Jenny Wang/THE GATEPOST
By Mike Ferris
Framingham running back Jalen Green has rushed for 180 yards in the Rams’ first four games, but 43 of them came on one play Saturday in the biggest of moments.
Following a fourth and one stop, Framingham got the ball back trailing Western Connecticut by one with 1:50 left and 82 yards to go.
Quarterback Matt Silva came out >ring on this potential game-winning drive completing his first three passes, two to Green and one to Marcus Grant, to set the Rams up at the 50 yard line with right around a minute left to play.
At that point, Silva scrambled forward for 5 yards, and on the ensuing first down, Green was handed the ball on a draw, broke several tackles and dived down at the 2-yard line. This set the Rams up with a first down and goal to go with the clock ticking under a minute.
After an incompletion from Silva, Matt Mangano came in at tailback and bulled his way across the goal line giving Framingham a 5-point lead, 39-34, securing the win and moving the Rams to 2-0 in the MASCAC this year.
Despite trailing late, Framingham dominated early. The Rams jumped out to an early 19-0 lead thanks to three Silva touchdown passes, one to Grant, one to Tevin Jones and one to Jared Gauthier.
After falling behind, Western Connecticut responded with 14 points of its own in a four-minute span.
Each team would score once more before the half concluded. Framingham via a Silva-Jones touchdown and Western Connecticut on a 53-yard run. The Rams went into the break leading 27-21 but would watch their lead crumble in the third quarter.
The only scoring drive in the third came on a Michael Nicol two-yard run and capped a six-play, 17-yard drive that gave the Colonials their first lead of the game at 28-27.
The fourth quarter got interesting from there. Framingham struck first. Leading a six-play, 79-yard drive, Silva capped it with a 20-yard touchdown to Travis Hayes, his fourth of the game. After a failed 2-point conversion, the Rams only found themselves up by five and this would prove not to be enough.
Western Connecticut responded much as it did all afternoon. With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, Will Arndt found Connor Falaguerra for one of Falaguerra’s four receptions and a 15-yard
touchdown.
That score gave the Colonials a 1-point lead and set up Silva and Green’s late game heroics.
Silva completed 28 of 45 for 450 yards and 5 touchdowns. With his performance, he again leads the country in passing yards, 1368, and touchdowns, 19.
Jones added 187 yards to his season total and two touchdowns. He is now 10th in the country in receiving yards and fourth in receiving touchdowns.
Grant, Gauthier, Hayes and Green followed him with 106, 63, 55 and 20.
The Rams had three running backs carry at least five times. Green carried 10 times for 48, Aaron Owens carried nine times for 40 yards and Trevon Offley rounded out the group with six for 15.
Svenn Jacobson and Stephen Beahn once again led the defense in tackles, as the two combined for 20. Jacobson had 11, while Beahn had nine.
Framingham is set to host UMass Dartmouth Saturday at noon.