DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Sophomore
Mekhi Wilson barreled into the endzone on a five-yard run in the fourth quarter, putting UMass Dartmouth ahead enroute to a 25-24 win over Fitchburg State on Saturday afternoon. The Corsairs earn their first win of the season, moving to 1-1 overall and securing their first Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) win to move to 1-0. The Falcons are now 1-1 overall and in MASCAC play.
With 21 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Corsairs turned a 23-13 deficit into a 23-19 score as Wilson carried it six yards into the end zone. Then – at the 6:14 mark – Wilson put UMass Dartmouth ahead for good with his five-yard play into the Falcons end zone.
Fitchburg State has the chance to win the game in the closing minute of action as sophomore kicker Hunter Sands attempted a 34-yard field goal, but sophomore defensive end
Ancil Alexander blocked the attempt as the Corsairs recovered to regain possession.
UMass Dartmouth posted two more plays on the ensuing drive – with Wilson notching 11 more yards to his day – before junior quarterback
JC Petrongolo took consecutive knees to end the game and secure the victory.
Junior wide receiver
Naseim Harrison started the game's scoring, recording a laid out nine-yard pass from Petrongolo at 12:46 of the first for the 7-0 lead. Fitchburg State answered as a lateral pass was sent over to junior wideout Peter Norton, who fumbled the ball on the 13-yard line. Sophomore wide receiver Sahir Gomez picked up the ball, running it into the endzone as it went untouched as the officials deemed it a touchdown. A P-A-T from Sands tied the contest at 7-all.
The Corsairs answered at 8:19 of the first as a pass to rookie wide receiver
Markus Andrews was caught for the score to give the home team the lead, but a blocked point-after by FSU's Elijah Zaire McKnight held the lead at 13-7 heading into the second quarter.
Fitchburg State went ahead by one (14-13) on a six-yard run from sophomore running back Anthony Oquendo and extended the advantage to 21-13 as junior quarterback Rocky Marchitelli carried the ball into the end zone himself for the wide margin at halftime.
Third quarter action saw junior kicker Jonah Costa further extended the Falcons lead as he nailed a 32-yard field goal for the 24-13 advantage at 4:51 of the frame. That set up the comeback by the Corsairs with Wilson's back-to-back runs over the third and fourth to help secure the win.
UMass Dartmouth saw Wilson pace the effort, rushing for 165 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns, while rookie
Luke Turco posted 51 rushing yards on seven carries.
In the air, Harrison and Andrews each posted 59 yards receiving with the former making three catches as Andrews posted two. Both had a touchdown each. Petrongolo was 7-of-17 on the day with 121 yards and one touchdown.
Defensively, sophomore linebacker
Dylan Lykins recorded a game-high 16 tackles, including five solo with a tackle for a loss of four yards and a pass break-up. Senior defensive lineman and captain
Kairis Codio added 11 tackles, including two for a loss of seven yards and a sack for five yards, while senior linebacker
Lamar Beaton had 10 tackles and a pass breakup.
UMass Dartmouth returns to the field on September 20, traveling to Framingham State for a 12pm MASCAC tilt against the Rams.
