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CASTLETON, Vt. -- The University of New England raced out to a 25-0 halftime advantage and cruised to a 35-8 non-conference win over Vermont State University Castleton in non-conference football action Saturday afternoon (Sept. 20) before a crowd of 3,880 at Dave Wolk Stadium.
The dominant triumph pushed the Nor'easters' record to 3-0, matching the best start in their history. UNE last opened a campaign 3-0 in 2023 on its way to a program-best 6-4 final mark.
The Nor'easters were dominant on both sides of the ball, racking up 540 total yards on offense while limiting the Spartans (2-1) to 278. UNE's defense picked off three passes, including one that Ryan Schino took to the house in the first quarter.
Chris Lang was 15-for-25 through the air for 242 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Berto Zepeda caught six passes for a career-best 161 yards and a score. Damien Jones rushed for 108 yards on just 14 carries, including a TD.
First-year linebacker Lincoln Youtz finished with a team-high 10 tackles to lead the UNE defense. Teighan Jeremy had a monster game for the Nor'easters, racking up nine stops, including 3.5 for a loss (2 sacks).
The Nor'easters marched right down the field on the opening drive of the contest to set the tone for the afternoon. Jones had four consecutive rushes totaling 57 yards before Lang found Gavin Anderson for a five-yard touchdown pass to get UNE on the board. The Nor'easters went for two, and the combination of Lang-to-Anderson made the score 8-0.
After Castleton crossed midfield on the ensuing possession, Schino picked off a pass by Mitch Chaves and rumbled 37 yards the other way for a touchdown.
Leading 15-0 after one quarter, UNE extended its lead to 22-0 with a six-play, 68-yard drive culminated by a two-yard rush by Jones, his third score on the ground in as many games.
A 19-yard field goal by Anthony Lacaprucia with just one tick on the clock gave the Nor'easters a commanding 25-0 bulge heading into intermission.
UNE stopped the Spartans on their opening possession coming out of the locker room and promptly fashioned a 59-yard scoring drive in just four plays. Lang hooked up with Zepeda for a 41-yard strike to finish it off.
Lacaprucia extended the lead to 35-0 on a 27-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter before Castleton got into the scoring column when Reese Rotella found Gavin McCabe in the end zone.
Jeremy Franzini aided the strong defensive effort with eight total tackles, while Ben Cardoso added five, which included a sack and two others for a loss. Michael Sullivan and Oscar Clark had interceptions.
UNE, which came into the contest second in the nation in total offense, will look to extend its winning streak next Saturday (Sept. 27) when its hosts Western New England University (2-1) for a Conference of New England opener. Kickoff at Blue Storm Stadium is slated for 1 p.m.