By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University football team had one of the top defensive units in the nation a year ago.

The Bears ranked 19th among NCAA Division III teams, allowing 255 yards per game and 4.17 yards per play.

With a number of starters returning for the 2025 season, BSU figures to be strong on defense once again.

The offense struggled for much of last season, though, with the Bears using four different starting quarterbacks in 10 games, and the lack of production is a major reason why BSU went 2-5 in the first seven games.

A year later, there is reason for optimism that the Bears will be more effective on offense as they look to improve on a 5-5 season.

BSU gets the schedule going Friday at 6 p.m. when it travels to Milton, Mass., for the season's lone non-conference game against Curry College. The teams have not played since a 28-24 Colonels' win in 2016.

"We're very excited for the season," said Bears coach Joe Verria, who is 49-34 in eight seasons. "Camp went well. Coming off the season we had, finishing with three straight wins, the kids did a great job in the offseason. They worked hard in spring. They worked hard during the summer and they came into camp focused and in great shape and ready to compete."

The Bears are picked to finish second in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, according to the coaches preseason poll. Defending champion UMass Dartmouth is first in the voting.

BSU will start sophomore Shamus Whiting (Plymouth, Mass.) at quarterback after he started in wins over Fitchburg State and Vermont State Castleton near the end of the '24 season.

Whiting was the fourth quarterback to start and appeared in three games, going 12-for-33 for 173 yards and a touchdown.

"He really worked hard in the offseason," said Verria. "He's looked pretty good. He's better this year. He's making better decisions. His arm strength looks a little better. His grasp of the offense after the spring has improved."

Sophomore Elijah Brown (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) is behind Whiting on the depth chart along with juniors Everson Quissanga (Boston, Mass.) and Jack Renaud (Waltham, Mass.), who started a pair of games in the first half of last season.

"Quarterback is very important as we saw last year," said Verria. "We were trying to find that guy. That's why we were where we were."

Senior Isaiah Wright (Worcester, Mass.) was second on the team last season with 566 yards and is also effective as a returner in the kicking game. Wright was the Lee Harrington Most Valuable Player Award winner in the Cranberry Bowl win over Mass. Maritime Academy.

Joining him at running back will be senior Andrew Cloutman (Hanson, Mass.) and freshman Sean Brown (Port Richey, Fla.).

The returning wide receivers include sophomore Josh Registre (Waltham, Mass.), who had 15 catches for 210 yards, senior Ryan Coonan (Worcester, Mass.), who had 15 receptions for 178 yards, senior Mohale Mitchell (Lakewood, Col.), senior Jack McCarthy (Braintree, Mass.), who caught three touchdown passes, and junior Cameron Pragano (Northford, Conn.).

The tight ends again will be junior Colton Johnson (Mansfield, Mass.) and senior Matthew Rinta (Wareham, Mass.). Rinta earned All-MASCAC honors a year ago at fullback.

There is depth on the line and the starters should include tackles Philip D'Alleva (Peabody, Mass.), a sophomore transfer from Bryant University, and senior captain Matthew Leofanti (Franklin, Mass.); guards Jonathan Hogrell (West Bridgewater, Mass.), a senior, and freshman Elvis Mahoum-Nassar (Lutz, Fla.); plus sophomore center Jaeden Ortiz (Zephyrhills, Fla.).

"They should be better," said Verria of the offense. "We seem to be operating better on offense. We're going to be able to run the ball."

Senior captain Brandon Medeiros (Somerset, Mass.) is a key returner on defense. The defensive back made the All-MASCAC first team a year ago when he had 31 tackles, a sack and an interception.

The line includes junior Jorge Aquino (Bergenfield, N.J.), who had 35 tackles and four sacks; senior Thomas Rocha (Barrington, R.I.), who had 41 tackles with two sacks; and senior Mark DeGirolamo (Mansfield, Mass.), who made 39 tackles and had two sacks.

The linebackers include senior Victor Martinez (Haverhill, Mass.) and junior Benjamin Wing (Oxford, Mass.).

Joining Medeiros in the secondary are senior Mason Cardwell (Randolph, Mass.), junior Lucas Lambert (Oxford, Mass.) and sophomore David DeSouza (Everett, Mass.), a transfer from Franklin Pierce.

"We should be pretty good on defense," said Verria. "They play well together. They're smart. They're instinctive and they really fly around to the ball."

Senior captain Joey Naso (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.), a first-team All-MASCAC selection, returns as the kicker after breaking Ripp Charters' school record for conversion kicks. Naso will also punt following the graduation of all-conference and all-region punter Shane Drake.

The MASCAC has two new teams -- Dean College and Anna Maria College -- as they replace Vermont State Castleton and Western Connecticut State.

Friday's game against Curry presents an immediate test for the Bears. The Colonels of the Conference of New England feature one of the nation's top running backs in Montie Quinn (Goose Creek, S.C.).

Quinn owns the Curry record for career rushing yards in just three seasons with 4,435 yards to go with 36 touchdowns.

He was third in the country in Division III last season, gaining 1,652 yards.

"It's a Friday night game and I'm sure the atmosphere will be good," said Verria. "They have one of the top running backs in the country and it's a huge challenge. We can't lose field position or time because of him. He's a strong kid, a really, really good player."