Box Score NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University football team fell 49-14 to the United States Merchant Marine Academy in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Merchant Marine (5-0, 2-0 NEWMAC) grounded out 387 yards rushing and 453 total yards en route to the victory. The Mariners raced out to a 28-0 lead by the 10:02 mark of the second quarter before Norwich was finally able to get on the board with Mitchell Theal (Elma, N.Y.) finding Trevor Chase (Eliot, Maine) in the corner of the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown pass.
The touchdown reception was Chase's seventh of the season and the 17th of his career for the star NU wide out.
Merchant Marine would not go away though as the Mariners found the end zone again with 40 seconds left with quarterback Ian Blankenship hooking up with Talsen Smith for a 31-yard touchdown pass to make it 35-7 USMMA heading into the halftime break.
Merchant Marine added two more touchdowns in the second half with Alec Kiernan and Cole Simmons punching it in from 1-yard out to extend the lead to 49-7.
Norwich got a touchdown back with 3:11 left in the game with Nate Parady plunging in from 1 yard out to cap a 10-play, 66-yard drive to cut the deficit to 49-14.
USMMA had six different players score rushing touchdowns with Blankenship leading with 82 yards and a score.
Norwich's Justin Bryant (Eliot, Maine) had 18 carries for 88 yards to lead the Cadets' offense. Parady had 13 rushes for 65 yards and a touchdown. Chase had five receptions for 14 yards and a touchdown.
Junior Matthew Christe (Brookfield, Conn.) had 16 tackles to lead the Cadets. Senior Zev Motew (Highland, Park, Ill.) had 12 tackles. Junior Patrick Keefe (Andover, Mass.) had seven tackles and an interception.
Norwich (2-4, 1-1 NEWMAC) will host Springfield at 12 p.m. next Saturday on Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium.
