FITCHBURG, Mass. -- The Fitchburg State football team collected its first New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division victory in dramatic fashion, defeating Bridgewater State College, 25-21 this afternoon at Elliot Field.
The duo of senior Steven Austin (Jupiter, FL) and junior Jordan Cannava (Woburn, MA) carried the Falcons to victory, combining for three touchdowns and 357 yards on the day. Austin led the Falcons rushing attack with 107 yards and one TD, while Cannava completed the fourth quarter comeback with 250 yards passing and two TDs.
Junior Carlos De La Rosa (Holyoke, MA) established himself as Cannava's main target, reeling in 136 yards and two scores, including the game-winner with 58 seconds remaining in regulation.
Bridgewater State enjoyed a 6-0 lead at the break as senior quarterback Steve Clark (East Falmouth, MA) found classmate Jesse Teixeira (Taunton, MA) on the first half's only scoring drive. Clark connected with Teixeira on a 30 yard strike down the right side line at the 8:51 mark of the first quarter, capping a ten-play, 64-yard drive.
The Bears continue to pound the ball early in the third period, grabbing a 14-0 lead just 2:03 into the frame on a 69-yard Clark touchdown scamper. Fitchburg State, however, came swarming back as Cannava hit De La Rosa in the Bears' end zone at the 7:53 mark. The touchdown was the Falcons first score of the day, cutting the Bears' lead to 14-7.
In the fourth, Fitchburg State continued its comeback pursuit, outscoring the Bears 18-7 in the frame. Senior Evan Georgopoulos (Melrose, MA) kicked off the Falcons scoring surge off with a 27-yard FG to cut the deficit to 14-10.
With 4:54 left in the fourth quarter, BSC senior running back Jeff Creeden (Mansfield, MA) put the Bears on top 21-10 with a one-yard scoring plunge to cap off a 13-play, 60-yard scoring drive. The Falcons responded, however as Austin found the end zone on a seven-yard dash to bring Fitchburg State to within three.
After a three-and-out on the defensive side, Fitchburg State took over with 3:43 remaining for a potential game-winning drive. The Falcons picked up a key fourth and nine as Cannava hit De La Rosa in stride for a 13-yard first down pass. Moments later, Cannava found Callahan on a 22 yard fly before connecting with De La Rosa again for the game-winning, 26-yard TD pass.
Junior Sean McGinn (Walpole, MA) led all tacklers, posting a game-high ten tackles (8 solo, 4 assists) and 0.5 sacks, while sophomore Will Gasson (Mansfield, MA) stood strong at linebacker with seven solo stops and four helpers. Sophomore Sean Golden (Montville, CT) sealed the Falcon victory with a 25 yard interception in the closing seconds, while adding five total stops on the day.
Bridgewater State received a solid effort from Clark who led all rushers with a game-high 158 yards. The senior quarterback totaled one TD on the ground and one in the air, while junior Justin Fuller (Berkley, MA) added 82 yards on the ground. Freshman John Ferbert (East Bridgewater, MA) led all Bridgewater State tacklers with a team-high nine tackles (7 solo, 4 assists) and one break-up.
Fitchburg State (3-2, 1-1 NEFC) will be back in action next Saturday as it travels to Coast Guard Academy at 1:30 p.m. Bridgewater State (3-2, 1-1 NEFC) will host Framingham State on Saturday at 12 p.m.