KINGS POINT, N.Y. – First year Karson Bye hit his second field goal of the game with 4:41 remaining in regulation as the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy held on to defeat the MIT football team, 6-3, in NEWMAC football action on Saturday afternoon at Brooks Stadium.

Bye was 2-for-2 in the contest, while MIT kicker Luke Pelletier hit on his only attempt of the game in the first quarter, as the two kickers accounted for all nine points in a contest that was dominated by field position and strong defensive play from both teams. 

THE BASICS:

• Score: Merchant Marine 6, MIT 3 
• Records: Merchant Marine 4-0 Overall (2-0 NEWMAC), MIT 2-2 Overall (0-2 NEWMAC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• MIT took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter as Pelletier was good from 22-yards out after the Engineers moved the ball 67-yards over 14 plays to the USMMA five yard line before the hosts stalled the drive on third down.  
• The contest moved into the second quarter with MIT continuing to lead 3-0 and the Engineers defense continuing to stymie the Merchant Marine offense. USMMA's first two drives ended in punts before Andrew Pignataro forced a fumble for MIT at the start of the second quarter to give the ball back to the MIT offense at the USMMA 46.  
• First year running back Jimmy Conners helped move the MIT drive inside the USMMA 20, carrying the ball five times. Quarterback Chase Harmon also completed a 12-yard pass for first down to Michael Dennison but the drive ended when Harmon was intercepted in the endzone by USMMA senior Chase Shavey.
• With yards difficult to gain throughout the remainder of the half, USMMA took advantage of a penalty late in the second quarter to tie the contest. It looked as though the final USMMA play of the opening half ended on an MIT interception by Dominic Hess but a roughing the passer call on MIT set the Mariners up at the MIT 24-yard line. Bye then drilled a field goal from 41-yards out with no time on the clock to send the game into halftime tied, 3-3. 
• USMMA punter Calvin Evans pinned MIT on its own 11- and two-yard lines with punts in the third quarter. The Mariners could not find a way against the MIT defense but got help from the USMMA punter who continued to push MIT back into its own territory.
• With the score still tied a 3-3, running back Andrew Erwin helped move MIT from the two-yard line to the USMMA drive with seven carries on a 10-play 58-yard drive that ended with back-to-back USMMA sacks. Forced to punt, MIT punter Nico Bulhof pushed USMMA back inside their own 20. 
• Starting at their own 19, USMMA put together the team's best drive of the day, moving 54 yards over 15 plays while burning 9:13 off the clock before Bye split the uprights from 44 yards out to give the hosts their first lead of the game, 6-3, with 4:41 remaining on the clock.
• MIT would turn the ball over on downs on its next possession but the Engineers defense stepped up to force a punt on the final Merchant Marine possession.  Unfortunately for MIT, Evans saved his best for last, downing MIT at its own one yard line with just 1:08 left in the game. 
• MIT's last attempt ended after multiple laterals and a Caleb Green forced fumble for Merchant Marine as the host held on for the 6-3 win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Bulhof averaged 41.0 yards per punt on six attempts for MIT, including a long of 48 yards.
• Thomas Shoales had 10 tackles and a sack to lead the MIT defense. 
• Lucky Deignan and Andrew Pignataro each had seven tackles and a forced fumble. 
• Wyatt Alford had a team-high seven solo tackles for the Engineers. 
• Joshua Tang recorded his first career interception in the first half. 
• USMMA gained 160 yards on the ground to 76 for MIT but both offenses lined up evenly throughout the contest, with MIT earning 232 yards on 59 plays and USMMA earning 221 yards on 58 plays. 

UP NEXT:  

• MIT will travel to New London, Conn. to play the United States Coast Guard Academy in NEWMAC play in two weeks on Saturday, October 18 at 12:00 PM.  

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