PRIDE FINISH 2002 AT 6-6.
HEMPSTEAD, New York - Running backs Trevor Dimmie and Vemba Bukula each rushed for over 100 yards and the Pride defense held the Flames to a single field goal and 165 yards on offense as Hofstra (6-6) closed out its 2002 season with a 32-3 non-conference victory over Liberty (2-10) Saturday afternoon at James M. Shuart Stadium. The Pride won their fourth consecutive game while the Flames dropped their fourth straight contest.
Dimmie rushed for a season-high 160 yards on 20 carries with touchdown runs of 8 and 7 yards and a scoring catch of 15 yards. Bukula posted his third 100-yard rushing game of the season with a 13-carry, 113-yard performance. Hofstra quarterback Ryan Cosentino completed 16 of 27 passes for 147 yards and one TD while also rushing for another score. But the Pride defense excelled as well recording a season -low 165 yards-Hofstra's lowest since holding Charleston Southern to 133 in 1996-while holding the Flames to a lone Jay Kelley 24-yard, second quarter field goal.
After getting down to the Liberty 10 yardline on its first possession only to miss a 27-yard field goal, Hofstra opened the scoring with 5:37 to play in the first quarter. Cosentino engineered an eight-play, 81-yard drive with Trevor Dimmie taking the ball into the end zone from 8 yards out. Dimmie had 63-all on the ground-of the 81 yards in the drive including a big 34-yard run that placed the Pride on the Liberty 13 yardline.
Liberty closed the deficit to 6-3 just six second into the second quarter following a blocked Hofstra punt. Getting the ball on their own 49, the Flames got down to the Hofstra 5 yardline and had a first and goal from the five. Liberty running back Verondre Barnes, who broke the school's single season rushing record of 1,224 set by Lawrence Worthington in 1994, rushed to the Pride 2 yardline before the Flames were sent back to the 8 on an illegal motion penalty. Kyle Painter then completed a pass to Michael Pearson on second-and-goal to the Hofstra 2 yardline before Robert Thomas and Daniel Garay stuffed Samkon Gako on a third down rush for no gain. An illegal substitution penalty put the ball back on the seven yardline where Kelley was forced to kick the 24-yard field goal. Hofstra opened the gap to 9-3 midway through the quarter as Chris Onorato booted a 43-yard field goal following a Liberty punt. Barnes, who finished the game with 114 yards on 25 carries to finish his record-setting season with 1,304 yards, notched his record-breaking rush on the last play of the half with a three yard carry as time expired. The Hofstra defense held Liberty to just 17 yards in the second quarter.
The Pride put the game out of reach in the third quarter with three scores, two touchdowns and a safety, On their second possession of the second half following a Liberty punt, Hofstra went 39 yards in 5 plays with Cosentino passing to Dimmie for a 15-yard score for a 16-3 lead with 10:25 to play in the third. On Liberty's next possession, Hofstra pinned the Flames on their own nine yardline. Punting away on fourth down, punter David Holland dropped the low snap and instead of having the kicked blocked and recovered for a touchdown, he elected to kick the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety.
The Pride bumped the lead to 25-3 with just six seconds to play in the third quarter as Dimmie rushed four times for 47 yards in a 61 yards drive and carried the ball into the end zone from 7 yards out to close out the third quarter scoring.
Cosentino closed out the game scoring with 10:39 to play in the game with a 10-yard run to cap a 62-yard drive that included Bukula gaining 38 yards on three carries.
Jamaal Perry (64 yards) and Ricky Bryant (44 yards) each had five catches for the Pride while Bill Hambrecht (9 tackles), Michael Momo (8 tackles) and Cole Haley (8 tackles) led the defensive charge.
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