/notables/2015/09/week1-friday

Friday night: MIT gets reverse-engineered; Albright rallies

More news about: Albright | WPI
Jason Lamb hits MIT's Danny Callahan, forcing a fumble with 2:04 left to stop a potential late-game drive.
WPI athletics photo by Frank Poulin Photography

One set of Engineers ran the table and won a conference title, plus a first-round playoff game last season. The other Engineers went 4-6, finishing in the middle of the pack in their conference. But the MIT Engineers haven't beaten the WPI Engineers in football since 1900, and that streak continued on Friday night as WPI made three fourth-quarter stops to beat MIT 31-28.

Mike Knight, Albright's freshman starting quarterback, struggled early but was strong late.
Albright athletics photo 

The game, one of a dozen on Friday night, the second night of the 2015 Division III football season, featured three ties, the last of them coming midway through the third quarter after Adis Ojeda ran it in from 11 yards out for MIT to even the score at 28-28. But Zach Grasis forced an MIT fumble on the final play of the third quarter and Blaine Bursey converted that turnover into a 26-yard field goal a little more than five minutes later.

Danny Callahan threw an interception, then was sacked and fumbled on MIT's next two possessions. The Engineers' final shot of the game ended on a failed fourth-down conversion attempt with 14 seconds left at WPI's 36.

Albright rallied from 20 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat Salisbury 24-23. Trailing 23-3 and having seen its freshman quarterback Mike Knight throw three first-half interceptions, Albright's prospects were dim. Instead, the Lions ripped off 21 consecutive points, including a pair of touchdown passes from Knight, to rally past the Sea Gulls.

Morrisville State got off to a good start on both offense and defense, holding St. Lawrence to 252 yards of total offense and defeating the Saints 28-20. St. Lawrence was favored, as the preseason coaches' pick to win the Liberty League and a team ranked in the Top 15 by one of the preseason magazines not named Kickoff.

No. 25 Muhlenberg had little trouble in its opener, as Nick Palladino appeared in midseason form in a 35-7 win vs. Wilkes. Palladino completed his first 12 passes and finished 19-of-24 for 189 yards. He also rushed for a career-high 109 yards on 10 carries.

Gettysburg rolled up 574 yards on the ground, setting a Centennial Conference record in rolling over Bridgewater 49-10. But Washington and Lee ran for 649 yards and finished with 712 yards of total offense in a 63-35 win vs. Averett. Six Generals running backs ran for more than 75 yards apiece on the night.

Dec. 15: All times Eastern
Final
Cortland 38, at North Central (Ill.) 37
@ Salem, Virginia
Video Box Score Recap Photos
Dec. 9: All times Eastern
Final
North Central (Ill.) 34, at Wartburg 27
Box Score Recap
Final
Cortland 49, at Randolph-Macon 14
Box Score Recap Recap Recap Photos
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