DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Powered by a career-high 221 rushing yards and three touchdowns from Luis Gonzalez, the UMass Dartmouth football team defeated visiting Plymouth State by a 41-7 margin in the MASCAC regular season finale for both teams. The Corsairs move to 9-1 overall and 7-1 in conference play, securing a share of the MASCAC regular season title for the second consecutive season. The Panthers conclude their season at 4-6 with a 4-4 conference mark.
UMass Dartmouth – the 2022 MASCAC Champions – earned a share of the title as they, Western Connecticut and Bridgewater State all finished with a 7-1 mark. The Corsairs now wait for word on a postseason bid, which will be announced soon.
The Corsairs – who celebrated their 12 graduates, team manager and four cheerleading grads pre-game for Senior Day – opened the game's scoring at 11:30 of the first quarter as quarterback Dante Aviles-Santos found wideout Angel Sanchez for the four-yard score.
It was Gonzalez that put the home team up 14-0 with 1:38 as he punched the ball in from two-yards out. Early in the second, Aviles-Santos pushed the margin to three scores, charging into the endzone for a 13-yard touchdown and a 21-0 lead.
Out of halftime, the Panthers came to life as rusher Matt Griffing capped a seven-play, 40-yard drive with an 11-yard score at the far corner.
Gonzalez pushed the margin back to a three-score edge for the home team with 7:15 to go in the third quarter for the 28-7 advantage. In the fourth quarter, the Corsairs saw Sanchez pull in his second TD of the game, catching a pass for the 24-yard score and the 34-7 advantage.
The final score of the game proved to be the Gonzalez show as the 12-play, 91-yard drive saw the grad student compile 69 total yards, including a three-yard drive into the endzone for his third score of the game.
Overall, the Corsairs compiled 515 yards of total offense, including 347 yards on the ground and 168 in the air. The UMass D defense was outstanding, holding the Panthers to just 170 yards of total offense, including 99 rushing and 71 passing.
In addition to Gonzalez, who carried the ball 26 times and notched his first career 200+-yard game, the Corsairs saw Aviles-Santos go 15-of-19 with 168 yards and two touchdowns. Rusher Jalyn Aponte carried the ball 12 times for 103 yards, while Sanchez had four catches for 73 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, the Corsairs saw defensive back Logan Chappell record nine tackles, including four solo, two for a loss of 13 yards and a sack for a loss of 12 yards with one quarterback hurry. Fellow D-back, Trell Best also posted nine tackles with three solo and an interception.
Plymouth State saw quarterback Braden Lynn go 7 for-14 on the afternoon with 71 yards. He had an interception and was sacked three times. Emmanuel Ughu led the rushing effort with eight carries for 48 yards, while Kyle Baker led all PSU receivers with two catches for 39 yards.
On defense, David Salazar paced the way, recording 13 tackles, including four solo. Evan Wilson added nine tackles, including a game-high six solo with a sack for a loss of three yards.
Prior to today's game, the Corsairs honored this year's graduates, including Best, linebacker Doug Chicca, offensive lineman Brandon DiChiaro, running back Khadhir Green, offensive lineman Carlos Gonsalves-Robalo, Gonzalez, linebacker Randy Jean-Francois, linebacker Jaydon Lame, wide receiver Shawn Nolan, tight end Ammon Schriling, defensive back Will Tuttle and linebacker Jackson Wellman.
Also honored was Corsairs team student manager and Corsair cheerleaders, Brenna Donnelly, Sarah Hurteau, Abbie Monte and Jada Mattos.
Corsairs Football Claims Share of MASCAC Title; Bests Plymouth State, 41-7
/seasons/2023/boxscores/20231111_tjfm.xml
2023
Plymouth State
7
Mass-Dartmouth
41
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth State (4-6) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Mass-Dartmouth (9-1) | 14 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 41 |
Nov 11, 2023