Box Score BRIDGEWATER, MASS. - Sophomore quarterback
Mack Driver (Mastic Beach, N.Y.) scored a 48-yard touchdown to put the Western Connecticut State University football team ahead early in the fourth quarter, 17-14, but James Cahoon connected with Ryan Verria, from five yards out with eight seconds remaining in the game, to lift Bridgewater State University to a 21-17 victory at Swenson Field on Friday night.
Driver rushed eight times for a total of 78 yards to lead WestConn's 212-yard ground attack.
Freshman quarterback
John Giller (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) was held a bay on Friday, as he completed just 10-of-25 passes for 98 yards and was intercepted twice.
The Bears had a balanced offensive attack with Adam Couch collecting 165 yards on a clock-consuming 30 carries. The junior running back scored back-to-back touchdowns from three and one yards in the third stanza to give BSU its first lead, 17-14.
Cahoon converted 19-of-32 pass attempts for 214 yards and was picked off once.
WestConn, now 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), got on the scoreboard quickly when offensive lineman
Anthony Gallo (Poughquag, N.Y.) recovered a fumble, by Driver, in the visitor's end zone.
Anthony Weidtman (Nesconset, N.Y.) tacked on the extra point and the visitors capped off a 15-play, 65-yard drive and took a 7-0 lead at the 7:17 mark of the first stanza.
Following a pair of back-to-back time outs with 25 remaining the in first half, Weidtman nailed a 40-yard field goal to give WestConn a 10-0 heading into intermission. His season-long field goal capped off an eight-play, 40-yard drive that ate up 2:10 on the game clock.
The Bears came out of the locker room on a mission as Couch plowed in from three yards out after just five plays and less than two minutes elapsed in the third quarter. Thomas Fay drilled the point-after try and BSU trailed by just 10-7.
With 1:02 left in third period, Couch scored his second touchdown of the night, diving in from one yard out. Fay's PATK gave the hosts its first lead at, 14-10.
Couch recorded all of the offensive yards, 36, in the seven-play scoring drive. A 15-yard pass interference penalty by the WestConn defense aided the Bears from midfield.
Defensively,
Nosa Uzamere (Hempstead, N.Y.) led all WestConn players with nine tackles. (
Matt Forti (Bronx, N.Y.) recorded eight tackles while
Luke Pappalardo (Newington, Conn.) and George Dougherty (Farmingvale, N.Y.) each had six tackles in the loss.
Pappalardo returned an interception for 18 yards on the Bears' first attempt to take a late lead midway throught the fourth quarter.
Steven Silvia and Kodi Saotome led the winners with 12 tackles each.
WestConn returns home for its fourth home outing in five games next Saturday when it host University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Kick-off is slated for 5 pm.
Bridgewater State, which currently leads the MASCAC with a 2-0 mark and are 2-2 overall, will travel to Fitchburg State University next Saturday, October 2 for a 3 pm meeting with the Falcons.
GAME NOTE: The first half was played in a blistering 54 minutes. The final buzzer sounded at 8:26 pm. Actual game time 2:06 - with a 20 minute half-time.
