WORCESTER --- Sean McAllen (Prospect, CA) and Connor Field (Granby, CT) combined to rush for 243 yards and five rushing touchdowns in the first half leading WPI to a 54-7 win over Coast Guard in a NEWMAC football contest Saturday afternoon.
McAllen had eight carries for 164 yards and two touchdowns, all in the first half, while Field (12 carries, 81 yards) had 79 of his 81 yards and all three touchdowns in the aforementioned half as WPI led 45-7 at the break.
WPI honored its 35 seniors before the start of the game, and improved to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the NEWMAC. The Crimson and Gray enter the final week of the season in a three-way tie atop the conference with Springfield and MIT. Those two teams play each other in Springfield while WPI heads to Norwich next Saturday. For WPI to earn the NEWMAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament the Engineers must defeat Norwich and Springfield must upend MIT.
The Bears drop to 5-4 overall, 2-4 in conference play.
The Engineers racked up 473 yards of total offense in the win, 313 rushing, while the Bears were held to 101 total yards.
Ryan Jones (Punxsutawney, MA) was 11 of 27 for 66 yards with three interceptions before being replaced by John Barbera (Glen Mills, PA) late in the third quarter.
WPI signal caller Julian Nyland (Melrose, MA) was 9 of 13 for 149 yards with one touchdown pass in the win.
Bryce Wade's (Modesto, CA) 33-yard field goal with 12:15 left in the first quarter gave WPI a 3-0 lead. Tommy Emrick (Windham, NH) returned the opening kickoff 62 yards to the Coast Guard 34 to give the Engineers excellent field position.
WPI would get another great return as Austin Pesce (Monroe, NY) had a 43-yard punt return and, two plays later, McAllen's 36-yard touchdown run and the extra point with 9:34 in the first made the score 10-0.
Field's 4-yard touchdown run with 3:01 left in the quarter and ensuing kick pushed the WPI lead to 17-0.
McAllen would scamper 71 yards for a touchdown with 35 seconds left in the opening quarter as the Engineers opened up a 24-0 lead. Five of McAllen's last six touchdowns have been of 70 yards or more.
WPI had 201 yards of total offense in the first quarter, with McAllen leading the way with five carries for 140 yards while the Bears were held to just seven yards.
Coast Guard would take advantage of the first WPI miscue of the game as the punter took a knee fielding a bad snap at the WPI 2 and on the first play Chris Gardner (Fairfax, VA) would score a touchdown and Patrick Crowley's (San Marino, CA) extra point made the score 24-7 with 11:12 left in the half.
WPI would answer just 57 seconds later with a 56-yard touchdown run by Field with 10:15 left to make the score 31-7.
Nyland's 26-yard touchdown pass to Nic Rossi (Howell, NJ) with 6:18 left pushed the lead to 38-7 and Field would add a 1-yard touchdown run, his third of the half, with 26 seconds left as WPI led 45-7 at the break.
WPI had 343 yards in the first half, 239 of those on the ground, while the Bears had 70 total first half yards, just six rushing. McAllen had 164 rushing yards on just eight carries in the opening half.
Zach Uglevich (Maynard, MA) scored on a 1-yard run with 11:52 left in the third to make the score 52-7.
WPI would get a safety with 1:37 left in the third quarter when Nick Ostrowski (Charlton, MA) tackled Jay Griffin (Montreal, MO) in the end zone.
The Bears close out the season at home next week when they host Merchant Marine in the battle for the Secretaries' Cup on Saturday at noon on ESPN3.
Release Courtesy Coast Guard Sports Information