DUDLEY, Mass. (Sept. 18) – Senior running back Robert Morris (Melbourne, Fla.) rushed for a season-high 126 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the Nichols College football team to a 21-20 victory over visiting Worcester State College Friday night at Vendetti Field. Nichols snaps a nine-game losing streak with the win and improves to 1-2 on the year.
Morris scored his touchdowns in the opening frame to help give the Bison a 21-7 lead at the half, but the Lancers (0-3) scored in both the third and fourth quarters to mount a comeback. The final Worcester State touchdown with just 11.9 ticks left in regulation threatened to force overtime, but the extra-point kick sailed wide left to seal the Bison’s first victory since September 19, 2008.
The Bison put up 160 yards of offense in the first half, holding the Lancers to just 60 in the frame. Nichols took the lead with 6:46 left in the first quarter when at third and goal, sophomore quarterback Sean Smith-Vaughn (Cumberland, Maine) connected with Brian Dean (Seymour, Conn.) deep in the end zone for Dean’s first career touchdown. Dave Wyrick’s (Avon, Conn.) kick was good and Nichols had a 7-0 lead.
Mike Rubalcaba (Barre, Vt.) intercepted the ball at the Worcester State 27. In a series of six plays, Morris carried it all the way in for a 14-0 lead (Wyrick kick good).
Worcester State got on the board in the second quarter after Cameron Jones forced a Nichols fumble at the Nichols 44. Paul Lewis recovered it, setting up the Lancers’ six-play, 45-yard scoring drive, capped by a 20-yard toss from Tony Tokarz to Dave Salvi. Pat Skelton nailed the kick to cut the Bison’s lead to seven at 14-7.
Lawrence Scott (Oxford, Mass.) recovered a Worcester State fumble at the Lancers’ 15 yard line with 5:46 to play in the half, setting up Morris for his second score of the night. Smith-Vaughn connected with R.J. Gagne (Seekonk, Mass.) to push the Bison ahead before Morris capped the drive with a 13-yard scamper.
Nichols stalled a late third-quarter Worcester State drive as the Lancers made it to fourth and five at the Nichols eight yard line, but a Bison fumble on the next possession awarded Worcester State the ball back at the Nichols 21 where Tokarz and Salvi connected for a touchdown on the very next play, making the score 21-14.
Worcester State’s final drive of the game covered 63 yards in under five minutes, Set up at first and 10 at the Bison’s 16, Jeramie White (New Haven, Conn.) fended off a pair of passes intended for Jake Macleay, bringing up third down as time was winding down. Tokarz took matters into his own hands and ran the ball in for the opportunity to tie or win with the extra point, but the kick went wide left.
Smith-Vaughn finished the night completing 11 of 22 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown with a pair of interceptions. Tokarz was 18 of 34 for 201 yards, a pair of TD’s and an interception. Salvi scored a pair of touchdowns and totaled 77 yards on five catches.
Nichols senior Bill Hassett (Oxford, Mass.) posted a career-high 13 tackles (six solo), 2.5 tackles for a loss and a sack to lead the Bison defense. Giovanni Clayborne (Newton, Mass.) added eight tackles.
Tyler Russell racked up 16 tackles (six solo) to lead the Lancers.
Nichols hosts MIT Saturday, September 26th at 1 p.m. for the Bison’s Boyd Division opener. The game will highlight Nichols’ homecoming weekend festivities. The game is also the Bison’s annual NCAA Take A Kid To The Game Day. Worcester State travels to Massachusetts Maritime Academy next Saturday to open Bogan Division play at noon.
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