By Nick Pantages
@nick_pantages22
After forcing a three-and-out against the Salve Regina Seahawks high powered offense, the Springfield College’s Pride offense had its chance to establish why they are one of the most feared offenses in the country.
Luke Zoller led off the drive with a 22-yard run as the pitch man of a textbook Pride triple option play. After a holding call, quarterback TJ Welch kept two in a row, including a 26-yard scamper to pick up a second-and-long. The Pride offense perfectly balanced their attack, running left with the fullback, quarterback and wing backs behind their experienced offensive line duo of guard Mekhi George and tackle Craig Connell, with Bode Dunn eventually pounding in a 14-yard rushing score to give Springfield an early 6-0 lead.
This was a lead that the Pride did not relinquish, improving to 3-2 with a 28-14 win over the previously undefeated Seahawks.
This was a massive game in the NEWMAC, as in the pre-season poll, the Pride were ranked first and Salve second, and it was widely acknowledged among fans that the winner of this clash between the conference’s two best teams was going to have the inside track to win the conference, and clinch the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
In a win last week against MIT, the Pride scored 24 first half points but only seven in the second, partially due to fumbling five times offensively. For Welch, seeing how he and his offensive unit responded felt good.
“It felt so good, especially after last week,” Welch said. “We sucked [last week], including me. I sucked, clear and honest, and to respond by playing that complimentary football, especially with the defense.”
Springfield’s defense was the standout in the first half, with the Pride completely shutting down the Seahawks high-powered offense.
Salve came into the contest averaging just under 400 total yards of offense, led by quarterback Tommy Fallon and explosive running back Justan Luzzi, but in their first four drives, the Seahawks had more punts (4) to first downs (1).
Springfield’s defensive line, with Christian Johnson-Hall, JT Kinsey, Aaziah Scott and Tyler Sordillo was a big part of this, generating pressure on Fallon and neutralizing Luzzi in the running game.
“They’ve been unbelievable all year,” said Springfield head coach Mike Cerasuolo. “Those kids have been playing hard all year. They’ve been doing a great job, they gel together so well.”
The Pride scored again before half, with Welch running the play-action to perfection, connecting with wide receiver Trey Rios, who was completely uncovered in the middle of the field for a 43 yard strike through the air, giving the Pride a 13-0 lead going into the break.
“We’re just such a run-heavy offense that sometimes teams just forget to play against the pass,” Welch said. “Then when we need to, we can throw the ball, and if we can execute it works pretty well.”
Receiving the ball to start the second half, Salve’s offense got back in rhythm, establishing the run, which they were unsuccessful with in the first half. They marched down the field to the tune of seven rushes, picking up almost four times their first half rushing total just on one drive, to cut Springfield’s lead to six.
The Pride needed an answer, and they did just that.
Welch, Stanford Davis and James Green marched the Pride into Salve territory, where they had a touchdown called back due to a hold. It was an unlikely option, sophomore back Emeka Yearwood, who had just one rushing attempt on the season, who brought the Pride into the red zone with a 22-yard carry on a sweep and two plays later, an 11-yard touchdown run.
After each team punted, Salve again cut the Pride’s lead down, this time through the air. Fallon connected with star receiver Spencer Chapman on a slant route, and he did the rest, slicing through the Pride’s secondary to again cut the lead to one score.
Welch and the Pride’s offense needed a score to get some more insurance, and after two straight two yard carries, the Pride were facing a crucial 3rd-and-6. With a stop, the Pride were likely to punt, and because of the missed PAT, a touchdown and extra point would have won it for Salve, just like how the Pride lost in week one to Western New England.
The Seahawks defense committed to stopping Springfield’s leading rusher on the day and the season, Welch, who instead gave it to the fullback, Dunn, and sold the fake perfectly, drawing both the Salve linebackers. Dunn raced by them, running for a 64-yard carry to get inside Salve’s five-yard line. The play was one Cerasuolo and the offensive staff had lined up all week.
“We were kind of waiting all game to be able to call that based on the look we got,” Cerasuolo said. “We finally got it and executed it well. It’s good to see when the things that the kids work so hard on in practice actually play out during the week.”
After getting pushed back a couple yards due to a false start, Welch rolled to his right on third down, and Rios again streaked open to the back of the end zone, with the duo connecting for the second time on the day. For Rios, it was his first two catches of the season, both resulting in touchdowns.
For it being just his fifth career start, Welch feels he has settled in well to the Pride’s tricky option offense.
“I’m feeling real good now,” Welch said. “It took a few weeks, but I’m feeling pretty good. But it’s the guys up front, the roach, and I have some great halfbacks and fullbacks. It’s just great complimentary football.”
For the Pride, they outgained Salve in total offense by 199 yards, including 416 on the ground. Defensively, Springfield held Salve to its lowest rushing and passing total on the season, and just 14 points for an offense that came in averaging 30 a game.
For this reason, Cerasuolo labelled it the Pride’s best performance of the season.
“We talked all week how it was going to be a brawl [in the trenches], and both units fought,” Cerasuolo said. “Today was the first game I felt like all season that it was a complete game, as far as offensively, defensively and core. It was really good to put that all together”
Photo courtesy of Springfield College