By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University football team finished the first month of the season by snapping a three-game losing streak.
The Bears broke into the win column in 2024 with a 41-0 victory over Framingham State University Saturday afternoon at Mazzaferro Field, their most lopsided win over the Rams since 2005.
Senior Trevor Nunes (Falmouth, Mass.) rushed for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns for BSU, which opened the season with losses to MIT, Westfield State and Plymouth State.
Freshman quarterback Jaden Moseley (North Providence, R.I., in his collegiate debut, completed 7 of 11 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown before a crowd of 1,100.
The BSU defense had a fumble recovery for a touchdown and an interception that set up a second-half field goal as the Bears recorded their first shutout since a 21-0 win over Westfield State last Oct. 21.
Senior defensive lineman Nicolas Canales (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) had four sacks for 22 yards and made eight tackles for the Bears while freshman Khalial Buckenroth (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) had two of BSU's eight sacks.
After the frustration of not being able to hold leads the past two weeks, BSU (1-3, 1-2 MASCASC) was in need to a pick-me-up game, and it occurred against Framingham State (0-4, 0-3 MASCAC).
"That was nice," said coach Joe Verria. "It was huge. We played a lot better than our record showed (the first three games), but we don't have the wins to show for it.
"The kids played well today. Framingham was looking for its first win, we were looking for our first win. Our kids worked hard this week and we finally got it."
BSU had a 17-0 lead at halftime, then added 17 points in the third quarter to pull away from the Rams.
Nunes, who had a career-best 167 rushing yards in the loss at Plymouth State last weekend, scored in the first and third quarters.
Moseley, a graduate of La Salle Academy in Rhode Island, came off the bench and split time with starter Jack Renaud (Waltham, Mass.).
Moseley, the third quarterback used by BSU this season, wound up taking a majority of the snaps and threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to senior Jack McCarthy (Braintree, Mass.) just before halftime.
"We've been trying to find the right match," said Verria of the quarterback position. "Between the two of them, they did a good job today.
"Jaden's athletic. He can run. He's looking like he's starting to throw the ball better. He's a good player, a great kid and he's a freshman. He got valuable reps for us today."
The Bears opened the scoring with 42 seconds remaining in the first quarter on a 1-yard run by Nunes with junior Joey Naso (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) adding the point after.
BSU went 60 yards in 14 plays in 7:11 in Moseley's initial drive at quarterback for the Bears.
After taking over at the BSU 40, the key play was a 27-yard pass to junior Mohale Mitchell (Lakewood, Col.) that moved the ball to the Rams' 28.
Three more completions put BSU at the Framingham State 10, and Nunes had three carries from there, scoring from a yard out.
BSU extended the lead to 10-0 wtih 6:32 left in the first half on a 23-yard field goal by graduate student Shane Drake (Franklin, Mass.).
Renaud was at quarterback for a seven-play, 70-yard drive that ended with the Drake field goal.
A 48-yard pass from Renaud to senior Dan Akinsheye (Pawtucket, R.I.) put the Bears at the Rams' 11. Akinsheye had a team-best 58 receiving yards on two catches. Nunes ran five yards to set up the Drake field goal.
With 1:43 to go before the break, the Bears went in front, 17-0, on a 38-yard pass from Moseley to McCarthy to end a seven-play, 86-yard drive.
BSU started at its own 14 and used runs of 19 yards by senior Isaiah Wright (Worcester, Mass.) and 13 yards by Nunes to help set up the scoring pass.
The Bears scored after taking the opening kickoff of the second half, going 57 yards in only four plays.
Nunes went in from 11 yards out and Naso added the point after with 13:21 left in the third quarter for a 24-0 lead.
The longest play of the drive was a 25-yard pass from Moseley to junior Ryan Coonan (Worcester, Mass.) that moved the ball to the Rams' 31. Nunes had a 20-yard run to the 11 and scored on the next play.
Drake connected on a 38-yard field goal with 10:28 left in the third quarter for a 27-0 edge, a score that was set up by an interception from senior Greg Demetri (North Reading, Mass.).
The linebacker picked off the pass at the Rams' 32 and returned it to the 23.
On the next Framingham State possession, BSU's junior defensive lineman Mark DeGirolamo (Mansfield, Mass.) grabbed a fumble at his own 44 and went 56 yards for a touchdown and a 34-0 lead with 6:06 to go in the quarter.
It was the Bears' first fumble recovery returned for a touchdown since Brendan Albert did so last Sept. 30 against Fitchburg State University.
The final TD of the day was a 13-yard run by freshman Jeremiah Julmiste (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) with 6:50 remaining in the game.
The Bears went 94 yards in 15 plays, taking 8:16 off the clock. They ran the ball on 12 of the plays with Moseley throwing a 28-yard pass to sophomore tight end Ethan Brown (Assonet, Mass.), converting a third-and-seven to the Rams' 15.
BSU piled up a season-best 404 yards of total offense and, after struggling with turnovers, had just one lost fumble against Framingham State.
"We said to the kids that the turnovers were hurting us," said Verria, "and we only had one. The kids did everything we asked them this week. Hopefully they learn from this. We're going to need it next week."
The Bears have a Homecoming Weekend game on Saturday at 4 p.m. when Worcester State University visits.
BSU will look to build on the victory to turn things around as October arrives.
"I knew they would keep fighting,'' said Verria. "It was just a matter of getting a win and believing everything we're telling them."
The BSU defense held Framingham State to minus-14 yards rushing on 28 carries and 129 yards of total offense with 13 first downs.
The Bears have won three straight over the Rams and own a 35-16 lead in the series that started in 1973.
