NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University football team scored 42 points and rolled up 475 yards of total offense as the Cadets knocked off the visiting AMCATS of Anna Maria College, 42-6, at Sabine Field Saturday afternoon.
The win extends the Cadets to 4-3 overall and 4-0 in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference, while the AMCATS slip to 0-7 overall and 0-4 in the conference.
NORWICH'S QUICK START
The Cadets wasted no time taking control as they led 7-0 after their first offensive play and 14-0 less than nine minutes into the game. Running back Nicholas Benoit (Saugus, Mass.) scored the first touchdown for the Cadets on a 1-yard run followed by a 5-yard catch by wide receiver Pierre Noel (Manchester, N.H.) from quarterback Philippe Bazinet (Outterburn Park, Quebec).
ANNA MARIA ANSWERS
That lead was cut short to 14-6 after the AMCATS scored what would be their first and only score of the game after quarterback Greg McGoldrick(Brooklyn, N.Y.) connected up with wide receiver Trai Weaver (Waterbury, Conn.) for a 52-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 14-6 after a blocked extra-point attempt by defensive back Michael O'Neill (Winthrop, Mass.).
AMCAT LEADERS
McGoldrick completed seven of 22 passes for 103 yards on the day. Waiver's touchdown catch accounted for half of those yards, while Kolin Matthews (Seymour, Conn.) added two catches for 18 yards. Steven Furtado (Cranston, R.I.) totaled 18 rushing yards on four carries.
Defensively, Tyler Jacobs (New Bedford, Mass.) paced the AMCATS with a team-leading eight tackles and a pass breakup. Nick Cruz (Wakefield, R.I.) added three sacks on the day.
SECOND QUARTER
The Cadets' lead then swelled up to 34-6 at the half. Bazinet would hook up with Noel in the end zone for the 4-yard touchdown followed by a 21-yard field goal by kicker Wesley Medeiros (Gilford, N.H.) for the 24-6 lead with 9:30 remaining in the second half.
After an AMCAT punt, the Cadets would score in just 13 seconds as Bazinet faked the handoff to the back and darted through the left side and up the middle of the field for the 73-yard rushing touchdown. Medeiros would wrap close out the first half with a 40-yard field goal to extend the Cadets' lead, 34-6 at the half.
NORWICH DEFENSE
Norwich's defense kept the AMCATS at bay, coming up with three interceptions, six sacks and seven tackles for a total loss of 41 yards throughout the first half, limiting Anna Maria's total offensive unit to just 100 yards.
Any hopes for an Anna Maria comeback were dashed in the second half after the Cadets' defense held their offense to 23 total yards in the stanza.
THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTER SCORING
A 36-yard field goal by Medieros followed by Benoit's 6-yard touchdown run, pushed the Cadets' lead to 44-6 before backup kicker Robbie Harrison (Brandon, Fla.) knocked in a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter closed out the scoring.
NORWICH LEADERS
Bazinet accounted for three of Norwich's five touchdowns on the day as he was 11-of-21 for 177 yards and the two touchdowns and also rushed for 101 yards and a score. In all, Norwich gained 298 of its 475 yards on the ground with running back Quincy Williams (Brossard, Quebec) rushing for 105 yards on 20 attempts.
Noel would lead the offensive air attack with six receptions for 59 yards and two scores followed by Zach Allen's (Boston, Mass.) 89 receiving yards on four receptions on the day.
Norwich came up with four interceptions, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and nine tackles for losses. Most impressively, the Cadets held Anna Maria's McGoldrick to just 103 passing yards after going 7-for-22 with four sacks and four interceptions.
Junior Benjamin Hummer (Annapolis, Md.) led the Cadets defensively as he posted nine tackles in the win. Four players were credited with four tackles with Jack Apthorpe (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) picking up a sack and broke up two passes on the day.
WHAT'S NEXT
The AMCATS return home for a 3:00 p.m. ECFC matchup with Castleton next weekend.