By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The first half of the season was marred by frustrating losses, including one in overtime and another that was the result of a rough fourth quarter.
The Bridgewater State University football team stood at 1-4 midway through the season, in need of a spark to turn things around.
The Bears found the momentum boost they have been looking for on Saturday afternoon at Mazzaferro Field.
BSU scored 35 points in less than16 minutes in the second half to overtake the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 35-15, on Senior Day.
The win gives the Bears back-to-back wins for the first time this season, following up on a Homecoming Weekend victory over winless Dean College last week.
BSU (3-4, 3-3 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference) defeated the Corsairs (3-4, 3-3), which twice won outright and once shared the last three conference championships, with a second-half blitz on offense and defense.
"This is a big win for the program, a big win for these kids," said coach Joe Verria. "They've been hearing it all year how (they) just (need to) play mistake-free football.
"Just keep plugging away and we'll break out. We did. We played well today."
BSU had lost four straight to UMass Dartmouth, the last three games by 41, 20 and 44 points.
Trailing, 9-0, at halftime, the Bears scored 14 kpoints in the third quarter and 21 more in the fourth quarter. The 35 points are the most in the half by BSU in three years.
BSU rushed for 282 yards while the defense had seven quarterback sacks, recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass.
"That's what we haven't done all year, play a complete game like that," said Verria. "That's what we have. That is the talent we have, that's the players we have, that's the coaches we have, the whole thing.
"It just all came together today."
Senior Andrew Cloutman (Hanson, Mass.) led the ground game, picking up 117 yards and a TD on 20 carries.
Senior Isaiah Wright (Worcester, Mass.) added 91 yards on 10 carries with a pair of scores.
Junior tight end Colton Johnson (Mansfield, Mass.) caught a pair of TD passes from freshman quarterback Joseph Dube-Garrett (Fort Myers, Fla.).
Registering sacks were junior Jorge Aquino (Bergenfield, N.J.) and senior Thomas Rocha (Barrington, R.I.), who had two each, and senior Mark DeGirolamo (Mansfield, Mass.), senior Hunter Hastings (Plainville, Mass.) and sophomore Mathew Piper (Townsend, Mass.).
"We had great coverage in the secondary, which allowed the line to get to the ball," said Verria. "The defense did a great job."
The Corsairs held a 9-0 lead at halftime on a 42-yard field goal by sophomore Connor McManus (New Bedford, Mass.) with 7:07 left in the first quarter and a 17-yard interception for a score by
senior Lamar Beaton (Roslindale, Mass.) with 8:36 to go in the half.
He picked off a Dube-Garrett pass that was thrown as the quarterback was being sacked.
BSU turned the game around in the third quarter, scoring twice in 1:17 for a 14-9 lead.
The Bears went 64 yards in 13 plays with Dube-Garrett throwing a 3-yard TD pass to Johnson with 7:34 remaining in the quarter.
UMass Dartmouth sophomore quarterback Daunte Melton (Woonsocket, R.I.) was sacked for a 4-yard loss on the third play of the next series and senior Victor Martinez (Haverhill, Mass.) recovered at the Corsairs 37.
On first down, Wright took off down the right side for a 37-yard TD with 6:17 left in the quarter.
BSU then drove to the UMass Dartmouth 15 on the final possession of the third quarter. Harris opened the fourth quarter with a 15-yard TD run, making it 21-9 with 14:55 to play.
The Bears put together a five-play, 50-yard drive after that, Johnson catching a 10-yard TD pass from Dube-Garrett with 9:26 left for a 28-9 lead.
Junior Benjamin Wing (Oxford, Mass.) intercepted a pass to give BSU the ball at the Corsairs' 21, and three plays later, Cloutman scored on a 1-yard run.
The Corsairs' lone offensive TD came with 4:40 to go, a 3-yard run by junior Mekhi Wilson (Narragansett, R.I.).
The Bears outgained the Corsairs on the ground, 269-66. The BSU defense held Wilson to just 42 yards on 18 carries. Wilson entered the day ranked ninth in all of Division III in rushing yards.
"They're a good team, a very good defensive football team," said Verria of UMass Dartmouth. "They play man coverage and they blitz when they get off the bus.
"We pounded them enough in the first half to soften them enough to be able to run in the second half. That's what really started opening things up."
DeGirolamo and Wing led BSU with nine tackles each.Prior to the game, BSU honored its 23 seniors as they gathered on the field with family members.
The group included captains Brandon Medeiros (Somerset, Mass.), a defensive back, kicker Joey Naso (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) and offensive lineman Matthew Leofanti (Franklin, Mass.).
Also, Rocha, Martinez, Wright, DeGriolamo, wide receiver Jack McCarthy (Braintree, Mass.), defensive back Mason Cardwell (Randolph, Mass.), wide receiver Mohale Mitchell (Lakewood, Col.), defensive back Peter Celestino (Rockland, Mass.), linebacker Jonah Familia (Worcester, Mass.) and running back/wide receiver James Marden (Dartmouth, Mass.).
Also, and wide receiver Daniel Pierre (Haverhill, Mass.), running back Bryan Ivatts (Barrington, R.I.), defensive back Dallas Murphy (Plymouth, Mass.), defensive back Nathan Keenan (Taunton, Mass.) fullback/tight end Matthew Rinta (Wareham, Mass.), defensive back Michael Ready (Salem, Mass.), offensive lineman John Vincent (Falmouth, Mass.), wide receiver Ryan Coonan (Worcester, Mass.), tight end Enzo Bastone (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) and defensive lineman Joseph Parisi (Danvers, Mass.).
The Bears will be on the road next Saturday, facing Fitchburg State University at noon.
The Corsairs will travel to Franklin to play Dean College at noon on Saturday.