Bridgewater Bears Defeat Framingham State Rams 20-19

By Framingham State athletics

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FRAMINGHAM – The Framingham State University football team suffered a 20-19 loss this afternoon to Bridgewater State in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) tilt at Bowditch Field. 

Framingham State falls to 4-5 overall and 3-4 in the Conference.

Bridgewater State improves to 5-4 overall and 5-2 in the MASCAC

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HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Trailing 20-19 with 8:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Rams moved the ball 79 yards on nine plays with Noah Leonard completing passes of 17, 19 and 27 yards on the drive to move the ball to the BSU six. Matthew Farley’s 22-yard potential go ahead field goal, however, was blocked by Brendan Albert. 
• After the Rams defense forced a three and out, the Rams had one final drive. A 66-yard punt and subsequent 27-yard return by Jaden Lewis gave the visitors the ball at the BSU 49 with just one minute left to play.  
• With no timeouts, Leonard completed a 13-yard pass to Lewis. A four-yard pass sandwiched around a pair of incompletions set up fourth and six from the 32. A false start penalty, however, moved the ball back to the 37 with just 11 seconds remaining. The Rams lined up for a field goal, but Henrique De Boni’s 54-yard attempt missed as Bridgewater held on for the win.  
• The Rams scored on their first possession as they moved the ball 73 yards on 16 plays capped off by a six-yard touchdown pass from Leonard to Manny Lara. 
• The BSU offense struggled through most of the first half, but midway through the second quarter the Bears capitalized on great field possession following a booming 63-yard punt by Drake and a quick Framingham three-and-out. Taking over at the FSU 42, Cahoon hooked up with Kopecky on a clutch 22-yard pass on third and ten. Four plays later, Kopecky punched in a four-yard touchdown run to knot the score at 7-7 with 5:19 showing on the scoreboard. 

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• Later in the second quarter, Bridgewater took advantage of a short 21-yard punt. On the very next play, Cahoon connected with Torres on a 39-yard touchdown pass to give the Bears a 13-7 lead. The extra point, however, was blocked by Dylan DeWolfe and MoMo Nazaire returned the blocked PAT for a Ram two-point conversion. 
• The Rams took advantage of great field position following an attempted onside kick to start the second half as well as a personal foul penalty. Ford capped off a short six-play, 36-yard drive with a two-yard TD run to give the visitors a 16-13 lead. 
• Early in the fourth quarter, Farley booted a 29-yard field goal to extend the Framingham lead to 19-13 with 12:38 left to play. 
• On the ensuing drive, the Bears moved the ball 61 yards on seven plays. Cahoon connected with Couch on a 30-yard completion out of the backfield, and then hooked up with Michael Nocera on a 23-yard strike to set up first and goal at the Framingham four. After an incomplete pass and two short runs brought up fourth down, Kopecky punched in a one-yard touchdown to knot the score at 19-all. Joey Naso then converted the extra point attempt to give the hosts a 20-19 lead and set the stage for the dramatic finish. 

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INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

• Devaun Ford rushed for a game-high 112 yards on 30 carries with one touchdown to lead the way for Framingham State. Ford also caught two passes for 31 yards. Leonard completed 15 of 34 pass attempts for 163 yards and a touchdown to go along with 39 rushing yards. 
• Chase Buono led the FSU defense with eight tackles (seven solo) with a pair of tackles for loss, while Cully Curran notched nine tackles (eight solo) and Michael Brooks recorded seven solo stops. 
• James Cahoon completed 20 of 33 pass attempts for 251 yards and a touchdown to lead the BSU offense. Kyle Torres hauled in six receptions for 92 yards and a score, while Adam Couch rushed for 69 yards on 19 carries and added two receptions for 36 yards. Jalen Kopecky punched in a pair of rushing touchdowns to go along with two catches for 35 yards.  
• Albert, Steven Silvia and Dan Cataldo paced the Bears’ defensive effort. Albert notched 12 tackles (five solo) including one for loss to go along with his game-saving blocked field goal. Silvia led all players with 15 tackles (nine solo) and also broke up a pass, while Cataldo tallied ten tackles (seven solo) with a sack and a pair of pass breakups.  
• Framingham finished with 321 yards of total offense including 158 on the ground. The Rams converted 5 of 18 third down opportunities and went 2-for-3 on fourth down. 
• Bridgewater racked up 349 yards of total offense with 251 coming through the air. The Bears went 4-for-13 on third down conversion and 1-for-2 on fourth down. 

UP NEXT:  The Rams close out the regular season next Saturday when they host Worcester State at noon at Bowditch Field. 

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