Football crushes Dean College on Senior Day

By Izabela Gage Sports Editor The Framingham State Rams surged past the Dean College Bulldogs 31-6 in their Senior Day game on their home turf Nov. 8. This win brings their conference record to 6-2 and their overall record to 6-3. Dean’s opening kickoff from their own 35-yard line was fielded by junior defensive back Khalil Erazo, who blazed 77 yards down the sideline to the Bulldogs’ 5-yard line before being forced out of bounds. The Framingham sideline erupted as the offense took over with first and goal. Sophomore running back Jaheim Daniels powered the first drive, pushing through for short gains as the Bulldogs’ defense held firm inside their 5-yard line.

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

After three tries, the Rams settled for a 24-yard field goal from sophomore wide receiver Ty Kelley at the 12:50 mark, putting Framingham up 3-0. Dean tried to respond on their ensuing possession but quickly met resistance. Their quarterback was sacked for a 5-yard loss by the Rams’ defensemen. After a 1-yard rush, senior defensive end Kymauny Roland intercepted a pass, but it was called back on a personal foul. The Bulldogs reached the Rams’ 10-yard line but couldn’t capitalize. Senior defensive lineman Augustus Granata forced an incomplete pass on second down. On third down, junior cornerback Devine Johnson burst through for a sack that forced a Bulldogs’ field goal attempt, but the 33-yard kick came up short. With 5:58 left in the first quarter, freshman quarterback Michael Marcucella and the offense took over at their own 20-yard line. Marcucella wasted no time, connecting with wide receivers Mathias Fowler, Stephen Gallant, and Ayden Ramirez for large gains that quickly advanced the ball into Bulldog territory. Despite a false start penalty, the Rams’ rhythm stayed intact. Marcucella successfully passed to Ramirez again, this time for a 24-yard touchdown, giving Framingham a commanding 10-0 lead after Kelley made the extra point. Dean’s offense sputtered once more on their next drive, with a sack by Roland and sophomore Gabe Grzyboski. The Bulldogs managed just three plays before punting. With under a minute left in the quarter, the Rams got the ball back at their own 43-yard line. Marcucella continued to push the pace, completing a 14-yard pass to Daniels, but a holding call nullified a big gain. After a short completion, the quarter closed with Framingham in the lead 10-0, maintaining their momentum. The Rams opened the second quarter facing fourth and six at their own 47-yard line. Marcucella’s pass to Kelley fell incomplete, turning the ball over to Dean. But Framingham’s defense refused to budge. The Bulldogs' passes fell short, and on fourth down, Johnson and senior linebacker Blake Barron crashed through for a sack that lost 17 yards. Taking over at Dean’s 39-yard line, Framingham looked poised to add to their lead. Marcucella connected with Gallant and sophomore wide receiver Adrian Sarrette, but penalties halted the drive. Forced to punt, Sarrette’s kick went out of bounds at Dean’s 38-yard line. Dean’s next drive was their most promising of the half. A pass from quarterback Nick Levine found Da’Qwon Foster for 19 yards, then he worked short completions to reach the Rams’ red zone. But once again, the Rams’ defensive front clamped down. Levine’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete, ending the drive without scoring. When Framingham got the ball back, freshman running back Ransford Adri brought energy to the ground game, breaking off a 14-yard run. The drive stalled after a few short passes, but the Rams’ field position game kept Dean pinned deep. Dean’s next attempt to rally was stifled yet again. Levine threw incompletions under pressure, and after a roughing-the-kicker penalty briefly extended their possession, the Rams’ defense stuffed the Bulldogs on four straight plays. Granata ended the drive with another sack, which was his second of the half, turning the ball over on downs. With 3:50 remaining in the half, Framingham’s offense went back to work. Marcucella spread the field, finding Daniels, junior Jonathan Pope, and freshman Jamel Kearse to march to the Dean 2-yard line. But after a pair of short runs, Marcucella’s pass on fourth down was intercepted at the goal line and returned 100 yards for a Dean touchdown. Erazo blocked the extra point, and Framingham still led 10-6 heading into the final seconds of the half. The Rams nearly extended their lead when Marcucella connected