Bridgewater State 34, Mount Ida 25
NEWTON, Mass. — Senior running back Justin Fuller
(Berkley, Mass.) rushed for 117 yards and three touchdowns and also
caught a TD pass to lead the visiting Bridgewater State University
football team to a 34-25 season-opening victory over non-conference
foe Mount Ida College on a beautiful afternoon in Newton.
BSU freshman quarterback Mike McCarthy (Edgartown, Mass.) also
enjoyed a solid individual performance in his first outing at the
collegiate level as he rushed for 143 yards and one touchdown on 22
carries. McCarthy went 6-for-13 through the air with his lone TD
pass to Fuller.
Mount Ida sophomore quarterback Scott Drosendahl (East Aurora,
N.Y.) completed 17 of 23 pass attempts for 235 yards and three
touchdown passes. Two of Drosendahl's scoring strikes went to
junior wideout Nick Lynch (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) who finished with
eight catches for 100 yards. Junior running back Johrone Bunch
(Meriden, Conn.) carried the ball 18 times for 77 yards and a
touchdown.
After a very tight start to the first quarter, the Mustangs set
the pace scoring first on a nine-play, 50-yard drive that was
capped off on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Drosendahl to Lynch for
the 7-0 advantage with 1:38 to go in the stanza.
On the ensuing possession, the Bears marched down the field on an
11-play, 56-yard drive that finished on Fuller's first score of the
day knotting the digits up at 7-7 with 10:24 remaining in the
second quarter.
Immediately following the BSU touchdown on the proceeding kick
off, The Mustangs tried to lateral the ball to Bunch for some added
yards to start the drive. Unfortunately for Mount Ida, Bunch
attempted a costly lateral towards the sideline that was ultimately
fumbled at the Mustang 32 yard line and recovered by sophomore
Derek Pontier (Southfield, Mass.). Although the visitors had
outstanding field position, the Mount Ida defense stuffed the Bears
forcing a punt.
Two possessions later, Bridgewater State collected the ball on
their own 20, driving 80 yards downfield and converting an eight
yard touchdown pass from McCarthy to Fuller for the 14-7 advantage
following the point after attempt (PAT) with just 12 seconds
remaining in the first half.
Mount Ida gained some momentum midway through the third quarter on
a six-play, 58-yard drive that ended with Drosendahl hooking up
with Lynch for the second time on the day with 5:38 to go in the
stanza. Unfortunately some of the excitement was flattened after
the Mustangs missed a costly PAT making it 14-13 in favor of the
Bears.
On the ensuing Bridgewater State possession, the Bears converted a
nine-play, 78-yard drive that finished with Fuller scampering in
the end zone on a 13-yard score making it 21-13 with 34 seconds to
go in the third stanza.
Mount Ida followed with Bunch's first touchdown of the season
punching in a two yard run after an eight-play, 72-yard drive with
11:18 to go in the final quarter. The two point conversion attempt
for the tie failed on an incomplete pass by Drosendahl making it
21-19 Bears.
BSU would score on their next two consecutive possessions, the
first off an 11-yard run by McCarthy for his first touchdown, and
then another on Fuller's fourth overall score for the day to take a
commanding 34-19 lead with 3:21 to go in the game. Fuller's score
came as a result of a Garrett Dyer (Easthampton, Mass.)
interception which gave the Bears outstanding field position at the
Mount Ida 16-yard line.
Dyer finished with five tackles (four solo) to go along with his
interception. Senior safety John Farroba (North Attleboro, Mass.)
paced the Bears with six tackles (five solo) as well as a third
quarter interception.
Mount Ida desperately tried to mount a comeback running the
hurry-up offense and scoring quickly on a five-play, 61-yard drive.
The drive was capped off with a 16 yard TD catch by senior Paul
Shaughnessy (Malden, Mass.) which cut the lead to 34-25 after
another botched PAT. A failed onside kick attempt solidified the
34-25 Bears victory.
Shaughnessy pitched in with five catches for 61 yards and a TD for
the Mustangs while sophomore Matthew Valentini (Lake Hopatcong,
N.J.) added two catches for 39 yards.
Bridgewater State (1-0) will host UMass Dartmouth next Saturday at
1:00 PM. That game will take place at Bridgewater-Raynham High
School due to Swenson Field construction delays. The Mustangs will
get on the road this week to face a another tough New England
Football Conference (NEFC) opponent in Plymouth State University
with kick-off slated for 1:00 p.m. in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
