Bridgewater State Aims for Fourth Straight Victory

By Jim Fenton, The Enterprise (Brockton)

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University football team has not won at least four consecutive games since the end of the 2012 regular season.

With a victory over Westfield State University on Saturday afternoon, the Bears will be riding their first four-game winning streak since then.

BSU (5-2) hosts the Owls (2-4) at 4 p.m. at Swenson Field as part of homecoming weekend, looking to cap off a perfect October following a 2-2 September.

The streak has put the Bears (4-1) in second place in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, one-half game behind defending champion Framingham State (4-0).

The Rams, who host Plymouth State on Saturday, will be at Bridgewater State on Nov. 7 following the Bears’ bye week.

BSU has to get past Westfield State (1-3 in the conference) in order to have a showdown with Framingham State.

“We’ve got three games left, and mathematically, it is there for us,’’ said Bears coach Chuck Denune, whose team has exceeded last season’s win total of four. “We win three, we win it.

“I definitely think we have the ability to win every game. I don’t think we’ll go into every game as the favorite, but from a coaching perspective, I like where we are.’’

BSU is averaging 37.7 points per game since being held to a field goal by Fitchburg State on Sept. 26. The Bears defeated Plymouth State, 45-19, last weekend.

“Our guys, one thing I’ll say about them, they play very hard all the time,’’ said Denune. “They have a lot of pride every time they go out there. They are trusting each other.

“Things are going well right now. We are probably playing at the highest level at any time this season.’’

The two-quarterback system of Danny Higgins and Alex McLaughlin has been working.

Higgins completed 16-of-21 passes for 207 yards and a pair of touchdowns, becoming the fifth BSU quarterback to go over the 3,000-yard career passing mark in the win.

McLaughlin ran for 120 yards on 16 carries and scored a pair of TDs.

“We’ve done it before here,’’ said Denune of using the two QBs. “The only ones who have to be prepared to deal with it are the quarterbacks. It’s not hard to call a game for two quarterbacks.’’

Westfield State sophomore defensive end Pat Raeke of Stoughton has made 12 tackles with two sacks for 12 yards in five games.