/seasons/2018/contrib/20181110wx6bgd

MIT Claims NEWMAC Championship With 22-7 Win Over Springfield

More news about: MIT

THE BASICS:

- Score: MIT 22, Springfield 7

- Records: MIT (9-1, 6-1 NEWMAC); Springfield (7-3, 5-2 NEWMAC)

- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Roberts Field at Steinbrenner Stadium)

- The Lead: On Senior Day, the MIT football team forced three Springfield turnovers and turned those into 12 points, en route to a 22-7 final and the outright 2018 NEWMAC Conference Championship. Prior to the game, the Engineers recognized the senior class for their contributions to the MIT program during their careers.    

A LOOK INSIDE THE ACTION:

- After early turnovers from both teams, it was MIT that got on the scoreboard first as senior Udgam Goyal (Frisco, Texas) found an open Keithen Shepard (Vancouver, Wash.) from 30 yards out for the 7-0 lead with 2:04 left in the first.

- Springfield answered with 1:14 left before halftime when Ryan Deguire scampered in off a pitch to the left to tie the game at the half. That drive started at the MIT 26-yard line following an interception by Marlowe Scott.

- After a Mark Wright (Fort Worth, Texas) field goal from 37 yards out put the Engineers ahead for good, the biggest play of the game came with 6:20 remaining in the third when junior Kevin Lyons (Weymouth, Mass.) picked up a fumble and took it 74 yards untouched for the 16-7 lead. That play is the longest fumble return for a touchdown in MIT history.

- The lone fourth-quarter scoring came from the connection of Goyal and Shepard again as Shepard pulled in a five-yard pass to account for the 22-7 final.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

- MIT held Springfield to just 143 rushing yards on 63 attempts and outgained the Pride in the air by a 138-106 margin. Time of possession was slanted 35:24-24:36 in favor of Springfield as the visitors also converted on 3-of-5 fourth down attempts.

- MIT junior John Robertson (Brentwood, Tenn.) surpassed the 100-yard barrier with a 102-yard afternoon to mark the eighth 100-yard game of his career and first this season. Hunter Belzo was the top rusher for Springfield with 53 yards while he also completed six passes for 106 yards.

- Goyal gained 17 yards on the ground while also completing nine passes for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Shepard ended the game with 135 all-purpose yards as he had 88 return yards to go along with 47 in the air.

- Defensively, MIT was led by nine tackles each from freshman Ben Wolz (College Station, Texas) and senior Ben Boldt (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) as Wolz also added two tackles for loss for 15 yards. Freshman Will Exson (Charlotte, N.C.) ended the day with a pair of interceptions. Collin Briganti was the top tackler for Springfield with eight stops on the day.

- MIT is ranked No. 1 in the latest Grinold Chapter New England Division III Football Poll after moving up from the No. 4 position last week. This is the sixth time that the Engineers have been ranked in the top spot.

UP NEXT:

- The Engineers will now await a potential NCAA Tournament berth as that field will be announced at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 11th. That selection show will be streamed live at www.ncaa.com.

STAY CONNECTED:

- For the latest on MIT Athletics, follow the Engineers via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

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
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