By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The resurgent Bridgewater State University football team completed its home schedule by registering its most impressive win of the season.

The Bears knocked Anna Maria College out of a first-place tie in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, earning a thrilling 41-35 overtime victory at Mazzaferro Field on Saturday.

BSU (5-4, 5-3 MASCAC) is riding a four-game winning streak after a 1-4 start heading into the season finale, the Cranberry Bowl at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Saturday at noon.

Anna Maria, in its first season in the conference, had won six straight games and was dropped into a second-place tie with Framingham State at 6-2. The AMCATS were even atop the standings with Plymouth State University and hold the tiebreaker over the Panthers.

Senior Andrew Cloutman (Hanson, Mass.) scored four touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime, and gained 237 yards on 27 carries. The four rushing TDs are one shy of the school record.

Cloutman became the first BSU player to gain at least 200 yards since Sept. 21, 2019 when Nick Santavicca had 200 yards on 31 carries against Western Connecticut State.

Senior Isaiah Wright (Worcester, Mass.) was also over the 100-yard mark, gaining 102 yards on 21 carries.

After a rough beginning to the season, BSU is undefeated since the bye week and can secure a winning season with a win over Mass. Maritime.

"Unfortunately, we started off slow this season," said coach Joe Verria, "but since the bye week, we've been getting better and better and better every single week.

"The kids know they're a better football team than they were in the first half. We said, you know what? There's two seasons. The first season, we were 1-4 and this season, we're going to go 5-0.

"That's the goal and they bought in. Every single practice, we've talked about it."

In the first meeting between BSU and Anna Maria, the AMCATS (6-3) forced overtime by scoring on a 22-yard TD pass from freshman Nikolay Boyce (Naples, Fla.) to freshman Rhanyam Kernizan (Dorado, Puerto Rico) with just 14 seconds remaining in regulation. The extra point by senior Marino Vedova (Zollikon, Switzerland) made it 35-35.

The AMCATS had the ball first in OT and drove to the Bears' 6, facing a third-and-three.

Following an incompletion, Anna Maria threw another pass on fourth down, but junior Jorge Aquino (Bergenfield, N.J.) deflected it to stop the bid.

"He had four of those deflections last week (against Fitchburg), and he knocked down a big one today," said Verria.

The Bears picked up a first down on their first play on a 19-yard run by Wright, who then ran for two more yards to get the ball to the 4.

On his 27th and final carry, Cloutman went into the end zone from there to finish off the victory.

BSU had a chance to take a 38-28 lead with 1:44 remaining, but Anna Maria blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt by senior Joey Naso (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.).

The AMCATS took advantage, going 80 yards in 10 plays for the tying TD.

Boyce completed five passes for all 80 yards and converted on fourth-and-10 with a 23-yard pass to senior Max Gasinowski (Danvers, Mass.).

The Bears withstood that turnaround and prevailed in OT.

"We persevered," said Verria. "No quit in these kids. We talk about that. Commitment, hard work, dedication. It all came together today."

BSU was behind, 14-7, after one quarter with the AMCATS scoring on their first two possessions.

Boyce opened the scoring with a 7-yard run with 2:04 into the game to finish a four-play, 52-yard drive, but BSU tied it with 7:18 left in the first quarter on an 8-yard run by senior Bryan Ivatts (Barrington, R.I.) to finish an 11-play, 75-yard drive.

Anna Maria went up, 14-7, with 2:36 left in the quarter on a fumble recovery by freshman Josiah Germain (Randolph, Mass.) after an interception by teammate Tyler Thibodeau (Bennington, Vt.), a sophomore.

The Bears tied it again with 8:12 to go in the half on a 32-yard run by Cloutman as the Bears drove 99 yards in six plays.

Junior Jeremiah Cadet (Ocoee, Fla.) put Anna Maria up, 21-14, with 4:52 left in the half, scoring on a 3-yard run, but Cloutman tied the game with 1:56 left in the half on a 4-yard run to complete a six-play, 82-yard drive.

The Bears scored the first two TDs of the second half for a 35-21 lead.

Senior Mohale Mitchell (Lakewood, Col.) scored on a 74-yard pass from freshman Joseph Dube-Garrett (Fort Myers, Fla.), outracing the Anna Maria defense down the right sideline with 13:40 left.

Cloutman followed with 9:51 remaining with a 12-yard run. That score was set up by an interception by senior Brandon Medeiros (Somerset, Mass.) at the Anna Maria 36.

But Anna Maria scored on the final play of the third quarter on a 25-yard pass from Boyce to freshman Anthony Phillipo (Millbury, Mass.).

Dube-Garrett completed 8 of 15 passes for 183 yards.

Boyce was 24 of 45 for 279 yards and a pair of TDs.

The BSU running game produced 366 of the team's 549 yards of total offense.

Junior Lucas Lambert (Oxford, Mass.) had 12 tackles and a pass breakup for the Bears while senior Thomas Rocha (Barrington, R.I.) and senior Mark DeGirolamo (Mansfield, Mass.) had a sack each.