Fitchburg, Mass. – The Fitchburg State football team dropped a 38-13 decision to the Buccaneers of Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action on Saturday afternoon at Elliot Field.

The Basics

Score: Fitchburg State 13, MMA 38
Records: Fitchburg State (1-3, 0-2 MASCAC) | MMA (1-2, 1-0 MASCAC)

How It Happened

The Buccaneers raced out to a 28-0 lead after one quarter. Quarterback Marc Murphy (Norwood, Mass.) tossed three touchdowns in the frame. Murphy found junior Andrew Brightman (Wareham, Mass.) for an opening drive 40-yard touchdown, senior wide receiver Evan Dyer (East Bridgewater, Mass.) for a 3-yard score, and Brightman with a 1-yard pass. Ja'iel Johnson (Alamogordo, NM) had a one-yard scamper sandwiched between the scores.

The Falcons put together a five play, 45-yard drive to get on the board, capped by a 20-yard rush from junior Elijah Zaire McKnight (Tracy, Calif.)  to make it 28-7. On the next play from scrimmage, the Bucs regained the 28-point advantage when Brightman found Murphy for a 75-yard touchdown. However, the Green and Gold responded with an 85-yard kickoff return from McKnight. A 20-yard field goal from Mike Epifano (Monroe, Conn.) gave Mass. Maritime a 38-13 lead. The teams played a scoreless second half.

Inside the Numbers

• Logan Wilson (Woburn, Mass.) finished 10-for-14 for 89 yards and an interception for the Falcons, while Murphy completed 20-for-25 for 322 yards and four touchdowns for the Buccaneers.
• Zaire-McKnight rushed for 75 yards on 16 carries for the Green and Gold.
• Brightman led MMA with 210 yards on the ground with 3 touchdowns.
• Freshman Camren Topkin (Ledyard, Conn.)  led the Falcons on defense with 10 total tackles (4 solo, 6 assists), while sophomore Sebastian Burmester (Germantown, NY) had five tackles and an interception. Senior Luke Noyes (West Bridgewater, Mass.) had five tackles and two sacks.
• Hugo Wells (West Hartford, Mass.) led the Bucs on defense with 6 tackles (3 solo, 3 assists). Junior Stephen McBrine (Weymouth, Mass.) and classmate Billy Horlbogen (North Kingstown, RI) each registered a sack.

Up Next

The Falcons will travel to Bridgewater State to take on the Bears at 4:00 PM, while Mass. Maritime will host Westfield State on the same day.