THE BASICS:
- Score: MIT 31, Endicott College 29
- Records: MIT (3-0); Endicott College (1-2)
- Location: Beverly, Mass. (Hempstead Stadium)
- The Lead: Led by a pair of touchdowns from sophomore Keithen Shepard (Vancouver, Wash.) and a number of key special teams plays, the MIT football team held off Endicott College for a 31-29 road win on Saturday afternoon. The non-conference win is the second straight in the all-time series for MIT and improves the Engineers to a perfect 3-0 on the season.
THE WAY IT HAPPENED:
- For the second time in three games, the Engineers took advantage of an opponent's miscue on the opening kickoff as MIT recovered a fumble at the 22-yard line to start the game. Three plays later, Shepard pulled down a three-yard pass from senior Udgam Goyal (Frisco, Texas) for the 7-0 lead just 1:23 in. Shepard added to that midway through the half as he took a screen pass up the MIT sideline for a 71-yard TD and a quick 14-0 advantage.
- The Gulls and kicker Nick DiCairano closed the first quarter scoring with a pair of field goals as he converted from 36 and 34 yards out to make it a 14-6 game.
- MIT senior Miguel Wagner (El Segundo, Calif.) capped off a 13-play, 76-yard drive with a seven-yard touchdown run to stretch the lead back to two scores early in the second. After another DiCariano field goal, freshman Paul Calvetti (Ridgewood, N.J.) recovered an Endicott fumble in the end zone for a touchdown as the high snap flew off the fingertips of Gulls punter John Glaser and into the end zone.
- John Kenney went up the middle from 18 yards out early in the third to close the lead to 28-16 before MIT sophomore Mark Wright (Fort Worth, Texas) converted a 34-yard field goal to make it a 15-point game.
- Endicott's Riley Shanley came up with a tipped ball with 8:44 remaining in the fourth and scored from 26 yards out to make it a 31-23 game. The pass from Dylan Bonfilio tipped off the hands of the original receiver and right to Shanley, who turned the tip into six points.
- The Gulls pulled within two on a four-yard TD reception from Kenney with 1:56 remaining as that play was set up by a deep pass up the middle to Shanley that took Endicott to the MIT three-yard line. The two-point conversion was stopped by the Engineer defense though to keep the visitors in front by two.
BIG MOMENTS:
- With 1:25 left in the game, Endicott's Christian Pizzotti blocked the MIT punt and George Balian recovered to give the Gulls possession at the MIT 49-yard line. The Engineers turned Endicott over on downs though as a fourth-down pass fell incomplete with 49 seconds left to seal the win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Goyal was 13-for-22 passing for 168 yards and two touchdowns as he was also the leading rusher with 70 yards on 10 rushes. Shepard finished with 91 yards on four receptions, while senior Eddy Garcia-Montes (Miami, Fla.) had a team-high five catches for 43 yards.
- Bonfilio completed 18-of-39 passes for 242 yards for the Gulls, including two to Shanley for 77 yards. Kenney was the top Endicott rusher with 70 yards on 23 rushes.
- Defensively, MIT was led by an 11-tackle effort by senior Ben Boldt (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) as he had five solo stops, one tackle for loss and one pass breakup. For Endicott, William Rivera finished with a game-high 14 tackles.
- MIT held the Gulls to 80 rushing yards and held nearly a 10-minute advantage in time of possession while recovering three Endicott fumbles.
UP NEXT:
- MIT returns home on Saturday, September 22nd as the Engineers host Catholic University for a Noon start at Roberts Field at Steinbrenner Stadium.
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