Box Score

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The Nichols College football team rallied from a 14-7 fourth quarter deficit to force overtime against Plymouth State, only to suffer a 20-14 defeat Saturday afternoon in New England Football Conference (NEFC) action.

The Bison (0-5, 0-2 NEFC) outgained the Panthers 355-164 on the afternoon, led by junior Dylan Rimsky (Denville, N.J.), who caught eight passes for 155 yards and a touchdown. Making his first start at quarterback since week one, senior Jacob Shoup (Boca Raton, Fla.) completed 18-of-38 pass attempts for 276 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.

Sophomore Jonathan Winbush (Boston, Mass.) rushed for 50 yards on 15 carries while junior Joe Lambert (New Haven, Conn.) caught five passes for 63 yards and classmate Mark Parker (Natick, Mass.) also hauled in a touchdown catch. Sophomore Alex DiNardo (Wellington, Fla.) racked up a game and season-high 12 tackles to go along with two sacks to lead the Bison defense, which also received nine tackles each from senior captain Peter Curto (Braintree, Mass.) and sophomore Julon McCoy (Gardner, Mass.).

With the game tied at seven midway through the fourth quarter, the Panthers blocked a Nichols punt and took over at the Bison four-yard line. Two plays later, junior Jake Tyler (Maynard, Mass.) rushed in from two yards out to put Plymouth State in front 14-7. The teams traded possessions before the Bison took over at their own 40-yard line with 3:09 remaining in regulation.

The drive began with a pair of incompletions before a pass interference call on Rimsky gave Nichols a fresh set of downs. Following a completion to Parker that put the Bison in plus territory, Shoup hit Rimsky for a 41-yard touchdown pass with 2:23 left to tie the game and force overtime.

Nichols opened the extra session with possession, but Shoup was intercepted on fourth down to end the drive and give the Panthers the ball. Tyler hit graduate student Dustin Matthews (Eliot, Maine) over the middle for 11 yards to start the drive, and three plays later, Matthews took it in from a yard out for the win.

“Our defense played its best game since I've been here,” said Bison head coach Kevin Loney. “This is a tough loss for us, but we continue to improve. Our team is learning how to win and showed a lot of heart coming back in the fourth. The next time we're in this situation, we'll be able to look back at this game, learn from our mistakes, and come away with a win.”

The Panthers scored the only points of the first half on a three-yard touchdown run from freshman Tristenn Clark (New Bedford, Mass.) at 14:55 of the second quarter. Nichols tied the game early in the third when Parker capped a six-play, 74-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown reception. Earlier in the drive, Shoup hooked up with Lambert for a 49-yard pass play to put the Bison at the PSU 20.

Tyler finished the day 6-of-14 for 29 yards and rushed for 17 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries. Clark finished with 52 yards on the ground and one score.

The Bison return to action on Saturday, October 6 when they head to Beverly, Mass. for a noon contest with the Gulls of Endicott College. The Panthers play MIT in Cambridge next Saturday at 1 p.m.