Senior quarterback Thomas Fallon threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns Saturday as Salve Regina University football opened its 2025 season with a convincing 34-13 victory over UMass Dartmouth at Toppa Field.
The Seahawks (1-0) took control early and never looked back against the Corsairs (0-1) in a matchup that renewed a rivalry dormant since 2012.
Fallon completed 18 of 32 passes, connecting with Jacoby Smith twice — including a 6-yard touchdown pass and an 87-yard kickoff return for a score — and hitting Spencer Chapman for a 72-yard touchdown strike. Kyle Crampton also caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Fallon.
“Those were the last punts of the game” after both teams punted on their opening drives of the second half, as the Seahawks pulled away with 14 unanswered points in the third quarter.
The game was tied at 6-6 early in the second quarter before Salve Regina scored 14 straight points to take a 20-6 halftime lead. Chapman’s 72-yard touchdown reception came on a single-play drive that took just 12 seconds, and Smith answered UMass Dartmouth’s second field goal immediately with his kickoff return.
Running back Justan Luzzi led all rushers with 94 yards and capped the scoring with a 22-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
UMass Dartmouth got field goals of 22 and 37 yards from Connor McManus in the first half and a 46-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Daunte Melton to Jayden Francois in the third quarter.
The victory evened the all-time series at 8-8 between the former New England Football Conference rivals. Salve Regina has now won five straight meetings, with UMass Dartmouth’s last victory coming in 2008.
Chapman finished with 104 receiving yards on three catches, while sophomore linebacker James Minotti led all tacklers with 13 stops for the Seahawks.
Salve Regina will host Western New England next Saturday at noon at Toppa Field. The game will be available on FloCollege./isolated-segment.html
