Box Score PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Plymouth State used a 91-yard interception return as the clock ticked down in the third quarter to put the game out of reach, going up two scores before tacking on a touchdown in the fourth and sealing a 30-14 MASCAC victory over UMass Dartmouth on Saturday.
The Basics
Score: Plymouth State 30, UMass Dartmouth 14
Records: Plymouth State (4-0, 2-0 MASCAC) | UMass Dartmouth (2-2, 1-1 MASCAC)
How it Happened
The contest looked to be another offensive barnburner in the first quarter, as both teams scored on their first respective drives and tie the score at seven. Plymouth State began with a 23-yard touchdown pass before the recovering a UMass Dartmouth fumble on the ensuing kickoff. In the Panthers' first play from scrimmage, quarterback Zack Edwards immediately coughed up the ball, with Louis Petrella (Mansfield, Mass.) recovering to gain back possession. The drive ended when senior Stephen Roy (Northborough, Mass.) rushed for a 10-yard touchdown.
The Panthers tacked on another touchdown reception in the second quarter, and then forced three-straight UMass Dartmouth punts to head into the locker room with a 14-7 lead at half.
After the Corsairs came out of the gate with quarterback Cory Burnham (Essex, Mass.) scoring on a touchdown reception from Matt Mitchell (Stonington, Conn.), Plymouth State successfully quieted the usually explosive Corsair offense for the remainder of the game. At the end of the third, PSU's Blair Zentek intercepted his second Burnham pass of the game, this time returning the ball 91 yards to the opposite end zone before his team used a five-minute drive in the fourth quarter to score one more time.
Inside the Numbers
- UMass Dartmouth mustered a season-low in rushing yards, accumulating 176 net yards. Roy cracked 100 yards rushing for the first time on the season, rolling up a game-high 103.
- Burnham's touchdown reception was the first on his career, and he finished with 147 passing yards on 12 completions.
- The last time UMass Dartmouth had a non-quarterback throw for a touchdown was in 2010, when Brendan McNeish completed a 10-yard pass to a fellow wide receiver.
- Sophomore Abbi Bamgbose (Worcester, Mass.) was the game's leading receiver, accumulating 59 yards on five catches.
- Senior safety Alex Ortega (Lynn, Mass.) registered two sacks for a total loss of 16 yards with six solo tackles, and senior David Collins (Mansfield, Mass.) led the Corsairs with eight tackles.
- Plymouth State snaps a five-game losing streak to the Corsairs, dating back to 2011, and hasn't beaten UMass Dartmouth in Plymouth since 2008.
- Saturday marks the first time on the season that UMass Dartmouth has scored less than 20 points.
Up Next
The Corsairs return home next Saturday, hosting defending MASCAC Champion Framingham State on Homecoming for a 5 p.m. kickoff.
