PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Freshman
Jayden Graham (Rutland, Vt.) rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown, but Anna Maria College slipped past Plymouth State University, 35-28, in a back-and-forth Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) football game at Panther Field on Saturday.
The teams traded touchdowns throughout the first half, with senior
Mitchell Cripps (Dracut, Mass.) hauling in a 37-yard score in the final seconds to send PSU to the locker room up, 20-14.
Anna Maria pulled ahead with the only points of the third quarter, but Graham's 18-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion by graduate quarterback
Braden Lynn (Littleton, Mass.) put the Panthers back in front, 28-21, early in the fourth.
The AMCATS tied the game with less than five minutes to play, then forced a key third-down stop to regain possession. Anna Maria capitalized with a 22-yard catch-and-run to take a 35-28 lead with 32 seconds left.
PSU quickly advanced to midfield, and Lynn hit sophomore
Devin Connally (Boynton Beach, Fla.) for a 42-yard gain down the sideline, but Anna Maria made the tackle as time expired to hold on for the win.
Plymouth State suffers its first setback of the season, falling to 5-1 (4-1 MASCAC), while Anna Maria improves to 4-2 (4-1 MASCAC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 28, Anna Maria 35
- Plymouth State (5-1, 4-1 MASCAC)
- Anna Maria (4-2, 4-1 MASCAC)
How it Happened:
- Anna Maria received the opening kickoff and marched 74 yards on 10 plays, punching in a one-yard run for a 7-0 lead.
- PSU answered right away. On third-and-four, Lynn ran for 16 yards, then later found Graham for a 14-yard gain. Facing fourth-and-five, Lynn connected with Cripps for a 30-yard touchdown to even the score.
- Junior Khari Whitehead (Manchester, N.H.) tipped a pass at the line to help force an AMC punt late in the first.
- The Panthers pieced together their longest drive of the day – 13 plays, 99 yards, over eight minutes – to take a 14-7 lead. Graham converted third-and-17 with a 23-yard catch, then added a 17-yard TD reception two plays later.
- Anna Maria answered with a 73-yard scoring drive to tie the game with just over two minutes left in the half.
- PSU managed the clock perfectly, using several Graham runs and a 20-yard Connally reception to set up fourth-and-10 from the AMC 37 with 19 seconds remaining. Lynn's deep ball found Cripps in a crowd for the 37-yard TD and a 20-14 halftime edge.
- Anna Maria threatened early in the third, but sophomore Ben Brown (York, Maine) intercepted a pass at the PSU 2-yard line.
- A short punt gave AMC prime field position, and the visitors took advantage with a 28-yard touchdown pass to go up 21-20.
- Graham powered the next drive, carrying nine times for 68 yards and capping it with an 18-yard score. Lynn ran in the two-point try for a 28-21 PSU lead early in the fourth.
- Senior Jack Milano (Pelham, N.H.) intercepted a pass in the end zone to stall an AMC drive, but the Panthers couldn't capitalize.
- Anna Maria tied it at 28-28 on a nine-play, 67-yard drive with 4:43 remaining, then forced a three-and-out and scored again on a 22-yard catch-and-run with 32 seconds left.
- PSU moved quickly to the 45-yard line, and Lynn found Connally for a 42-yard gain down the right sideline, but the AMC defense made the tackle as the clock expired.
By the Numbers:
- Graham ran 23 times for 135 yards and caught five passes for 49 yards, scoring once on the ground and once through the air.
- Lynn finished 11-of-17 for 193 yards and three touchdowns.
- Cripps hauled in two scored and totaled 67 receiving yards.
- Junior Aidan Fritz (Colchester, Conn.) led all players with nine tackles.
- Milano added six tackles and an interception; Brown's pick was his second of the year.
- Saturday marked the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Up Next:
- The Panthers head to Westfield State next Saturday (Oct. 25) for a 2 p.m. clash with the Owls.
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