Box Score DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Springfield College junior quarterback Jonathan Marrero (Boston, Mass.) rushed for 97 yards and three touchdowns to power the Pride to a 41-20 victory over home standing UMass Dartmouth this evening in a NCAA Division III football non-conference game played on Cressy Field.
The Pride (1-1) gained 478 total yards of offense, including 435 on the ground. Junior fullback Keith Rodman (Northvale, N.J.) led the attack with 121 yards on 15 carries and the game's first touchdown. Freshman Stephen Speidel (Sussex, N.J.) tallied 71 yards and a pair of fourth-quarter scores.
Corsair (1-1) junior Preston Cooper (Wareham, Mass.) eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark on 21 carries for 106 yards and a season-high three touchdowns. Classmate Trent Barneys (Avenel, N.J.) accounted for 159 yards of total offense, including 60 yards on the ground. He was 10-of-19 for 99 passing yards, but was picked off three times. Senior Jake Scott (Somerset, Mass.) was the top target, pulling in four receptions for 51 yards. Classmate Abiola Aborishade (Attleboro, Mass.) recorded the hosts' longest play from scrimmage, catching a screen pass and scrambling down the sideline for 41 yards.
With the teams tied at 14-all after the intermission break, Springfield was able to capitalize on a Corsair turnover to regain its lead. Senior Danny Macalena (Congers, N.Y.) picked off an UMass Dartmouth pass and returned it 19-yards to the UMD 14-yard line. Four plays later, Marrero plunged in from one-yard out to give the Pride a 21-14 advantage.
Springfield opened the final frame with a nine-play, 72-yard touchdown drive. Facing a 4th and 3 from the hosts' 29-yard line, Marrero broke a 15-yard run for the first down. Two plays later, Speidel scored on a 14-yard carry to give the visitors a 14-point lead.
On the ensuing drive, Barneys completed his longest pass of the evening, a 25-yard strike to Scott to convert a 3rd and 3. The drive was stymied by a pair of holding penalties, the first of which negated a Corsair touchdown. Springfield registered its third interception of the night, when sophomore Nick Welsh (Middletown, Conn.) returned the attempt 41 yards to the UMD 34-yard line.
The turnover proved costly as the Pride capped a four-play drive with Marrero's third rushing TD of the game from five-yards out.
UMass Dartmouth answered quickly with its most explosive drive of the night. Sophomore Cory Burnham (Essex, Mass.) rushed for nine yards on his second snap of the night. Cooper weaved his way against the grain for a dazzling 34-yard touchdown to cap off the Corsairs' scoring.
The hosts appeared to recover the ensuing onside kick, but were flagged for an illegal block prior to the recovery. Springfield utilized the short field to complete the scoring with a Speidel 20-yard jaunt, his second touchdown of the fourth quarter.
Junior Derek Tarpey (Tewksbury, Mass.) led the Corsairs' defense with a game-high 19 tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage. Freshman Marvey Mathurin (Woburn, Mass.) also reached double digits in tackles with 11 stops, while senior captain Cody Merritt (Plymouth, Mass.) tallied 10.
The Corsairs will return to action at 4 p.m. on Sept. 20, when UMass Dartmouth hosts Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) rival Westfield State as part of its Homecoming Weekend festivities.
