CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – MIT jumped out to an early 14-0 lead and never looked back as the Engineers took a 38-14 win over visiting Becker College in non-conference football action this afternoon. MIT, which built a 28-7 halftime lead, saw senior Justin Wallace (Palatine, Ill.) run for 136 yards and senior Peter Williams (Portland, Ore.) throw for 220 yards and a pair of scores in the victory.
MIT (2-0) won the toss and elected to receive. The Engineers wasted no time jumping out on top, going 67 yards in nine plays with the opening drive, grabbing the early 7-0 lead when senior Brad Goldsberry (Elizabeth, Colo.) plunged into the end zone from a yard out to cap the drive.
The next five drives ended up in three and outs before MIT increased its lead early in the second quarter. Goldsberry had the key play of the drive, hitting junior Eric Gan (College Station, Texas) with a 43-yard strike on a halfback pass on a 2nd and 20 play that gave the Engineers a first down in Becker territory. On the next play Williams hit junior Nathan Varady (Fayetteville, Ark.) with a 29-yard scoring strike and a 14-0 lead at the 14:29 mark of the quarter.
Becker (0-2) answered on its next drive, which was highlighted by a 64-yard pass play from junior Dylan McGuire (Somers, N.Y.) to junior DeJahn Dawkins (East Hartford, Conn.) that set the Hawks up at the MIT 26. Three plays later McGuire hit sophomore Jacob Holmes (Worcester, Mass.) for a 28-yard score to make it a seven-point game.
MIT pushed it back to a 14-point lead on its next drive, going up 21-7 on a two-yard scoring run by Goldsberry with 8:25 left in the half. After stopping two more drives by the Hawks, MIT closed out the first half with another scoring drive, taking advantage of a short punt to go 41 yards in seven plays, with Williams hitting Goldsberry for a 10-yard score with 40 seconds left in the half.
It stayed that way until late in the third quarter when a seven-play, 70-yard drive resulted in three points for the Engineers. Wallace ran for 46 of it on the second play of the possession, before a holding penalty stalled the drive. Sophomore Tucker Cheyne (Avon, Conn.) came on and booted his first field goal of the season from 22 yards out to make it 31-7.
MIT then put the game away with 11:42 left in the game when Goldsberry scored his fourth TD of the contest, taking it in from a yard out to cap a 65-yard drive and make it 38-7. Becker answered with a 12-play, 75-yard drive, completing the effort on a 10-yard run by freshman Nasir Sinkfield-Shelton (New Rochelle, N.Y.) with 5:25 left. The Hawks stopped the Engineers on the next drive, taking the ball and pushing down the field for 78 more yards, but time in the game expired with Becker on the MIT 23.
MIT rolled up 506 yards of offense, while Becker totaled 331. Williams set a new MIT career record for TD passes with his toss to Goldsberry at the end of the first half, moving past Rick Mancuso (2005-06, 08) with 30. He finished the day going 20-of-27 for 220 yards and a pair of scored while being intercepted once.
Goldsberry's four touchdowns in one game tied a school record, with his effort the fifth time it has been accomplished. His day included 78 yards on the ground, catching four passes for 40 yards, the pass play of 43 yards and returning three kickoffs and a punt for a total of 74 more.
Becker was led on the ground by Sinkfield-Shelton who finished with 55 yards on eight carries. McGuire finished 9-of-23 for 142 yards and a score passing, while Holmes and senior Nick Saletnik (Bellingham, Mass.) each had three receptions to lead the Hawks. Junior Seve Esparrago (St. Louis, Mo.) led the MIT receivers with seven catches, totaling 43 yards.
Defensively MIT was led by freshman Mitch Turley (Westfield, Ind.) with eight tackles, while junior Josh Lawrence (Manhattan, N.Y.) led the Hawks with eight stops.
MIT will have a bye-week before returning to action on September 27 when it hosts Salve Regina University at 1:00 p.m. in the New England Football Conference opener for both schools. Becker will return to action next week, taking on Nichols College on the road at 1:00 p.m. on September 20.