Silva Has Career Day as Football Celebrates Senior Day with Victory over Mass. Maritime
Framingham, Mass. – Senior quarterback Matt Silva (Dracut, Mass.) tossed a school record six touchdown passes as the Framingham State University football team defeated Massachusetts Maritime 54-25 in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action on Senior Day this afternoon at Framingham's Bowditch Field.
With the win, the Rams improve to 7-1 on the year and remain unbeaten in the MASCAC at 6-0, while the Buccaneers dip to 3-5 overall and are now 2-4 in the conference.
Silva completed 29 of 43 pass attempts for 383 yards with no interceptions and six touchdowns. Silva completed three touchdown passes to senior Tevin Jones (Springfield, Mass.) and one each to senior Marcus Grant (Carver, Mass.), junior Aaron Owens (Springfield, Mass.) and junior Colby Frodel (Eastham, Mass.).
Jones led the Rams receivers with eight catches for 108 yards and three touchdowns, while senior Jared Gauthier (Dracut, Mass.) made five catches for 103 yards. Grant accumulated 70 yards on his five catches, while freshman Napoleon Miller (Boston, Mass.) picked up 85 yards, including a 45 yard reception, on his five catches.
Senior Brad Skeffington (Salem, Mass.) paced the Bucs offense completing 19 of 34 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Chris Haggerty (Cohasset, Mass.) saw action in the fourth quarter under center for the Bucs completing 5 of 6 for 51 yards and a touchdown. Junior Jonathan Furtado (Swansea, Mass.) led the receivers with seven catches for 79 yards with a score, while junior Cody Stahmer's (Wareham, Mass.) five catches netted him 79 yards including a touchdown.
The Rams took the lead for good on their first possession of the day as Silva and Jones connected on a 30 yard scoring strike in double coverage with 12:07 left in the first. Silva connected with Owens from five yards out on the Rams next possession to extend the lead to 13-0 after one.
Silva would toss pair of second quarter touchdowns to extend the lead to 27-0 at the break. Silva capped a four play, 72 yard drive with a 27 yard TD to Jones with 9:47 on the clock. Silva followed with a five play, 76 yard drive, fueled by a 61 yard catch and run from Gauthier and was finished with a 14 yard touchdown to Grant with just over four remaining.
Jones and Silva connected for the third time in the game on the opening possession of the third quarter, this one from six yards out.
Mass Maritime's offense responded with an eight play, 77 yard drive capped by an 11 yard touchdown run by sophomore Kenny Pierce (Beverly, Mass.) with 10 minutes left in the third. The Bucs opted for the onside kick and capitalized as Furtado was able to recover the kick at the Rams 46 yard line. After an incomplete pass, Skeffington connected with Furtado for a 46 yard score closing the gap to 34-13. That was as close as the Bucs would get as the Rams tacked on two more scores in the third on Frodel's touchdown catch and a 48 yard fumble recovery from senior Lewis Bailey (Chelmsford, Mass.).
Skeffington sauntered into the end zone from three yards out in the final minute of the third and the two teams added a touchdown apiece in the fourth to reach the final margin.
The Rams amassed 555 yards of total offense in the game to 420 for the Buccaneers. The Bucs fumbled six times with the Rams recovering four of them and returning one for a score.
Senior Greg Peschel (Taunton, Mass.) led the Rams with eight tackles, including seven solo, with a tackle for a loss and a forced fumble. Sophomore Svenn Jacobson (Cumberland, ME) added six tackles and three fumble recoveries, while Bailey finished with four tackles, including one for a loss, and a fumble return for a touchdown.
Mass Maritime's defense was led by eight tackles from sophomore Alexander Ruddy (Mansfield, Mass.), while Jack Schmitt (Bourne, Mass.) and David Yerxa (Milford, Conn.) added seven apiece.
Prior to the game, the Rams recognized their 18 seniors as part of Senior Day.
The Rams are back in action next Saturday when they travel to Bridgewater State for a 12 p.m. kickoff with the top spot in the conference standings on the line, while the Buccaneers entertain Plymouth State next Saturday at 1 p.m.