Late Touchdown Lifts Football to 39-33 Victory over UMass Dartmouth

Framingham, Mass. - The Framingham State University football team received five touchdown passes from senior Adam Wojenski (Stratford, Conn.) and a rushing score from freshman Devaun Ford (Mashpee, Mass.) as the Rams defeated the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 39-33 in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action at Bowditch Field this afternoon.

THE BASICS:

- Score:           Framingham State 39, UMass Dartmouth 33

- Records:      Framingham State (2-2, 2-0 MASCAC), UMass Dartmouth (4-1, 2-1 MASCAC)

- Location:     Framingham, Mass. – Bowditch Field

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Wojenski completed 14-of-25 pass attempts for 422 yards with five touchdowns without throwing a pick while being sacked twice. Wojenski completed touchdown passes to three different receivers including a school record 97-yard catch and run to senior Jacob Maher (Marshfield, Mass.).
• Maher finished the game with five catches for 215 yards with three touchdowns. Maher averaged 43 yards per catch and caught scores of 39, 69 and 97 yards from Wojenski.
• Sophomore Austin Nunn (Bellingham, Mass.) made three catches in the game for the Rams for 128 yards with a score, while freshman Elijah Nichols (Burlington, NJ) had three catches for 40 yards with a touchdown.
• Ford finished the game with 16 carries for 42 yards including the game winning touchdown, while also making three catches for 39 yards.
• Stephen Gacioch completed 34-of-59 pass attempts for the Corsairs for 343 yards with two touchdowns.  Gacioch was sacked four times in the game and threw a pair of interceptions, while rushing for 97 yards on 20 carries with a pair of rushing scores.
• DJ Machado mad six catches for 113 yards with two scores, while Abbi Bamgbose had 13 catches for 90 yards in the game.
• The two teams combined for 1,036 yards of total offense in the game including 765 thru the air.  The Rams amassed 520 yards of total offense (520 passing/98 rushing), while the Corsairs totaled 516 yards (343 passing/173 rushing).
• The Rams defense which recorded four sacks and two interceptions was paced by a game-high 10 tackles from sophomore Shorn Hawthorne (Quincy, Mass.) who also recorded a pair of pass breakups.
• Senior Dwayne Hunter-Parker (Waterbury, Conn.) recorded nine tackles in the game with a forced fumble and an interception, while junior Joshua Onujiogu (Wareham, Mass.) added eight tackles, two for a loss, with 1.5 sacks.
• The Corsair defense was led by nine tackles apiece from Jacob Burkhead and Connor Russ, while Jay Bast recorded three tackles including a pair of sacks.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Corsairs took the opening kickoff and found the end zone on a 13-yard quarterback keeper from Gacioch capping a 12 play, 80 yard drive.  Gacioch started the drive completing his first five pass attempts.
• The Rams answered with a score on their first drive of the game as Wojenski and Maher connected for a 39-yard score tying the game at 7-7 with 9:43 on the clock.
• UMass Dartmouth regained the lead with just under six minutes remaining in the quarter on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Gacioch to Machado.
• After the kickoff, Wojenski connected with Maher for a 69-yard score on the first play from scrimmage, but the extra point was blocked and the Corsairs led 14-13 after one.
• UMass Dartmouth scored 12 points in the second quarter to take a 26-13 lead at the half.  Machado caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from Gacioch with 8:04 on the clock in the second. 
• The Rams defense forced the Corsairs to turn the ball over on downs on a fourth and goal from the six, however, Bast sacked Wojenski in the end zone for a safety.
•  James Tooker added a 20-yard field goal with 1:41 on the clock to account for the final score of the half.
• The Rams scored 13 unanswered points in the third quarter tying the game at 26-26 after three. 
• Hunter-Parker forced a fumble that was recovered by junior Joshua Smiley (Springfield, Mass.) on the Rams 14-yard line. After a 25-yard completion to Ford and pair of Ford rushes, Wojenski connected with Nunn for a 54-yard score.
• Hunter-Parker intercepted Gacioch on the three-yard line halting a scoring chance for the Corsairs and setting up the Rams longest pass play in school history, a 97-yard touchdown from Wojenski to Maher.
• UMass Dartmouth took the lead back (33-26) just under a minute into the fourth on a two-yard touchdown run from Gacioch that capped a 10 play, 66-yard drive.
• The lead did not last long as the Rams needed just seven plays to go 55-yards for the tying score – a 26-yard touchdown pass from Wojenski to Nichols.  Freshman Daniels Lathum converted the extra point knotting the game at 33-33 with 10:51 on the clock.
• After a Corsairs punt, the Rams took their first lead of the game on a four-yard run by Ford that capped a six play, 50-yard drive.  The point was blocked and the Rams led 39-33 with 5:37 remaining.
• The Corsairs punted on their next drive but the kick was short giving the Rams the ball on the Corsair 21-yard line.  The Corsair defense forced the Rams to turn the ball over on downs at the 21 with 2:56 left on the clock.  The Corsairs were driving and faced a 4^th and 12 with 2:11 remaining. Gacioch connected with Bamgbose, who was hit beyond the line to gain but broke the tackle and went backwards where he was stopped short of the first down ending the drive and securing the victory for the Rams.

UP NEXT:

The Rams are back in action next Saturday when they travel to Fitchurg State with a 12 p.m. kickoff, while the Corsairs are back in action October 19^th at Bridgewater State.