extended the lead to 35-27 midway through the third.
- The Corsairs got a big kickoff return of 38 yards to jumpstart their next drive. UMass Dartmouth capped the 13-play drive with a one-yard TD run of its own on fourth down and the visitors converted the two-point attempt to knot the game at 35-35.
- UMD pushed the ball all the way to the Panthers' 1-yard line, but a false start on fourth down pushed the Corsairs back and Wilson broke up a sure touchdown in the end zone as PSU took over on downs.
- Pinned deep in its own territory, PSU was unable to move the ball and UMass Dartmouth would connect on a 42-yard TD through the air to go ahead, 41-35, with 8:40 left to play.
- The Panthers were forced to punt again and UMass Dartmouth took advantage with a 69-yard TD run on the second play of the drive to extend the margin. UMD was unable to convert the two-point try, though, leaving the score 47-35.
- PSU needed just three minutes to cover 65 yards to cut into the margin. Lynn hit Connally for a key third down conversion near midfield. On second-and-eleven from the UMD 38-yardline, Plymouth State took advantage of a free play as the Corsairs jumped offsides. Lynn lofted a pass to the front of the end zone, where Connally made a juggling catch in traffic, tipping the ball to himself before falling into the end zone for a touchdown to make it 47-42.
- UMass Dartmouth was able to ice the game away, though, converting a key third-and-one before kneeling out the clock.
By the Numbers:
- Lombard posted 252 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He finished the afternoon with 348 all-purpose yards.
- Lynn completed 8-of-17 pass attempts for 114 yards and a touchdown, adding nine yards rushing and a pair of rushing TDs.
- Connally caught four balls for 77 yards and a score.
- Levesque finished with 14 tackles, including 11 solo stops, and 1.5 tackles for a loss, while Wilson added 13 tackles (five solo), 1.5 for a loss, a break up and a hurry.
- The Panthers went 7-for-12 on third downs.
- DiSalvo nailed all six of his extra point attempts.
- The 42 points scored by the Panthers were far-and-away the most UMass Dartmouth has allowed this season. Coming into the contest, UMD had outscored its opponents by an average of nearly 50 points a game.
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