Box Score MILTON, Mass. – Cameron Cruz's 20-yard interception return of a deflected pass in the fourth quarter was the key play leading Curry to a 21-18 win over Coast Guard in a non-conference game.
Cruz's touchdown with 9:16 left gave Curry a 21-10 lead. Coast Guard would score with 1:30 left.
Tafari Wall threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jared Colletti with 1:30 left and Damaso Jaime caught the two-point conversion as the Bears cut the deficit to 21-18.
Curry would recover the onsides kick, but the Bears got a stop and forced a punt getting the ball back at their own 19-yard line with 59 seconds left. Wall was intercepted by Kevin Peete with 22 seconds left to end the comeback attempt, both teams are now 1-1 on the season.
The Colonels did not turn the ball over in the win, while the Bears had four turnovers.
Wall was 23 of 49 for 232 yards with two touchdowns, but was intercepted four times, three of those in the second half.
Colletti led the Bears with 20 carries for76 yards while Jaime had eight receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown.
Adam Jibril-Barnes led the Coast Guard defense with 10 tackles, while Connor Healy finished with nine tackles.
Curry had 317 yards in the win (188 passing, 129 rushing) while Coast Guard finished with 309 yards (232 passing and 77 rushing).
Curry quarterback Justin Mullaney was 25 of 39 for 188 yards and a touchdown in the win.
Finnegan Hall booted a 42-yard field goal with 7:34 left in the opening quarter to give Coast Guard a 3-0 lead on its first possession. Coast Guard took advantage of a short field as the drive started at the Curry 48 after a 1-yard punt.
Curry would take the lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Edison Thompson following a long 17 play, 85-yard drive which took 8:15 off the clock and Billy Lynch added the extra point for a 7-3 lead with 10:13 left in the half. The Colonels converted on a 4th-and-1 from the Coast Guard 15 to keep the drive alive.
The Colonels had 163 yards of total offense following that touchdown while holding the Bears to just 15 total yards in its first two possessions.
Coast Guard responded on its third drive of the game as Wall threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Jaime to cap a 79-yard drive and Hall's PAT gave the Bears a 10-7 lead with 6:48 left in the half.
The Colonels would miss a 38-yard field goal attempt to tie the game with 1:31 left in the half.
Wall would lead the Bears down the field, but he was intercepted on the Curry 2-yard line off a tipped pass with 17 seconds left and Coast Guard took the 10-7 lead into the half.
Curry had 225 yards of offense in the first half (134 passing, 91 rushing) while the Bears had 146 total yards (105 passing). Wall was 8 of 18 for 105 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the first half.
Curry had the ball for 20:14 in the first half to Coast Guard's 9:46 as the Colonels ran 45 plays to the Bears 28.
The Colonels took the lead 14-10 on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Mullaney to Gabe DeSouza with 3:04 left in the third. Mullaney threw a 9-yard completion to Max Bell on 4th-and-9 on the previous play to keep the drive alive.
Wall was intercepted by Tahg Coakley on the Bears first possession of the fourth quarter at the Curry 30 and he returned it to the 23-yard line. The Coast Guard defense would come up huge getting a turnover on downs at the Bear five.
On the ensuing possession, Cameron Cruz intercepted a deflected pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown, the first turnover of the game, and Curry led 21-10 with 9:16 left.
Coast Guard is back in action on Saturday when it hosts Nichols in the home opener as part of Homecoming Weekend.
