Box Score

DUDLEY, Mass. – Senior Brett Franciosi (Leominster, Mass.) racked up 326 yards of total offense and junior Bryan Hummel (Dedham, Mass.) scored five touchdowns in Nichols College's 62-43 loss to Maine Maritime Academy Saturday afternoon in New England Football Conference (NEFC) action at Vendetti Field.

Hummel threw for 163 yards and three scores and ran for two more while Franciosi notched 125 rushing yards, 123 kick return yards, and 78 receiving yards as the two squads combined for 1,019 yards of total offense and 105 points – 10 shy of last year's combined mark of 115. Freshmen Mike Abbruzzese (Natick, Mass.) and Kyle Whitney (Cranston, R.I.) each caught their first collegiate touchdown pass for the Bison, who tallied a season-high in both points (43) and total yards (415).

Maine Maritime freshman Jacob Doolan (Fairfield, Maine) ripped off 206 yards on the ground and scored three times on 12 carries for an average of 17.2 ypr. Classmate James Ferrar (Cumberland, Maine) rushed for 110 yards and one score while junior signal-caller Michael Fahey (Union, Conn.) carried the ball 16 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns; he also completed 5-of-9 through the air for 145 yards and three scores. Overall, the Mariners averaged 7.8 yards per rush.

The Mariners (3-3, 2-2 NEFC) finished the afternoon with 604 yards of total offense (459 rush, 145 pass) and scored touchdowns on nine of their first 12 possessions. They only converted four of their 11 third-down attempts but were a perfect 3-for-3 on fourth-down tries. Maine Maritime also managed to win despite turning the ball over four times, partially because their defense – led by junior linebacker John Doyon (Hampden, Maine) with 19 tackles (13 solo) – pressured Hummel into four turnovers (three interceptions, one fumble).

Nichols, meanwhile, featured a pair of double-digit tacklers in freshman Brett McEvoy (Wrentham, Mass.) (14; six solo) and senior Orlando Vega (Homstead, Fla.) (10; three solo). McEvoy, along with seniors Christopher Zuloaga (Miami, Fla.) and Jonathan Winbush (Boston, Mass.) and freshman Brian Jones (Plainville, Mass.), each recovered a fumble.

The Bison led 16-14 after one quarter behind a one-yard TD run from Hummel, an 11-yard TD reception by Whitney, and a 26-yard field goal from junior Connor Haynes (Sutton, Mass.). Maine Maritime hit on a pair of big plays to account for its points – a 53-yard TD run from Doolan and a 67-yard scoring run from Ferrar.

The visitors outscored Nichols 28-14 in the second quarter and led 42-30 entering halftime. Fahey tossed a 67-yard pass to freshman Jordan Susi (South Portland, Maine) to put the Mariners ahead 36-23 before Nichols answered back just 1:47 later when Franciosi caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Hummel. The backbreaking play for the Bison occurred with just 24 seconds left when Doolan caught a pass over the middle, broke away from tacklers and scampered 61 yards for a touchdown.

Senior Jordan Hevey (Biddeford, Maine) opened the second-half scoring with a 28-yard touchdown reception that extended the Maine Maritime lead to 49-30. Nichols responded with a 10-play, 68-yard drive that senior Felipe Njeim (Stoughton, Mass.) capped with a two-yard touchdown plunge that brought it to within 12 at 49-37, but a three-yard TD run from Doolan with 2:47 left in the third and a one-yard touchdown run from Fahey early in the fourth made it 62-37 with 10:38 to go.

Nichols (1-7, 0-5 NEFC) is off next week before hosting Curry in its final home game of the season November 8 at 12:00 p.m. The Mariners travel to Salve Regina next weekend for a 12:00 p.m. contest.