Framingham, Mass. – The Framingham State University football team received a school record 510 passing yards and five touchdowns from senior Matt Silva (Dracut, Mass.), but it was not enough as SUNY Cortland held off a late comeback from the Rams to secure a 61-49 victory in non-conference action this afternoon at Framingham's Bowditch Field.
With the victory, the Red Dragons improve to 2-0 on the year, while the Rams even their record at 1-1 with the loss.
In a high scoring affair, the two teams combined for an FSU school record of 110 points and 1,071 yards of total offense. Despite the loss, the Rams racked up a school record 575 yards, while the Red Dragons accumulated 496. Led by Silva's arm the Rams threw for a school record 510 yards through the air, while the Red Dragons received 382 yards from junior quarterback Kyle Schneider (Hillsdale, NJ).
Silva established three Framingham State single game passing records in the contest as he completed 43-of-59 for 510 yards with five touchdowns and one pick. The 43 completions, 59 attempts and 510 yards are all new FSU single game records. Seniors Tevin Jones (Springfield, Mass.) and Marcus Grant (Carver, Mass.) paced the receiving core with 10 catches apiece. Grant picked up 90 yards on his 10 catches with two touchdowns, while Jones picked up a game-high 156 receiving yards with one score. Senior Travis Hayes (Framingham, Mass.) recorded 142 yards on nine receptions with a touchdown, while classmate Jared Gauthier (Dracut, Mass.) made six catches including a single touchdown.
Schneider finished the day 20-of-27 for 382 yards and four touchdowns with an interception. Jake Smith (Albany, NY) was his leading target with five catches for 139 yards and a touchdown, while junior Jon Mannix (East Northport, NY) made four catches for 140 yards with two scores.
The two teams started the scoring early as they traded touchdowns on the first two possessions of the game. Josh Riley caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Schneider on the opening possession and Silva ran it in from two yards out on the Rams first possession to knot the game at 14-14 just over seven minutes into the game.
After both teams punted, Schneider hit Mannix down the sideline for a 55 yard touchdown on the Red Dragons ensuing possession. The Rams once again answered with an eight play, 77 yard drive capped by a 20 yard TD pass from Silva to Jones to tie the game at 14-14 just six seconds into the second quarter. The tie did not last long as Dylan Peebles returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown putting the Red Dragons on top for good. Cortland added two more second quarter touchdowns extending their lead to 35-14 at the half.
The Rams received the opening kickoff for the second half and were driving, but Carson Lassiter intercepted Silva and returned it 53 yards giving the Red Dragons the ball on the Rams 19 yard line. After a pair of stops by the Ram defense for no gain, senior Lewis Bailey (Chelmsford, Mass.) intercepted Schneider in the end zone to end the drive. The Rams capitalized as Silva and Hayes connected for a 49 yard touchdown pulling the Rams back within two scores.
After the Hayes touchdown catch, the two teams would trade touchdowns on the next six possessions of the game. Senior Matt Mangano (Winchester, Mass.) pulled the Rams within 11 on a two yard touchdown run with 1:35 left in the third. Peebles answered for the Red Dragons with a 37 yard touchdown run putting the visitors on top 47-28 just nine seconds into the final quarter.
Silva connected with Grant on a two-yard fade in the corner of the end zone for his first touchdown catch of the game on the Rams next possession and after Silva and Jones converted the two point conversion the Rams trailed 47-36 with just under 12 remaining.
On the ensuing Cortland possession, the Rams defense came up with three huge stops for a loss of seven yards, but a roughing the kicker penalty on the Rams kept the drive alive. On the very next play after the penalty, Schneider hit Mannix for a 58 yard touchdown pass pushing the lead back to 54-36.
Silva pulled the Rams within five (54-49) with a pair of touchdown passes down the stretch to Guathier and to Grant with 1:18 on the clock.
The Rams used their timeouts and forced the Red Dragons to punt with 20 seconds remaining in the game, but the punt was fumbled by the Rams and returned 40 yards for a touchdown by Matt Goodman to seal the victory for the Red Dragons.
The Rams defense was led by nine tackles, including six solo, from Mangano, while sophomore Stephen Beahn (Spencer, Mass.) and senior Chris Sywetz (Bergenfield, NJ) added seven apiece. The Red Dragons received 10 tackles apiece from Tom Hagan, Troy Beddoe and Devonte Davis.
The Rams are back in action at home next Saturday when they entertain Fitchburg State University in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) matchup at Bowditch Field beginning at noon, while the Red Dragons travel to St. John Fisher for an Empire 8 game beginning at 1 p.m.