FRANKLIN, Mass. - Gallaudet University rallied from its largest deficit of the season to score the final three touchdowns here Saturday to spoil Dean College's homecoming with a 26-23 victory to remain undefeated in Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) play.

Gallaudet (5-1, 3-0 ECFC) trailed 23-6 late in the third quarter against Dean (0-6, 0-2 ECFC), who scored the game's first 16 points and led 16-6 at the half. The Bulldogs scored on its first possession of the third quarter to take a 17-point lead before a crowd of 2,123 at Lippert Field.

The Bison offense got their act together late in the third quarter when sophomore quarterback/slot Brandon Washington (Citronelle, Ala.) threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Jaylen Johnson (Dublin, Calif.) at the 3:09 mark. GU was unable to convert the two-point conversion as the score stood at 23-12. 

The teams traded punts for the next five possessions before GU went on a 68-yard drive that took six plays and ended with a Washington six-yard touchdown run with 5:07 left in regulation.

On the ensuing drive for Dean, the Bulldogs were backed up to their own 23-yard line as they faced a 3rd and 2 but quarterback Mozes Mooney (14-for-22, 231 yards) fumbled the ball and lost four yards on the play but regained possession as GU called a timeout with 3:26 left. Dean punter Enrico Hernandez came on to punt deep in Bulldog territory but the punt attempt got blocked by freshman Zefan Nathanson (Manor, Texas) and recovered in the end zone by junior KaVargio Smith (Union, S.C.) for the Bison touchdown. The score gave Gallaudet its first lead of the game with 3:17 left in the game. Washington ran in the two-point conversation to give GU the three-point lead, 26-23.

Dean went four and out on the next drive as Gallaudet took possession with 2:19 left on the clock at the Dean 39-yard line. The Bison were forced to punt with 22 seconds left after GU ran the ball three straight times but failed to pick-up the first down. Dean regained possession at its own 27 with 16 seconds. Mooney threw two incomplete passes before he connected on his last pass as the Bulldogs began throwing the ball around with some lateral tosses before they fumbled it away to the Bison at midfield as the game clock ran out.

GU finished with 308 yards of offense (203 rushing yards) as sophomore superback Dre'Vaughn Mackall (Prince Frederick, Md.) led the offense with 11 carries for 91 yards. Washington did it all for the Bison as he threw a touchdown pass, caught a 32-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and ran in a touchdown as he gained 51 yards on 19 carries.

Sophomore strong safety Antonio Mendoza (Waco, Texas) led the defense with 10 tackles (eight solo) and 2.5 tackles for a loss of 10 yards. Sophomore linebacker Jacob Hartman (Petersburg, W.Va.) added nine tackles (eight solo) and 3.5 tackles for a loss of 15 yards. 

BISON TRACKS

• Gallaudet had three sacks for a loss of 20 yards
• The Bison recorded 13 tackles for a loss of 58 yards

UP NEXT
Gallaudet returns home and will host SUNY Maritime (1-5, 0-2 ECFC) next Saturday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m. during Homecoming Weekend.