By Jim Fenton
MILTON, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University football team allowed 28 points in the fourth quarter and lost its season opener Friday night.
The Bears took a 14-7 lead into the final 15 minutes against Curry College, but the Colonels scored four touchdowns and earned a 35-28 victory at Walter M. Katz Field.
It was the first meeting between the former New England Football Conference (NEFC) charter members since a 2016 win by Curry. This was the Bears' lone non-conference game of the season.
BSU had opened a 14-7 lead by scoring a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, but the Colonels scored twice within 3:04 early in the fourth quarter, turned an interception into another TD late in the game and added another score in the final two minutes.
Curry was led by senior running back Montie Quinn (Goose Creek, S.C.), who scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Quinn had 153 yards on 23 carries after entering the games as the program's all-time career leader with 4,435 yards. Quinn ranked third nationally in Division III last season with 1,652 yards.
BSU sophomore quarterback Shamus Whiting (Plymouth, Mass.), making his third career start, completed 20 of 32 passes for 328 yards and a pair of TDs.
Senior Mohale Mitchell (Lakewood, Col.) caught four passes for 142 yards with a touchdown and sophomore Josh Registre (Waltham, Mass.) had a pair of fourth-quarter TD catches. He had three receptions for 73 yards.
The Bears had the advantage in total yards (443-362), time of possession (33:04-26:56) and first downs (23-21). But Curry had seven quarterback sacks for 42 yards and the Bears committed 10 penalties for 82 yards while the Colonels had just three penalties. Bridgewater also turned the ball over twice.
Curry, which plays in the Conference of New England, held a 7-0 halftime lead, scoring with 1:26 to go in the opening quarter.
Sophomore Wesley Williams (Grafton, Mass.) caught a 22-yard TD pass from graduate student Anthony Santino (Woodbridge, N.J.) to complete an eight-play, 74-yard drive. Sophomore Omar Aboutoui (Methuen, Mass.) added the point after.
In the first half, BSU had a field goal blocked, punted three times and lost a fumble to end a drive.
The blocked field goal by freshman Jaiden Williams (Everett, Mass.) came midway through the first quarter. Curry took over at its own 26 and went on its first scoring drive with Santino completing five passes.
BSU scored on its first two possessions of the second half to move in front.
The Bears took the kickoff and needed only three plays to go 75 yards.
Whiting and Mitchell connected for a 73-yard completion that brought the ball to the Curry 2, and senior Isaiah Wright (Worcester, Mass.) scored from there 1:12 into the half. Senior Joey Naso (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) added the point after.
The Bears took possession at their own 8-yard line to start the next drive and went 92 yards in 14 plays.
Whiting had four completions on the drive, including a 23-yarder to Mitchell. The TD came on a 25-yard catch by senior Jack McCarthy (Braintree, Mass.) with 3:25 to go in the quarter.
But Curry scored the next three TDs to take control.
The Colonels got the ball at the BSU 44, and on first down, Quinn went 44 yards for a TD just 1:04 into the last quarter.
On BSU's next possession, it was forced to punt with Curry taking over at the Bears' 47.
Faced with a third-and-five situation, the Colonels turned to Quinn, who went 32 yards with 10:52 remaining to put Curry ahead, 21-14.
Junior Lucas Leander (Rockland, Mass.) intercepted a Whiting pass to give Curry the ball at its own 48, amd the Colonels needed seven plays to go 52 yards and take a 28-14 lead with 5:48 to play.
BSU closed to within a TD with 2:04 remaining as Whiting threw an 18-yard TD pass to Registre.
Following an onside kick attempt, though, BSU was hit with a face mask penalty, giving Curry the ball at the Bears' 15. Quinn scored again on a 6-yard run with 1:41 to play.
BSU added one more TD with 51 seconds left as Registre caught a 20-yard pass from freshman Joseph Dube-Garrett (Fort Myers, Fla.) to finish an eight-play, 75-yard drive that took only 50 seconds.
The Bears have their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 13 against Westfield State University at 2:30 p.m. The game opens the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference schedule.
Curry will travel to Coast Guard in Connecticut for a 1 p.m. game.
Photo courtesy of Frank Poulin