Talk about heart-stopping drama at Toppa Field. For the first time since 2000, overtime came to Newport — and Salve Regina made sure it ended with fireworks.
Senior quarterback Tommy Fallon was the hero, slinging his fourth touchdown of the day, a five-yard dart to hometown star Jacoby Smith, to lift the Seahawks to a 34-28 OT victory over Western New England on Saturday.
The win pushes Salve to 2-0 on the season and hands the Golden Bears (1-1) a gut-wrenching loss after they stormed back from a 22-point hole.
The game looked like a runaway early. Fallon hooked up with Spencer Chapman twice for scores, ripped a 71-yard bomb to Smith, and watched Justan Luzzi break loose for a 35-yard sprint as the Seahawks sprinted to a 28-6 halftime lead.
But Western New England refused to fold. Quarterback Paul Gorry engineered a furious second-half rally, throwing touchdowns to De’Andre Harris and John De Camps, sandwiched around a bruising TD run from Matt Lamontagne, to even things at 28.
Overtime belonged to Fallon and Smith. Facing third down in the red zone, Fallon zipped a strike over the middle, Smith hauled it in, and Toppa Field erupted.
The win gives Salve Regina just its second overtime victory at home in program history — and bragging rights in a rivalry the Seahawks now lead 17-14 all-time.
Next up: Salve hits the road to Wayne, N.J., for a Saturday showdown with William Paterson.
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