Giller Totals Over 400 Yards to Lead Western Connnecticut State Over Alfred in Bushnell Bowl
Western Connecticut State University totaled 513 yards of offense and had 6 different players find the end zone as the Wolves rolled to a 45-14 victory over Alfred University in the ECAC’s 2024 Asa S. Bushnell Bowl.
Western Connecticut State quarterback John Giller was named the game’s most valuable player, throwing for 238 yards and a touchdown while also turning 13 carries into 165 yards and a touchdown. He completed 20-of-31 passes on the afternoon with his only blemish being a 4th-quarter interception.
Kamryn Holmes had 12 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown and Kevin Franceschini added another 35 yards on the ground and a score for the Wolves three primary ballcarriers. Julian Ferguson had 97 yards receiving on 6 catches and added a 3-yard rushing touchdown. Dae’Shawn Allen turned a game-high 9 receptions into 86 yards and a touchdown. Antwan Davis was the last of the Western Connecticut State touchdown scorers.
Despite the lopsided score, Alfred nearly matched Western Connecticut State in time of possession, but the Saxons were just 6-of-15 on 3rd down and 3-of-6 on 4th down, stalling drives before they could really get going. Saxon quarterback Chris Kelly had 163 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Max Freeman IV rushed for 81 yards, averaging over 4 yards per carry, and caught two balls for 21 yards and a score. Carmine Hoag had the other Saxon touchdown, one of his two catches.
Western Connecticut State scored on their first six possessions, including all four possessions of the first half. The Wolves had great field position for their first two drives, starting both around midfield, after Alfred punted and turned the ball over on downs on their first two drives. Following the punt, the Wolves went on an 8-play, 59-yard drive with Holmes cashing in on a 13-yard rush to put Western Connecticut State up, 7-0. The Wolves drove it down to the 7-yard line by the end of the first quarter and doubled their lead to 14-0 just 55 seconds into the second quarter with a Davis one-yard plunge.
Alfred got back into the game capping-off a long, 14-play, 72-yard drive with a passing touchdown from Kelly to Freeman IV. But the Saxons couldn’t stop the Wolves as Giller led Western Connecticut State down the field, getting into the end zone himself on an 11-yard rush, to make it 21-7 with 1:30 remaining in the half. And after a quick three-and-out, Giller got the ball back, this time with 1:02 left in the half, and again led the Wolves down into scoring position with enough time for Anthony Weidtman to split the uprights with zeroes on the clock to make it 24-7 at the half.
West Connecticut received the ball to start the second half and methodically made their way down the field, converting two third downs and a fourth down before Franceschini dove into the end zone to make it 31-7. Alfred, very much up against it on the scoreboard, tried to make something happen, but the Wolves’ defense proved to be too strong, stopping the Saxons time and time again as the clock ticked down. West Connecticut State added a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, one each from Allen and Ferguson, to make it 45-7, before Alfred added a late touchdown to bring the 2024 Asa S. Bushnell Bowl to a 45-14 finish.