BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Salve Regina University football team withstood a furious second half rally as the Seahawks posted a 33-27 victory over host Bridgewater State University on Friday night under the lights at Swenson Field. The game marked the season-opener for both teams.
Steven Wilken completed 13 of 22 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for another score to lead the Seahawk offense before leaving the game with an injury in the third quarter. Dan Buonocore rushed for a game-high 144 yards on 25 carries as the Seahawks racked up 377 yards of total offense.
Danny Higgins threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns in his first collegiate start for the Bears. Higgins completed 16 of 27 passes and also rushed for a team-best 34 yards. Michael Viola hauled in a pair of long touchdown passes as he recorded four receptions for 153 yards. Higgins and Viola hooked up on scores of 47 and 91 yards. Matt Green led all players with ten catches including a 25-yard touchdown reception. Green finished with 73 receiving yards.
Salve dominated the first half holding Bridgewater to 58 yards of offense. The Seahawks took a 27-0 lead into the intermission. Wilken found the end zone on a five-yard run and tossed touchdown passes of 16 and three yards, respectively, to Matthew Traynor and Michael Mahoney. Sam Pascale capped off the first half scoring with a two-yard TD run.
David Console started the second half comeback for the Bears with a 75-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Higgins then connected with Viola on the 47-yard score to cut the deficit to 27-13.
Following Viola's touchdown, Alex Hulme returned the ensuing kickoff 67 yards which set up a Mitch Graziano seven-yard TD run to give the visitors a 33-13 advantage. The seven-play 33-yard drive was kept alive by a pair of BSU penalties on third down situations.
The Bears answered with a seven-play, 68-yard drive which resulted in Green's 25-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter. Later in the period, Bridgewater would make it a one-score game with 6:02 remaining. On third and 14 from his own nine-yard line, Higgins threaded the needle to Viola on a long out pattern and the BSU sophomore raced 91 yards into the end zone to cut the deficit to 33-27.
Bridgewater had a shot to win the game after stopping the Seahawks on the ensuing drive. The Bears, however, turned the ball over on downs with Higgins getting sacked on fourth down. Salve would run out the clock and escape with the win.
After allowing 27 points and 218 yards of offense in the first half, the Bears gave up just six points and 159 yards over the final 30 minutes. The BSU offense also got untracked over the final two quarters racking up 227 yards and scoring all 27 points.
Penalties were a major problem for the visitors as the Seahawks were flagged for 14 infractions. The teams combined for three turnovers with each team losing a fumble and BSU throwing an interception.
The Bears also turned the ball over on downs in the first half on a fumbled snap on an attempted punt. That would lead to Wilken's three-yard touchdown pass to Mahoney which gave the Seahawks a 20-0 lead at the time.
Danny Ives starred on the defensive side of the ball for Salve as he recorded a game-high 12 tackles, including 11 solo stops, to go along with an interception.
Stephen Jacobs paced the BSU defense with seven tackles, including a sack and three tackles for loss. Adam Toman chipped in with seven tackles, a sack and a pass breakup. Console finished with six tackles (five solo) in addition to his first collegiate touchdown.
Both teams return to the gridiron on Saturday, September 13th. The Bears travel to William Paterson University to take on the Pioneers at noon, while the Seahawks entertain the Red Hawks of Montclair State University also at noon.