BANGOR, Maine – Senior Brett Davis accounted for three touchdowns and 173 yards of total offense as the Husson University football team powered past Nichols College 42-14 in Conference of New England (CNE) action Saturday afternoon at the Dr. John W. Winkin Sports Complex.
The Eagles (4-5, 4-2 CNE) piled up 321 rushing yards and scored the game's final 21 points to pull away from the Bison (2-7, 2-4 CNE), who had trimmed a 21-point halftime deficit to seven early in the third quarter.
Davis led the Husson rushing attack with 154 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, while adding three receptions for 19 yards and another score. Davis' 14 yards per rush ranks fifth all-time for Husson football for single-game yards per carry. Sophomore Anthony Santacroce contributed 65 rushing yards on 12 attempts, while sophomore Daniel Ruiz Cantu added 60 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
Husson established control on its opening possession, marching 68 yards on 14 plays and consuming 7:42 of game clock. Senior quarterback Brody Gibson capped the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Davis, giving the Eagles a 7-0 advantage with 7:10 remaining in the first quarter following senior Alexander Henry's extra point.
The Eagles continued their offensive success on their next possession, putting together a 15-play, 79-yard drive that stretched into the second quarter. Gibson connected with senior Jacob Lenz for a three-yard touchdown reception with 12:38 remaining in the half, extending Husson's lead to 14-0 following another successful Henry extra point.
After the Husson defense forced another Nichols punt, the Eagles needed just four plays to cover 58 yards. Davis broke free for a 23-yard touchdown run with 6:12 remaining in the second quarter, pushing the advantage to 21-0.
Nichols threatened to get on the scoreboard late in the first half, advancing deep into Husson territory before junior Brayden Trombly intercepted Bison quarterback Will Migliaccio at the Eagles' 3-yard line and returned the ball 28 yards to the Husson 31 with 27 seconds remaining. The Eagles carried their 21-0 advantage into halftime.
The Bison responded quickly coming out of the break, as Migliaccio connected with Kahlil Talley for a 62-yard touchdown pass just 2:20 into the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 21-7.
Following a Husson turnover on downs, Nichols struck again when Migliaccio found Talley for a 59-yard touchdown with 9:19 remaining in the third, trimming the Eagles' lead to 21-14.
Husson answered later in the quarter after forcing a Nichols punt and taking over at the Bison 36-yard line. The Eagles needed just two plays to find the end zone, as Davis broke free for a 13-yard touchdown run with 5:08 remaining to restore a 28-14 advantage.
The Eagles' defense quickly provided another scoring opportunity when freshman Melvyn Telisca intercepted Migliaccio at the Husson 41-yard line and returned the ball 18 yards to the Nichols 41 with 4:55 remaining in the third quarter. Two plays later, Ruiz Cantu punched in a one-yard touchdown run with 4:01 remaining, extending the Husson lead to 35-14.
Nichols put together a 15-play drive that stretched into the fourth quarter, but the Husson defense held the Bison on downs at the Eagles' 21-yard line with 10:37 remaining.
After the teams traded possessions, sophomore Joseph Dube recovered a Nichols fumble with 4:34 remaining, giving the Eagles possession at the Bison 32-yard line.
Husson capitalized on the turnover, marching 32 yards on four plays before senior Jordan Espo capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run at the 2:29 mark. Henry converted his sixth extra point of the afternoon to complete the 42-14 victory.
Gibson finished 11-of-26 passing for 68 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 27 rushing yards on three carries. Lenz hauled in three receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown, while Davis finished with three catches for 19 yards and a score. Junior Dominic Trott added a nine-yard reception, while sophomore Seth Cortina recorded a 10-yard catch and Ruiz Cantu contributed an eight-yard reception. Junior Caden Crocker also finished with two catches for four yards.
Defensively, Dube led the Eagles with nine tackles, including a sack and a tackle for loss, while adding a forced fumble, fumble recovery, pass breakup and three quarterback hurries. Sophomore Cooper McNamara followed with eight tackles and a quarterback hurry, while junior Erik Menger and sophomore Nolan Yates each finished with seven tackles. Yates also recorded a pass breakup.
Senior Lopati Stotler contributed four tackles, a sack and a forced fumble, while senior Drew Crouse and freshman Calvin Casavant combined for another sack. Junior JT Wright added four tackles, including a tackle for loss.
Trombly and Telisca each recorded an interception, combining for 46 return yards, as the Husson defense forced three Nichols turnovers and limited the Bison to just seven rushing yards on 19 attempts.
Husson finished with 389 yards of total offense compared to 285 for Nichols, while holding a 33:40 to 26:20 advantage in time of possession. The Eagles also converted all five of their red-zone opportunities into touchdowns.
Davis contributed in the return game with a 52-yard kickoff return and 33 yards on two punt returns, while Henry finished a perfect 6-for-6 on extra-point attempts.
The victory improved Husson to 4-2 in conference play, as the Eagles combined a dominant rushing performance with three defensive takeaways to secure their fourth conference victory of the season.
Husson closes out the regular season on Saturday when it heads to Maine Maritime Academy for a 1 p.m. matchup.
