WESTFIELD, Mass. – Powered by a solid offensive effort, the UMass Dartmouth football team defeated Westfield State, 45-14 in Massachusetts Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action on Saturday. The Corsairs improve to 4-4 overall and 4-3 in conference play, while the Owls are now 3-5 and 3-4 in the MASCAC.
 
The Corsairs got things going early in the first quarter as junior wide receiver Jayden Francois caught a 40-yard pass from senior quarterback JC Petrongolo for a 7-0 lead at 12:47. Senior running back and captain Mekhi Wilson then rushed in a score five minutes later on a 12-yard gain to eclipse 1,000-yards on the season.
 
Holding the 14-0 advantage into the second quarter, it was Wilson again on an eight-yard carry to build up a 21-0 lead. Before the end of the frame, junior kicker Connor McManus sent the ball through the uprights for a 28-yard field goal as the Corsairs led 24-0 at the half.
 
Out of the intermission, UMass Dartmouth saw Wilson rush in for a two-yard score, but the Owls struck back at 2:21 with Drayden Keirsey catching a 40-yard reception from Dom Curtis to put the home team on the board.
 
The Corsairs put two straight scores into the endzone to open the fourth quarter of action as rookie running back Chris Soto ran it in from two-yards out, while sophomore quarterback Logan Gelinas rushed it in from 44-yards for the 45-7 advantage.
 
Westfield State added a final score on a blocked punt return by Charles Lewis to conclude the game's scoring.
 
For the game, the Corsairs saw Petrongolo go 10-of-17 with 149 passing yards and a touchdown. Wilson recorded 183 yards on 25 attempts with three touchdowns, while Soto had 12 carries for 79 yards with a score. Gelinas finished with five attempts for 61 yards with a touchdown, while in the air, Francois had four receptions for 96 yards and a TD.
 
Defensively, the Corsairs were paced by junior defensive back Matteo Pina, who notched four solo tackles and three assisted for seven total tackles. He also had a forced fumble. Four others recorded five tackles, including a sack for a loss of five yards for rookie defensive lineman Daniel Cordero and an interception for senior defensive back Bryant Lopes.
 
UMass Dartmouth returns to action on Saturday, traveling to Plymouth State for a 12pm regular season finale against the Panthers.