NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The Salve Regina football team traveled to Central Connecticut State Saturday afternoon for a DI/DIII clash in New Britain, Conn. The Seahawks fell to the Blue Devils, 47-13.
The Seahawks slip to 5-2 on the year while the Blue Devils improve to 3-5 on the season.
"We knew it would be a tough game, playing against a scholarship team, but we put up 400 yards of offense and five drives of 50+ yards," remarked head coach Kevin Gilmartin following the game. "To go against FCS speed will help us improve as a team and should help us finish out the regular season."
Central led 35-0 at the half after scoring five touchdowns on only 25 offensive plays. Junior running back Rob Hollomon scored three of those touchdowns and rushed for 194 yards on just eight carries in the first half. He rushed once in the second half and finished the game with a career-high 212 rushing yards to go along with his three touchdowns. He rushed the ball just nine times.
Sophomore quarterback Nick SanGiacomo hit junior Tyrell Holmes for a pair of scores before halftime, pushing the lead to 35-0 before the break. The first strike came from 20-yards out. The second came from 43 yards with 1:55 to play before the break.
Salve Regina broke through on the scoreboard with its first drive of the second half. Sophomore Jackie Hurley (Kingston, Mass.) took the opening kickoff 22 yards to set up a 71-yard, six-play drive that took 2:29 off the clock. After a first down from junior Steven Wilken (Ringwood, N.J.) got the ball to the Seahawks 41 yard line, senior Richie Edwards (Trumbull, Conn.) had his second longest rush of the season, 34 yards, to get the Seahawks to the Blue Devils 25-yard line. Wilken connected with junior Dan Buonocore (Mahwah, N.J.) from 20 yards out of the end zone to cut the Central lead to 35-7 with 12:00 left in the third quarter.
Central Connecticut ended the third and began the fourth quarter with a pair of quick touchdown drives, but Salve Regina found the end zone last in the fourth. With the ball on their on 15 yard line after the kick off, the Seahawks marched down the field 85 yards on 17 plays for their final score. After a 28-yard pass from Wilken to junior Matthew Traynor (Secauscus, N.J.) gave the Seahawks their first down of the series, junior Khari Halliburton (Manchester, N.H.) ran the ball seven times for 26 yards to help drive the ball to the Blue Devils' seven yard line. Wilken connected with freshman Sam Pascale (Cheshire, Conn.) at the two-yard line, though the ball was knocked loose and junior Michael Mahoney (Mahwah, N.J.) recovered the ball in the end zone for the game's final score.
In the very next Central offensive drive, the Blue Devils had the ball on the Seahawks nine yard line looking to score and senior Joshua Burnett (Whitman, Mass.) forced a Blue Devil fumble that junior Matthew Conroy (Philadelphia, Pa.) recovered to end the drive.
Edwards led the Seahawks with 153 yards on the ground, his fifth-straight 100+ yard rushing game of the season. Wilken completed 15 of 34 passes for 158 yards, including a pair of touchdowns. Buonocore caught eight passes for 80 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Burnett paced the Seahawks with 15 tackles and a forced fumble.
Salve Regina finished the day with 392 yards of offense on 75 plays.
The Seahawks return to New England Football Conference action next Saturday when they travel to Castine, Maine to face Maine Maritime Academy for a 12 p.m. kick off.