FITCHBURG, Mass. – Powered by a strong rushing effort and solid defense, the UMass Dartmouth football team posted a 56-22 win at Fitchburg State in Massachusetts Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action on Saturday afternoon. The Corsairs move to 1-1 overall and are now 1-0 in the conference standings.
 
Senior quarterback JC Petrongolo threw for two touchdowns on the afternoon, while rookie rusher Jayson Dyer carried the ball nine times for a collegiate-best 160 yards gained. He ran in two touchdowns, including a long of 65. Senior captain and running back Mekhi Wilson completed the outstanding effort on the ground, amassing 153 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown.
 
Sophomore wide receiver Markus Andrews added 68 yards on one catch in the air with a touchdown, including two rushes for 21 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
 
Defensively, sophomore defensive back Dwayne Julius recorded five tackles (all solo), while senior Bryant Lopes had a 40-yard interception for a touchdown. Junior kicker Connor McManuns went 8-for-8 in Point-After-Touchdown attempts, while adding 396 yards on nine kickoffs.
 
The Corsairs opened the game's scoring at 12:47 as Wilson rushed the ball in from four-yards out. Fitchburg countered with Luke Thompson rushing in from a yard out, but three more scores, including a 65-yard run from Dyer made it a 27-6 lead after the opening 15 minutes of play.
 
Petrongolo found sophomore wideout Jayden Francois for a 34-yard score to open the second quarter before hitting Andrews with a 68-yard reception for another touchdown and the 41-6 lead.
 
Fitchburg found the endzone once more in the third quarter and added two more scores to build up a 49-20 lead. In the fourth, the Corsairs closed out the scoring to secure their first victory of the 2026 season.
 
The Corsairs return to action on Friday, September 18, taking on Framingham State at 7pm under the lights at Cressy Field. It will mark the annual Gold Rush game for UMass Dartmouth.