By Chris Estrada
At 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), the football team has not been a postseason contender for some time. But it has sure been playing like one lately.
Before the team’s 31-13 victory over then-No. 8 New Hampshire two weekends ago, Northeastern suffered a string of close defeats. And as the No. 18 Hofstra Pride took a 31-28 lead late in the fourth quarter Saturday, it appeared they’d have to swallow another.
But on a crisp, sunny Senior Day at Parsons Field, the Huskies saved their best for last. Driving 92 yards in 1:51 minutes, junior tailback Alex Broomfield took a handoff from junior quarterback Anthony Orio and floated a nine-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open junior tight end Brian Mandeville with 17 ticks left.
Northeastern 35, Hofstra 31. Two straight weeks, two straight upsets.
“It’s a symbol of the grit that our leaders have,” said head coach Rocky Hager of his team’s late-game heroics. “This year, we had a lot of young guys that needed to learn a bit or else there’d be more marks on the [win] side of the column … but I’m really proud at how we battled and pushed.”
The NU defense also delivered Saturday, sacking Pride quarterback Bryan Savage seven times. Leading the way were junior defensive end Wil Colon (2.5 sacks, six tackles) and senior linebacker Joe Mele (two sacks, nine tackles), who couldn’t bear to watch the final drive by his offensive brethren.
“I couldn’t handle it,” Mele said following his final Parsons outing. “I said all my Hail Marys. But I couldn’t do it.”
While his and the Huskies’ prayers were answered, it was close game. Down 28-24 with 11:22 left, the Pride forced a three-and-out from the NU offense and got the ball back at their own 31. Driving 69 yards in 15 plays, Hofstra drove to the Husky one and took the lead with a fourth-and-goal touchdown by Savage with 2:16 left.
Turns out that was enough time for Orio (19-for-23, 249 yards) and his crew to show how far they’ve come in the last two weeks.
After running for a six-yard gain on first down, he found Lott for 10- and 24-yard receptions on the next two plays to get NU to the 48. On third-and-one from the Hofstra 43, junior Chris Plum hauled in a 20-yard catch to put the Huskies at the Pride 23.
Orio would convert a third-and-one from the 14 with a two-yard run. Three plays later, on third-and-seven, Broomfield finally got to use his passing skills after having a planned halfback pass shelved for later in the game following an early Murray touchdown.
“I told the coaches we should run it again,” Broomfield said. “I just put it up there for [Mandeville]. He did a good job of getting open.”
And with that, all 10 Husky seniors could leave Parsons Field for the final time in their careers with a win.
“It can’t get any better than this,” said Murray, who now stands just 68 yards away from LJ McKanas’ all-time school rushing record of 3,692 yards. “Down for the first time with two minutes left in the fourth quarter. … To win like that means a lot.”
Northeastern delivered the first punch on an eight-play, 53-yard scoring drive that was capped by a one-yard score by Murray (31 carries, 147 yards, 3 touchdowns). But Hofstra showed they could give as good as they could take, going 67 yards on their next possession and tying the game at seven after a two-yard scamper by Everette Benjamin.
The Huskies lept ahead again in the second quarter as Orio hit Mandeville for a 14-yard touchdown strike to make it 14-7. Hofstra responded on its next drive as Savage (20-for-33, 222 yards) showed his ability as a runner by cutting up the middle and scoring from nine yards out to pull the Pride back into a tie at 14-14.
NU hit paydirt as Murray barreled into the end zone, a six-yard jaunt, to push the Huskies up 21-14 with 6:25 left in the half. But after Hofstra kick returner Anthony Nelson ran back a punt return to the Husky seven following a three-and-out by Northeastern, The Pride tied it at 21 before halftime on a seven-yard pass from Savage to Charles Sullivan.
Hofstra began the second half with a solid drive, but came up empty after kicker Rob Zerrilli’s 46-yard field goal attempt was no good. Northeastern capitalized on the great field position as Murray ripped through the right side for a 31-yard touchdown run, giving NU a 28-21 advantage.
Zerrilli missed from 47 yards out on the next HU drive, but would bury a field goal from the same distance to make it 28-24 and set up the furious finish.
Northeastern will take the field for the last time this season at Rhode Island Saturday at noon.
