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    Saturday, April 27, 2024

    Jones, Moffatt have record-setting days in Coast Guard's 33-8 win at Maine Maritime

    Castine, Maine — Ryan Jones became the fourth quarterback in Coast Guard Academy football history to throw for more than 4,000 career yards as he passed for a career-high 353 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bears to a 33-8 win over Maine Maritime on Saturday.

    Justin Moffat also had a record day, setting Coast Guard's single-game receiving record with 256 yards on a career-best 13 receptions to go with two touchdowns.

    Jones joined Derek Victory (7,513, 2013-16), Jon Resch (4,569, 2009-12) and Cory Anderson (4,459, 2002-05). Moffatt broke the receiving record of 244 yards set by Collis Brown in a game against Western New England in 2013.

    "We played well. It was a serious and business-like trip," Coast Guard coach Bill George said. "Guys remember when we went up there two years ago and got beat. This is a tough group and toughness counts in the sport of football. We moved the ball well. Justin made a lot of yards after catch."

    Jones exited the game following a 58-yard touchdown pass to Moffatt with 9:58 remaining which made it 33-8. Jones (26-for-34) finished with 4,145 yards in his career.

    Chris Gardner led Coast Guard (5-2 overall, 2-2 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference) with 12 carries for 61 yards, as the Bears rolled up a season-high 463 yards offense.

    Meanwhile, Eugene Bizer led the defense with 11 tackles and Philip Orlando added three-and-a-half tackles for a loss, as the Bears held Maine Maritime (0-7, 0-4) to just nine yards rushing, 283 yards offense overall.

    Coast Guard led 19-0 at halftime, getting two field goals from Patrick Crowley (22 and 44 yards), a 56-yard scoring pass from Jones to Moffatt and a 2-yard touchdown run by Jon Wagner. A 64-yard pass from Jones to Moffatt to the 2 set up Wagner's run.

    Crowley's 44-yarder into the wind, a career best, came with 7 seconds remaining in the second quarter to put the Bears up 19-0.

    In the second half, Coast Guard's Mike Goldsworthy returned an interception 53 yards, setting up sophomore Cody Fidler for an 11-yard touchdown pass, the first of his career, which made it 26-0.

    Maine Maritime got on the board in the fourth quarter on a 30-yard scoring pass from Andrew Haining to Dominic Casale and a two-point conversion between the two to make it 26-8, but Jones and Moffatt came right back with their 58-yard scoring play on the next series.

    Coast Guard started the season with six straight games where the margin was 10 points or fewer — including a pair of overtime wins — which has never before happened in the history of the program. George was asked if his players were finally able to exhale.

    "I don't know if that's possible with six straight games like that," George said. "It gets ingrained to you where you don't let up. You still worry. You don't let up. I don't think we did."

    Coast Guard will play MIT at 1:30 p.m. next Saturday on Parents’ Weekend.

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