Football Falls to WPI, 24-21

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Bryce Curtin (Bristol, Conn.) blocked a potential game-tying 23-yard field goal in the final seconds to lift the visiting WPI football team to a 24-21 victory over Bridgewater State University on Friday evening at Mazzaferro Field in the first-ever meeting between the two storied programs.

The Engineers are now 2-0 on the season while the Bears dip to 1-1 in 2023.

The night featured a pregame ceremony that saw the field named in honor of legendary Bridgewater State head coach Peter Mazzaferro.

WPI won the opening coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff, but after not punting at all in a Week 1 victory over Worcester State, the Engineers went three-and-out on its first possession and were forced to punt. The Bears then embarked upon a nine-play, 48-yard opening drive, capped by an Adam Couch (Winchendon, Mass.) ten-yard touchdown run 4:57 into the contest.

The visitors broke into the scoring column midway through the second quarter after Bridgewater State muffed a punt that was recovered by the Crimson and Gray at the BSU 21. Brock Dubey (Dudley, Mass.) connected on a career-best tying 39-yard field goal four plays later to make the score 7-3. That would be the same score at intermission.

After only one touchdown in the game's first 41:38, the two teams traded touchdowns 35 seconds apart late in the third quarter. WPI's Hunter Carey (South Hadley, MA) gave the Engineers their first lead of the game when he rumbled in from one yard out from the Wild Goat formation. Carey kept the guests drive alive with a 31-yard scamper on fourth-and-two from the WPI 44. The Bears quickly regained the lead 35 second later as quarterback James Cahoon (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) found Couch open over the middle for a 64-yard score with 3:47 to go in the third.

The two teams continued on the scoring see-saw in the fourth quarter. The Boynton Hillers rattled off an impressive 15-play, 75 drive that chewed up 7:04 and ended again with the Engineers scoring out of the aforementioned Wild Goat, this time with Carey handing off to John Chau (Suffern, N.Y.) on a reverse that the junior ran in three yards for a touchdown. The snap on the PAT was mishandled keeping the score 16-14 in WPI's favor. However, Bridgewater State answered back even quicker this time as Isaiah Wright (Worcester, Mass.) took the ensuing kickoff back 85 yards for a touchdown to regain the lead 21-16 with 11:27 remaining. It was the Bears' first kickoff return for a touchdown since Carlton Williamson turned the trick back in 2015 (Oct. 3) against Western Connecticut State University.

Forced to play from behind yet again, the Engineers posted another impressive drive, this time going 70 yards in ten plays, finished by a Stephen MacDonald (Georgetown, Mass.) 12-yard touchdown pass to Jay Mezzo (Naugatuck, Conn.) in the back left corner of the end zone.  The guests went back to the Wild Goat for a two-point conversion as Carey's jump pass found Nolan Warner in the back of the end zone to put WPI ahead 24-21 with 5:13 to go.

Bridgewater had one final possession but without the benefit of a timeout. Starting at their own 19 with 5:03 remaing, the Bears moved the ball 70 yards on 14 plays with Cahoon spiking the ball with eight second showing on the scoreboard. That would set the stage for the the game-tying 28-yard field goal that was swatted down by a leaping Curtin. The blocked kick sent the Engineers back to Worcester 2-0 for the first time since starting 7-0 in 2019.

The Bears have attempted three field goals over the first two weeks of the season and all three field goals have been blocked.

Carey led all rushers with 111 yards on 24 carries. Chau finished with 63 yards on 18 touches. MacDonald bounced back from a slow start to complete 16-of-34 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown and added 34 yards on the ground. He was also intercepted twice. Mezzo hauled in six receptions for 58 yards while Noah Herzig (Hubbardston, MA) added five catches for 42 yards.

Defensively, the Engineers were led by Jimmy Espinal (Salem, Mass.) who amassed six solo stops while Gavin Chieff (Bernardsville, N.J.), Zach Newberg (Barrington, R.I.) and Nate Ambrad (Wakefield, R.I.) were all credited with sacks and Elized Soule (Kennebunkport, Maine) broke up a pair of passes.

Cahoon completed 25 of 33 pass attempts for 259 yards and a touchdown. Couch finished with four receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 42 yards and another score. Dan Akinsheye (Pawtucket, R.I.) hauled in six passes for 79 yards, while Michael Nocera (Cumberland, R.I.) had six catches for 55 yards.

Ben McMahon (Somerset, Mass.) paced the BSU defensive effort with a game-high 11 tackles (six solo), including one for loss, to go along with an interception. Brendan Albert (Canton, Mass.), Zachary Souza (Tyngsboro, Mass.) and Kodi Saotome (Warren, R.I.) added eight tackles apiece for the Bears. Albert and Saotome each recorded a tackle for loss, while Souza broke up a pass.  Brandon Medeiros (Somerset, Mass.) and Mark DeGirolamo (Mansfield, Mass.) checked in with a pair of pass breakups. DeGirolamo also registered the Bears' lone sack. Chonlee Cine (Everett, Mass.) contributed three tackles, a pass breakup and his first collegiate interception.

The guests outgained BSU 348-292 and held a commending edge in time of possession (37:41-22:19) and total plays (82-54). The Engineers committed just three penalties for 15 yards while the Bears were flagged nine times for 100 yards. WPI also excelled on third and fourth downs going 11-of-19 and 2-of-3, respectively. Bridgewater went 5-for-12 on third down and 0-for-1 on fourth.

Both teams are back in action a week from Saturday. Bridgewater State plays Plymouth State at noon in the middle contest of a three-game homestand to open MASCAC play. WPI plays host to RPI at 5pm in the 116th meeting between the two schools and the 43rd time for Transit Trophy.

Notes: Couch increased his career rushing total to 2,124 yards as he moved past Steven Clark (2,107 yds) into tenth place on the Bears' all-time rushing list...Cahoon now has 48 career touchdown passes.