D.J. MacDonald's 6 TDs Spark Sprint Football to a 66-12 Victory over Princeton
Jhamel Cohen returns interception 36 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter
PRINCETON, N.J. (October 4, 2013) – In just the second season in Franklin Pierce sprint football history, sophomore running back D.J. MacDonald (Mattapoisett, Mass.) on Friday night put together an individual performance that may never be duplicated in the myriad of years to come for the program.
MacDonald rushed for 130 yards, caught another ball for 44 yards, and scored six touchdowns as the Ravens scored the game’s first 40 points en route to a 66-12 thumping of Princeton at Princeton Stadium in New Jersey.
Franklin Pierce evened its record at 2-2, marking the most victories for a single season in program history, while the Tigers dipped to 0-4.
MacDonald churned out his 130 yards on only 10 carries for a 13.0 yards per carry clip. He scored five times in the first quarter alone as Franklin Pierce opened up a commanding 33-0 lead.
He scored on a 57-yard jaunt a little more than two minutes into the game, and followed with a 21-yard touchdown run three minutes later. To show his versatility, MacDonald became a receiving threat out of the backfield and snagged a 44-yard touchdown pass with five-and-a-half minutes remaining in the frame. He capped the amazing 15 minutes of action with back-to-back touchdown runs of nine and three yards in the final 4:22 of the quarter.
Before his night was complete, MacDonald threw one more exclamation point onto the stat sheet with a three-yard scoring plunge early in the second quarter to push Franklin Pierce’s lead out to 40-0.
MacDonald’s offensive heroics were helped by a stout defensive effort, as Raven tacklers turned in an outstanding performance by picking off a pair of passes, forcing the Tigers into a trio of three-and-outs, and causing Princeton to turn the ball over on downs twice in the first half alone.
Franklin Pierce made a whopping 14 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including two from sophomore Nick Trochalakis (Rochester, N.H.), who now has five stops for loss over the last two games.
The Ravens intercepted four Princeton passes throughout the game, with Tyler Holdsworth (New Bedford, Mass.), Derek Reddy (Natick, Mass.), Jhamel Cohen (Brooklyn, N.Y.), and Shawn DeCost (Nashua, N.H.) each stepping in front of a throw for the pick. Cohen’s was a pick-six, which he returned 36 yards for a touchdown midway through the third quarter.
With the lead comfortably in hand, several younger Ravens got the chance to see meaningful action and took advantage of the opportunity.
Rookie quarterback Gary Benedetti (Exeter, R.I.) got the start under center for the first time in his collegiate career, and was an efficient 4-of-4 for 110 yards and the touchdown throw to MacDonald. Benedetti also hooked up with Jahlil Dean (Maple Shade, N.J.) for 28 yards, Brandon Knight (Bronx, N.Y.) for 23 yards, and Mike Holdridge (Peru, N.Y.) for 15 yards. Benedetti also got into the end zone with his legs, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run early in the second half.
Freshmen running backs Kiano Wilder (Gaithersburg, Md.) and Nick Park (La Canada, Calif.) got steady carries throughout the game, including Wilder, who ripped off 119 yards and a touchdown late in the third quarter. Park rushed for 30 yards and a nine-yard score in the third.
Kahdeem Cohens scored both touchdowns for Princeton, which was playing its first and only home game of the 2013 season on Friday night.
The win was Franklin Pierce’s second straight over the Tigers, as the Ravens picked up a 21-14 triumph at Princeton last season for the inaugural win in program history.
Franklin Pierce returns to action next Friday when the Ravens travel to Philadelphia to take on the University of Pennsylvania in a 7 p.m. kickoff.
For more information on Franklin Pierce sprint football, please visit the team’s page at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce sprint football apparel can do so on the athletic department’s online store at athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)