Records Fall as Football Cruises to 65-21 Victory over Worcester State
Framingham, Mass. – The Framingham State University football team set a pair of team records and junior running back Melikke Van Alstyne (Salem, Mass.) broke a pair of career records as the Rams closed the regular season with a 65-12 victory over Worcester State University in New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division action this afternoon at Maple Street Field.
The Rams, who have captured back-to-back NEFC Bogan Division Titles and three straight MASCAC Titles, are now 9-1 on the season and 7-0 in the Bogan Division and will square off against the winner of the NEFC Boyd Division, Salve Regina University, next Saturday at 1 p.m. at Bowditch Field in the NEFC Championship game. The winner of the NEFC Championship game receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Tournament.
The Lancers close their season at 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the division, but still have an outside shot at an invitation to ECAC Bowl game.
The Rams set a new team record for total yards in a game with 642 yards surpassing the old mark of 586 yards which was set in 2009. The Rams amassed 268 yards on the ground and 374 through the air, which is the most yards they have tossed for in a game this season. The Rams also broke the team record for points in a game with their 65 shattering the old mark of 56 which they set on October 13th in a 56-0 victory over Maine Maritime.
Van Alstyne rushed for 157 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns while making a pair of catches for 57 yards and a score. He rushed for the majority of those yards, 141, in the first half as he saw limited action in the second half. Van Alstyne broke the FSU career record for points on his second touchdown, a one-yard run late in the first quarter, surpassing the previous mark of 252 points which was held by Rodd Patten, a wide receiver from 1990-93. Van Alstyne finished the game with 262 career points. With his third touchdown of the game, a 41-yard TD reception in the second quarter – the first receiving touchdown of his career, he broke Patten's career touchdown mark. Patten had 42 career scores and Van Alstyne now has 43 in just three seasons.
The Rams defense, ranked first in the NEFC, kept up their strong play holding the Lancers to just 151 yards of total offense. The Lancers passed for 157 yards, but were held to just -6 yards rushing in the game. The only touchdown surrendered by the Rams defense came in the fourth quarter on an eight yard pass from Corey Spencer to AJ Scerra.
Senior Graham Asum (Marlboro, Mass.) scored the Lancers other two touchdowns on a pair of 94 yard kickoff returns. The first one came with 1:24 left in the first quarter and the second with 11:30 on the clock in the second. Asum finished the game with eight kickoff returns of 333 yards with the two scores.
Freshman Matt Silva (Dracut, Mass.) completed 12-of-17 pass attempts in the game with a school record tying five touchdowns. Silva, who also tossed for five TDs in a game a season ago, and three other players share the single game touchdown pass record with five.
Freshman Tevin Jones (Springfield, Mass.) finished with his first 100 yard receiving game with 120 yards on five catches and a pair of touchdowns. Senior Alex Avery (Milford, Mass.) had three catches for 76 yards and a pair of scores, while Van Alstyne and freshman Dylan Hodson (Yarmouthport, Mass.) each had one TD catch.
Spencer finished the game 19-of-38 with a touchdown and two interceptions for 157 yards in the game. Scerra was his favorite target with five catches for 53 yards and a score.
Senior James Muirhead (Middleboro, Mass.) led the Rams defense with six tackles including three for a loss and a sack, while classmate Tyrone Notice (Gardner, Mass.) picked off a pair of passes to go along with his five stops.
Pat Conrad led the Lancer defense with a game-high 10 tackles, while Adam Straughn and Bryan Narcissi each has eight.