with Sarrette for a 24-yard gain to the Dean’s 41-yard line, but a sack and interception ended the half. The Rams came out of halftime determined with strong momentum. On Dean’s first play, Foster fumbled after being hit, and senior linebacker Steven Perrin pounced on the ball at the Dean’s 2-yard line. Freshman quarterback Anthony Gerrior entered and immediately made an impact, connecting with junior wide receiver Alex Maia for 24 yards. Sophomore running back Makoto Uchikawa powered through the middle for a 5-yard touchdown run, with Kelley’s kick making it 17-6, causing the Rams’ sideline to roar. The defense kept the pressure on, making huge stops to force Dean’s next drive backward. Roland punctuated the series with another sack. With the ball back in the Rams’ possession, the ground attack took over. Adri broke off four back-to-back runs for gains before finishing it himself with a 2-yard touchdown to make it 24-6 following a successful extra point attempt by Kelley. The Bulldogs tried to respond but were met by a wall of Rams’ defenders. Barron and sophomore linebacker Tyrese Herring led the charge, forcing another quick three-and-out. Gerrior then led another composed drive late in the quarter, highlighted by an 18-yard scramble, and two costly Dean penalties moved Framingham inside the Dean’s 10-yard line. Gerrior capped it off himself with a 1-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown as time expired in the third. The Rams entered the final quarter up 31-6, their dominance complete on both sides of the ball. Dean’s quarterback, Josiah Morales, opened Dean’s first drive of the fourth quarter with a short completion before being pushed backward by Johnson and Perrin. On fourth down, Morales’s pass fell incomplete, turning the ball back to the Rams. Framingham’s offense focused on controlling possession and the clock. Daniels ripped off runs for short gains, but a fumble later in the drive gave Dean the ball back. Despite this, the Rams’ defense immediately answered. Just a few plays later, sophomore defensive back Melvon Crump intercepted a pass at the Dean’s 39-yard line, handing the ball right back to Framingham. The offense stayed aggressive, with sophomore running back Januel Perez running hard for 11 yards before the Bulldogs forced a fumble. After the Rams recovered the ball, on fourth down, Dean intercepted a pass to earn possession of the ball with less than 5 minutes in the game. On Dean’s next possession, following two Framingham penalties, the Bulldogs made some small gains, but freshman safety Jizaiah Candelario stuffed a run for a 6-yard loss. Freshman linebacker Isaac Stubbs recovered a fumble that officially extinguished any hopes of a comeback. Framingham ran out the clock behind Perez and freshman running back Alvin Williams, while an unnecessary roughness penalty on Dean pushed the Rams forward. When the final whistle blew, Framingham celebrated their 31-6 victory on the field. Gerrior said, “The offensive line was sensational, creating a huge push and opening up incredible rush lanes. Got to give them a ton of credit for that strong second-half rushing from our guys!” Marcucella made 14 of his 23 pass attempts and tallied 159 passing yards. Gerrior made four of his 12 attempts, recorded 36 passing yards, 33 rushing yards, and scored one touchdown for the Rams. Gerrior said, “When a team stacks the box to prevent the run, you know that the passing game will open up. They sent blitzes to try and blow up the backfield, but our offensive line did a great job picking up on the blitzes and sticking to their assignments.” Kelley made four out of four extra point attempts and made a 24-yard field goal. He said he stayed consistent with kicking by “trusting my holder and knowing he was going to put the ball down in the correct spot. “I was a little nervous for the field goal because it was my first college kick since high school, but I just trusted the process and put it through the uprights,” he added. The Rams travel to Worcester State to face the Lancers in their last regular-season game Nov. 15. Gerrior said it is incredibly fascinating how young the team is. “The future is very bright, and to say we have had a pretty successful season so far is amazing. We will continue to grow and have a great offseason as a team. [I’m] looking forward to it!” Kelley said, “The biggest thing we are focusing on is consistency and focus. We are nearing the playoffs and hoping to punch a ticket through, and if we do, we have to be ready to play.”