SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Sept. 17, 2005 – Springfield College sophomore fullback Marc Hatch (Norwood, Mass.) rushed for a career-high 108 yards on 23 carries including a game-long run of 37 yards, but it was the University of Wisconsin-Stout Blue Devils that defeated the Pride in its home opener this afternoon (Sept. 17), 24-7 on Benedum Field.
Stout (3-0) senior quarterback Keldrick Stokes completed 10 of his 18 pass attempts for 115 yards to go along with two touchdown scores, including a 49-yard touchdown completion to junior wide receiver Jesse Wendt. Wendt had a team-best six catches on the day for a total of 84 yards.
With Wisconsin-Stout already leading 10-0 in the second quarter, the Pride started to mount a comeback as the SC offense put together a seven-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a 44-yard touchdown completion from junior quarterback Joe Deptula (Oxford, Conn.) to sophomore halfback Joe Czarnecki (Shelton, Conn.), making the score 10-7 with 5:28 to go in the half.
The Blue Devils would answer back quickly, however, putting together two more touchdown drives before intermission, as the Pride entered the locker room down 24-7. That proved to be the final score as both offensive units failed to put together any scoring drives in the second stanza.
SC junior linebacker Andrew Madigan (New Britain, Conn.) recorded a team-high 13 tackles (eight solo) to go along with two tackles-for-loss (six yards).
Stout sophomore running back Andy Reese rushed for 84 yards on 13 carries for the visiting Blue Devils. Junior defensive lineman Travis Hoffmann compiled a team-best 13 tackles.
The Pride slips to 0-2 on the season and will next be at Alfred University in its Empire 8 Conference opener on Saturday, September 24, in a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.
Michael C. “Mike” DeLong ’74 enters his 31st season as a head football coach in the fall of 2012. He enters his 29th year at Springfield College alone. For the past 28 years, he has been the head coach at Springfield, his alma mater. Mike had also been the head coach at Maine Maritime in Castine, Maine in 1979 and 1980. Read more.
