Junior tailback Jermetrius Troy matched a school record with four touchdowns, finishing with a career-best 214 yards on the ground today. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Troy and Johnson combine for over 300 yards, six TDs

EASTON, Mass. (October 15, 2011) – Stonehill College rushed for 376 yards, with all seven touchdowns coming on the ground, in cruising to a 49-0 victory over Pace University in Northeast-10 Conference football action as part of Family Weekend at W.B. Mason Stadium this afternoon.

Junior running back Jermetrius Troy (Mattapan, Mass./Tilton School) and sophomore Jamal Johnson (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) combined for 316 rushing yards and six touchdowns (all in the first half) to lead a Stonehill offense which racked up a W.B. Mason Stadium record 376 rushing yards for 539 yards of total offense – the third highest total in Stadium history, the highest by a Stonehill team.

Troy carried the ball 18 times for a career-best 214 yards and the first four touchdowns of the day, averaging 11.9 yards per carry. His 214 yards are the third highest single game total in program history, trailing just Michael McLucas' record 250 yard day against Nichols in 1994 and a 236 yard effort by Tyrone Jefferson against UMass Lowell in 2000. It's the third-highest rushing total in W.B. Mason Stadium history – the highest at the Skyhawks home field by a Stonehill player and marks the first time a Stonehill running back has rushed for 200-plus yards since Jefferson against UMass Lowell on October 5, 2000.

Troy's four touchdowns match the program's single game record set by Michael Strachan against Merrimack College in 1989 and matched by Jefferson against Assumption College in 1998 and Eddie Vachon against Pace in 2010. He also caught two passes for ten yards to finish with 224 all-purpose yards on the day

Johnson finished with nine carries for a career-best 102 yards and two scores, averaging 11.3 yards per rush, marking the first time Stonehill has had two 100-plus yard rushing performances since Vachon (142 yards) and Jeff Payne (152) accomplished the feat against Saint Anselm in 2007. Senior Brandon Cox (Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames) also contributed a career-best 92 yards and a 60-yard score for his first career touchdown to cap the scoring in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore quarterback Jesse Hunt (Winchendon, Mass./Oakmont Regional) completed 12-of-15 passes for 140 yards and no interceptions. Junior tight end Daniel Oakes (North Haven, Mass./North Haven) caught three passes for 43 yards, while classmate John Gomes (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable) had two receptions for 47 yards.

Junior linebacker Raymond Bass (Canton, Mass./Canton) paced the shutout effort by the Stonehill defense with a career-best eight tackles (four solo), including 2.5 for a loss of 13 yards and 1.0 sacks for a loss of ten. Classmate Jareed Gaines (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) added six stops (four solo), including 1.0 for a loss of two yards, while senior Justin Kopcik (East Haven, Conn./Notre Dame) had six tackles (two solo), including 1.5 for a loss of 12 yards and a fumble recovery.

Sophomore Jamal Johnson finished with 102 yards and two scores for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Stonehill held Pace to just 164 yards of total offense, including 64 through the air and 100 on the ground. The Setters had just 12 first downs, compared to 23 for Stonehill, and committed three turnovers.

Senior running back Eric Santos (Huntington, N.Y.) led Pace with 11 carries for 61 yards, while freshman Blair Wynn (Englewood, N.J.) added 12 rushes for 53 yards. Freshman Scott Gadsden (Richmond Hills, N.Y.) completed 8-of-15 passes for 45 yards. Junior wide receiver Patrick Lupfer (Mineola, N.Y.) caught four of those passes for 28 yards for the Setters.

Senior linebacker Vincent Romano (Davenport, N.Y.) paced the Setters defense with a game-high ten tackles (five solo) and a forced fumble. Freshman Brett Smith (Birmingham, Mich.) added nine stops (four solo), including 1.0 for a loss of four yards, while classmate Joe Roman (Staten Island, N.Y.) contributed five solo tackles.

After being forced to punt on the first drive of the afternoon, Stonehill scored on its next six possessions to take control of the game. Troy scored the first four touchdowns of the game, starting with a ten yard scamper on fourth and four with 7:09 remaining in the first quarter. That capped a six play, 37 yard drive, that took 2:38 after the Pace punt went out of bounds. Troy had 42 yards on six carries on that drive alone.

Junior Ray Bass led the defense with a career-best eight tackles, including 2.5 for a loss of 13 yards.

After forcing Pace into a three and out on the next drive, Stonehill took six plays again to score, this time for a 58 drive that consumed 1:59 and was capped by a four yard touchdown run for Troy on second and goal. Oakes caught a 30 yard pass from Hunt to key the drive, while Johnson had 18 yards on four carries.

Stonehill scored 28 points in the second quarter to take control of the game, starting with a 20 yard scoring jaunt by Troy 22-seconds into the stanza to cap a three play, 41 yard Skyhawks drive. Troy completed his four touchdown day on his next touch as his career-best 80-yard scoring run came on first down after a punt from the 38 went into the end zone for a touchback. It marks Stonehill's first 80-yard run since Bob Powell scored on an 89-yard touchdown carry against LIU-C.W. Post in 2003.

Johnson scored his first touchdown of the day with a one yard plunge to cap an eight play 43 yard drive after another three and out from Pace. He then added a career-best 65 yard touchdown run on first and ten with 4:46 left in the second quarter to close out the first half scoring and send the Skyhawks into the lockerroom with a 42-0 lead. Johnson had 75 yards in all on three carries for the drive.

Troy had 173 yards on 15 carries and all four of his touchdowns in the first half alone, while Johnson had seven carries for 97 yards and two scores in the opening 30 minutes.

Cox offered the lone score by either team in the second half with his first career touchdown on the 60 yard run with 2:52 left in the game. That came after Pace drove to the Stonehill 11 on the previous drive before turning the ball over on downs with the Skyhawks defense stopping Gadsden for no gain on fourth and one on the Setters deepest drive into Stonehill territory all day.       

Stonehill (2-5, 1-3 NE-10) is back in action next Saturday when it visits Merrimack College for a Northeast-10 matchup at 1 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Saturday, November 5, to host Saint Anselm College for the "Battle for the Ol' Bronze Hawk" on Easton and Military Appreciation Day at noon. Pace (1-5, 0-4 NE-10) hosts Saint Anselm next Saturday at 1 p.m.