Football Celebrates Homecoming with 48-21 Triumph over Westfield State

Framingham, Mass. - The Framingham State University football team received a pair of touchdown passes and a rushing score from senior Adam Wojenski (Stratford, Conn.) as the Rams defeated Westfield State 48-21 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) opener for both schools at Bowditch Field this afternoon.

THE BASICS:

- Score:           Framingham State 48, Westfield State 21

- Records:      Framingham State (1-2, 1-0 MASCAC), Westfield State (0-3, 0-1 MASCAC)

- Location:     Framingham, Mass. – Bowditch Field

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Wojenski was the recipient of the 2019 Calder Award which is presented annually to the most valuable player of the Homecoming Day game in memory of former Ram John Calder. Wojenski completed 19 of 28 pass attempts for 230 yards with two TDs, while also rushing for 59 yards on six carries with a TD.
• Freshman Devaun Ford (Mashpee, Mass.) rushed for 97 yards in the game on 20 carries and found the end zone once, while senior Jacob Maher (Marshfield, Mass.) carried the ball six times for 11 yards, but recorded a pair of rushing scores.  Maher also made four receptions for 45 yards with a receiving TD and blocked a kick that led to another Rams score.
• Jake Cassidy completed 11 of 29 pass attempts for the Owls for 133 yards with two touchdowns, while Shane Clark rushed for 67 yards on 13 carries. 
• Cam Gallagher caught a pair of touchdowns in the game for the Owls while making six catches for 102 yards.
• Defensively, the Rams were paced by seven tackles, six solo, a sack and a forced fumble from senior Brian Donahue (Norfolk, Mass.).   Junior Facundo Isas (Fitchburg, Mass.) chipped in with four tackles including a pair of sacks, while Dwayne Hunter-Parker (Waterbury, Conn.) and Thiago Andrade (Medford, Mass.) each recorded interceptions in the game.
• The Owls defense was paced by a game-best 11 stops form Cole George, while David White added nine.
• The win was the 100^th coaching victory for FSU head coach and athletic director Tom Kelley on the Rams sideline. Kelley has been at the helm of the Rams since 2007 and previously was the head coach from 1982-84.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Rams got on the board on the opening drive of the game using just nine plays to go 75 yards.  Maher converted a 4^th and one for the Rams to keep the drive alive and set up a 22 yard quarterback keeper by Wojenski for the score.  Freshman Daniels Lathum (Riga, Latvia) converted the extra point giving the Rams the 7-0 lead.
• On the Rams next possession, Ford scampered in from a yard out for the score and the 14-0 lead with 6:32 left in the first.
• The Rams offense amasses 176 yards in the opening quarter, while Westfield ran just nine plays for 18 yards in the quarter.
• In the second quarter, Maher scored a pair of touchdowns. The first one coming on a 16 yard pass from Wojenski and the second on a one yard run that put the Rams up 27-0.
• On the Owls next possession, the Rams forced a punt from the Westfield 23 yard line. Maher blocked the punt and the ball scooped by junior Joshua Onujiogu (Wareham, Mass.) who returned it 18 yards for the touchdown and a 34-0 lead.
• The Owls got on the board in the closing minute of the first half on a 17 yard pass from Cassidy to Gallagher with ten seconds left on the clock.
• The Rams added a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter on a 14 yard touchdown pass from Wojenski to freshman Elijah Nichols (Burlington, NJ) and a two yard run from Maher, his third TD of the game.
• The Owls tacked on 14 points in the fourth quarter to reach the final score.  Shaquille Adjei scored first on a four yard run and Gallagher caught a 24 yard pass from Cassidy with 23 seconds remaining in the game.

UP NEXT:

The Rams are on the bye next weekend and return to the field the following week when they host UMass Dartmouth at Bowditch Field, while the Owls host Massachusetts Maritime Academy next Saturday at 2 p.m.