DUDLEY, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth football team scored a pair of touchdowns just over a minute apart midway through the fourth quarter to surge past Nichols for a 33-22 New England Football Conference Boyd Division victory Saturday afternoon at Vendetti Field. The Corsairs (5-3. 3-2 NEFC Boyd) jumped out to a 13-0 first-quarter lead, but the Bison (2-6, 0-5 NEFC Boyd) climbed back to take a three-point lead late in the third stanza before UMass Dartmouth struck twice within 1:09 late in the game to run away with the win.
The Corsairs put up 297 yards on the ground, led by senior tailback J.T. Harold (No. Andover, Mass.), who racked up 168 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. Senior quarterback Alex Garro (Mattapoisett, Mass.) recorded 109 yards on 12 carries, running the ball in four a pair of scores. He also completed six of 12 passes for 80 yards on the day.
Nichols quarterback Charlie Samples (Deming, N.M.) scored all three touchdowns for the Bison, throwing for a pair and running in for another, a 57-yard sprint. Samples finished the day completing seven of 19 passes for 168 yards and led the team with 68 rushing yards.
Garro opened the scoring for the Corsairs on their opening drive, keeping the ball on a play action fake and scrambling down the sidelines for a 68-yard touchdown run. George Vasiliadis’ (Worcester, Mass.) kick was good to put the visitors up, 7-0, just 1:03 into the game.
After the Bison were forced out on downs at their own 43, Harold took over with a series of rushes, highlighted by a 26-yard scamper, to set up the Corsairs at first and goal, where Garro pushed ahead for his second touchdown of the day and a 13-0 lead (kick failed).
Lawrence Scott (Oxford, Mass.) returned the ensuing kickoff 39 yards to the Corsairs’ 48, and a UMass Dartmouth penalty pushed the Bison ahead to the 33-yard line. Samples connected with Chris Vallee (Fitchburg, Mass.) for a 23-yard catch, and then found Langston Little (Stratford, Conn.) in the endzone to put the Bison on the board. Samples then took the ball in himself for the two-point conversion to bring Nichols within five at 13-8.
The Corsairs’ made their first pass plays of the game count on their next scoring drive, as Garro found John Henry ( Tenafly, N.J.) for a 38-yard snag to bring UMass Dartmouth deep into Nichols territory. After a pair of short bursts from Harold, Aaron Russo (Johnston, R.I.) dove over a pile from the one-yard line for the score. The Corsairs’ rushing two-point conversion failed and a Nichols penalty set UMass Dartmouth up for the second attempt, but Garro’s pass was no good, leaving the Corsairs up, 19-8.
Anthony Pillari (Lumberton, N.J.) made a leaping catch for a 44-yard completion from Samples on the next drive to put the Bison in UMass Dartmouth territory, and then Samples found Brandon Haddad (Pascoag, R.I.) for the rest of the distance, a 48-yard snag and the score. Nichols went for two, but Samples’ pass failed, edging the Bison close again at 19-14.
Senior linebacker Tom Mulligan (Elmwood Park, N.J.) recovered a fumble and returned it for 19 yards to the Nichols 43, setting up the Bison’s next scoring drive late in the third quarter. Samples broke through traffic and sprinted 57 yards for the go-ahead touchdown and then found Vallee for the two-point conversion to put the Bison up, 22-19, with 24 seconds left in the third quarter.
Alvin Morris (Dorchester, Mass.) picked off Samples at midfield in the fourth, but a Bill Hassett (Oxford, Mass.) sack forced the Corsairs to punt at fourth and 34 from their own 26. The Bison looked poised to maintain their lead, but a pair of penalties started their drive at their own 17, and less than two minutes later, Nichols was forced to punt from their own 10-yard line.
Harold drove 32 yards on the first play, bringing the ball from the Bison 34 to the two, setting up Russo for a two-yard touchdown rush on first and goal. With a good kick from Vasiliadis, the Corsairs regained the lead at 26-22.
The Bison returned the ensuing kickoff 21 yards before fumbling the ball, and the Corsairs’ Darrien Furr (Taunton, Mass.) recovered at the Bison’s 31. Three rushing plays from Harold later, UMass Dartmouth was again in the end zone, and after Vasiliadis’ good kick, the Corsairs held a 33-22 advantage.
Nichols hits the road for a 1 p.m. game at Curry on Saturday, November 1. UMass Dartmouth travels to Endicott on November 1 for a 5 p.m. game. The Bison then return home for a 1 p.m. senior day game against Western New England College on Saturday, November 8.
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