By Mike Stoller, MIT Sports Information Assistant
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Sparked by three
lightning touchdown runs by Division III All-America back DeRon
Brown, the MIT football team posted its first win of the campaign
with a 26-0 decision over visiting UMass Dartmouth in a New England
Football Conference (NEFC) Boyd Division battle at rain-soaked
Roberts Field on Saturday afternoon. With its first win over the
Corsairs in 10 years, MIT posted its first victory under the reign
of first-year head coach Chad Martinovich and its first shutout
since its blanking of Framingham State in 2003. The Engineers
improved to 1-3 overall and 1-1 in the NEFC, while UMass Dartmouth
fell to 0-5 on the year and 0-2 in the conference.
Overall, Brown rushed for 267 yards on 31 carries, scoring on runs
of 21, 66, and 76yards. Tech took advantage of two Corsairs'
fumbles in the first quarter and another miscue in the third frame,
when Brian Doyle picked off a pass and scooted 51-yards down the
left sideline to make it 19-0 at the time.
The Engineers got on the board after spoiling UMass
Dartmouth's opening drive when Aaron Fittery forced the ball
loose and Will Gibson recovered at the UMass 20. Brown lost a yard
on his first carry, but bolted for 21 to pay-dirt on the
ensuing play. Peter Gilliland's extra point boot gave Tech a
7-0 lead.
The Corsairs were in striking distance to tie the game after Joe
Luiz surged 47 yards on a return to the MIT 37. Using an assortment
of running plays, including an eight-yard QB keeper by Brendan
McNeish, the Corsairs made their way to the Tech 15, before they
lost the ball again, with MIT recovering at its own 24.
Brown wasted no time in blasting his way through for his 76-yard
score, as the Engineers led, 13-0, after the first quarter. On
UMass Dartmouth's next possession, the Engineers again
knocked the ball loose, with Kristopher Weaver recovering, after
the Corsairs got an 18-yard return from Luiz to the Dartmouth 38.
The score remained 13-0 at the break.
MIT extended its lead to 19-0 when Doyle intercepted a tipped pass
and found the endzone with 9:29 left in the third frame. The
Engineers sealed the win on Brown's 66-yard TD run in fourth
quarter, the second of which he scored on the first play of a
drive.
As a team, MIT rushed for 319 yards and held UMass Dartmouth to 39.
In addition to Brown's dominating day, the Engineers got a
solid effort from Steve Yablonsiki, who rushed for 30 yards on six
carries.
Blake Brown caught three passes for 56 yards for the Corsairs,
while George Vasiliadis proved effective in pinning Tech deep in
its own territory, with his longest punt, a 50-yarder during a busy
day of 10 boots.
Gilliland led Tech's defense with 16 tackles as Gibson
tallied 10 of his own. Aaron Fittery posted nine stops while Alex
Rubino registered eight tackles, four for a loss of nine yards, and
a sack that amounted to a five-yard loss. Patrick Jupe notched
eight tackles including two that set UMass Dartmouth back eight
yards. Brian Mickle recorded six tackles, two tackles for loss,
including a nine-yard sack.
Shawn Manning paced the Corsairs' defensive unit with 14
tackles which featured a nine-yard sack. John Cordasco contributed
10 tackles as John Kelly added seven.
