Football Rushes Past Nichols, 34-6
Dudley, Mass. – Junior running back Melikke Van Alstyne (Salem, Mass.) and sophomore Matt Mangano (Winchester, Mass.) combined for 393 rushing yards and four touchdowns to lead the Framingham State University football team to a 34-6 victory on the road this evening over Nichols College at Vendetti Field.
The Rams even their season record at 1-1 with the win, while the Bison fall to 0-2
Van Alstyne averaged 7.7 yards a carry as he accumulated 222 yards on 29 carries with touchdown runs of 40 and one yard. Mangano, who moved from defensive back to quarterback tonight to fill a void at the position because of injury, rushed for a career-best 171 yards on 16 carries. Mangano averaged 10.7 yards per carry and scored on runs of four and 59 yards.
Framingham State's offense, which struggled in the season opener last week, amassed 430 yards of total offense, while the defense held the Bison to just six points on 286 yards of offense and -16 yards rushing.
The Rams rushed for a school record 402 yards in the game on 50 carries with Van Alstyne and Mangano combining for most of them. The old record of 387 yards rushing vs. Plymouth State had been on the books since the 1978 season.
The Rams defense forced the Bison to fumble on their first possession of the day and capitalized getting on the board first on Van Alstyne's first touchdown run of the day. Sophomore Phil Clain's (Swampscott, Mass.) extra point gave the Rams a 7-0 lead just under three minutes into the game.
The Rams pushed their lead to 13-0 with 3:22 left in the quarter when Mangano capped a 12 play, 72 yard drive with his four yard touchdown run.
Nichols, who racked up 302 yards passing in the game, cut into the Rams lead with just over five minutes remaining in the half. Junior Pat Viencek (Bernardston, Mass.), who came on in relief of the Bison starting quarterback, hit junior Joe Lambert (New Haven, Conn.) with an 80 yard touchdown pass that after the extra point hit the upright pulled the Bison to within seven at 13-6 with 5:36 on the clock.
The Rams defense, that forced five turnovers, once again came up big in the third quarter forcing another turnover and converting it into points as junior Kevin Donohue (Norfolk, Mass.) recovered a fumble in the end zone with 6:44 left.
Two minutes later, on the Rams first play from scrimmage of their drive Mangano broke free and scored from 59 yards out pushing the lead to 27-6.
Van Alstyne finished the game's scoring with a one yard touchdown run with 4:34 left in the game to reach the final margin.
Viencek finished the game 15 of 34 for 257 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Bison and was sacked four times in the game.
The Rams defense was led by junior end Jeff Touron (Brockton, Mass.) who picked up a team-high eight tackles including three for a loss, a sack, a forced fumble and two quarterback hurries. Senior James Muirhead (Middleboro, Mass.) chipped in seven tackles including a sack and a QB hurry, while sophomore Weslee Galloway (Brockton, Mass.) and senior Tyrone Notice (Gardner, Mass.) each picked up interceptions.
The Rams return to action next Saturday at 1 p.m. when they host UMass Dartmouth at Bowditch Field.