PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Plymouth State University recorded its first shutout at Panther Field in more than two years, blanking Fitchburg State University, 27-0, in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) football game on
Senior Day Saturday afternoon.
Senior
Mitchell Cripps (Dracut, Mass.) opened the scoring with a 29-yard touchdown reception early in the first quarter, setting the tone for the Panthers' dominant performance. Junior
Reece Davis (Livermore, Maine) and senior
Shawn Harrington (South Weymouth, Mass.) each added three-yard touchdown runs in the second quarter to give Plymouth State a 21-0 halftime lead. Freshman
Jayden Graham (Rutland, Vt.) capped the scoring with an eight-yard touchdown run in the fourth.
Before kickoff, Plymouth State honored its 19-member senior class for their dedication to the program: Cripps, Harrington,
Seamus Murphy (Norwich, Vt.),
Braden Lynn (Littleton, Mass.),
Jake Dreyfus (Weymouth, Mass.),
Rob Macri (Reading, Vt.),
Sam Weidemier (Watertown, Conn.),
Gregory Walker (Boxford, Mass.),
Shea McClellan (Abington, Mass.),
Ryan Fleming (Boxborough, Mass.),
Jack Milano (Pelham, N.H.),
Nick Marcinowski (Lynnfield, Mass.),
Harry Gaudet (Hartford, Vt.),
Jackson Witchley (Brownfield, Maine),
Michael Pesiridis (Arlington, Mass.),
Aaric Adams Jr. (Boscawen, N.H.),
Sean Quinn (Norwood, Mass.),
Colby Corson (Oakland, Maine), and manager
Justin Roche (Pelham, N.H.).
At halftime, the women's cross country team was recognized for winning the second Little East Conference (LEC) title in program history last weekend.
With the win, Plymouth State improves to 8-1 (7-1 MASCAC), while Fitchburg State falls to 3-6 (2-6 MASCAC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 27, Fitchburg State 0
- Plymouth State (8-1, 7-1 MASCAC)
- Fitchburg State (3-6, 2-6 MASCAC)
How it Happened:
- Sophomore Ben Brown (York, Maine) returned the opening kickoff 26 yards to set up a quick 8-play, 74-yard scoring drive. A holding penalty briefly stalled the drive, but Lynn connected with Cripps for a 29-yard touchdown to make it 7-0.
- After a defensive stop, Lynn hit a wide-open Cripps for a 44-yard gain. Runs by Walker and Davis pushed the ball inside the 10, and Davis finished the 11-play, 88-yard drive with a three-yard score. Sophomore Seamus Ross (Windham, N.H.) added the PAT for a 14-0 lead.
- Later in the quarter, freshman Tyrese Ryder (Ossipee, N.H.) broke up a pass on third down and the defense forced a turnover on downs. Davis and Harrington combined to move the ball deep into Falcon territory before Harrington's three-yard run made it 21-0 just before halftime.
- The defenses traded punts before Brown blocked a 33-yard field goal attempt to keep the shutout intact.
- Graham capped a 5-play, 49-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown run to extend the margin to 27-0 early in the fourth.
- Fitchburg State threatened late, but a sack by sophomore Jacob Daigle (North Haven, Conn.), a pass breakup from freshman Seid Djalla (Bronx, N.Y.), and a key fourth-down tackle by Alejandro Rauth (Troy, Mich.) sealed the shutout.
By the Numbers:
- Rushing Leaders: Davis – 67 yards & 1 TD (5th of the season); Harrington – 34 yards & 1 TD (6th of the season); Graham – 48 yards & 1 TD (4th of the season).
- Passing: Lynn – 5-for-10, 125 yards, 1 TD
- Receiving: Cripps – 2 receptions, 73 yards, 1 TD
- Defense:
- Sophomore Hunter Burke (Pembroke, Mass.) – game-high 10 tackles, including one TLF and a pass breakup.
- Fleming and Daigle – one sack each.
- Brown – 5 tackles and a blocked kick.
- PSU's last home shutout came on Oct. 21, 2023, in a 35-0 win over Worcester State.
- The Panthers lead the all-time series 14-3, winning each of the last nine meetings.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State heads to UMass Dartmouth on Saturday (Nov. 15) for the regular season finale. Kickoff at Cressy Field is set for noon.
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