SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Freshman quarterback Robert Graham (Gaithersburg, Md.) had 17 carries for 102 yards, while junior tailback Andre McLeod (Monroe, N.Y.) churned out 88 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries to lead Bryant to a 25-13 win against Saint Anselm Saturday afternoon in front of 3,918 at Bulldog Stadium.
The Bulldogs, who trailed by six early in the second quarter, scored 25 straight points to even their Northeast-10 Conference record at 3-3 while improving to 3-4 overall. Bryant, which entered the game ranked eighth in Division II in rushing, amassed 303 rushing yards and held the Hawks to just 66 yards on the ground. The Hawks fall to 2-5 overall and 2-5 in the Northeast-10 Conference with the loss.
Saint Anselm took an early lead when kicker Erol Senel (South Euclid, Ohio) hit a 32-yard field goal on the Hawks' first drive of the second quarter. And after Aaron Jeanson (Acton, Mass.) partially blocked a Bulldog punt on Bryant's ensuing possession, the Hawks were set up at the Bryant 35 with a chance to take a two-possession lead. After the Hawks picked up three yards on three plays, Senel hit a Northeast-10 Conference-record 49-yard field goal with 10:58 left in the second quarter to give the visitors a 6-0 lead.
Bryant's defense put the Bulldogs on the board when Scott Murphy (Hanover, Mass.) intercepted a Shane Dinagen (Harrisville, R.I.) pass and returned it 17 yards for the score. But the Bulldogs were flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the play, and the point-after attempt from the 35-yard line fell short into a heavy wind, leaving the score tied at 6-6.
The Bulldogs took the lead for good when they took their opening drive of the second half 76 yards in 15 plays, with senior running back Billy Joyner (Mattawan, N.J.) scoring on a six-yard run up the middle with 8:20 left in the third quarter. But again, the Bulldogs failed to convert the PAT and had to settle for a 12-6 lead.
Saint Anselm saw a 12-play drive come up short when the Hawks couldn't convert a fourth-and-1 situation from the Bulldog 37. Bryant took advantage just two plays later when senior fullback Jermoni Dowd (Lanham, Md.) broke loose for a 55-yard run up the middle to the end zone, giving the Bulldogs an 18-6 advantage.
Bryant's defense held Saint Anselm to three-and-out on the ensuing possession, and the Bulldogs were able to put the game away on their next possession. Facing fourth-and-10 from the Bryant 49, punter Scott Kennedy (Oak Ridge, N.J.) kept the drive going when he ran for 22 yards to the Hawk 29. The Bulldogs then looked to McLeod, who carried the ball on the next seven plays, getting the Bryant to the Saint Anselm 2. He capped Bryant's 13-play drive by going in from two yards out on fourth-and-goal, making it 25-6.
The Hawks marched down to the Bryant 6 on their next possession, but Bryant's Jesse Lewis (Elizabeth, N.J.) picked off a pass in the end zone and returned it 49 yards with 6:22 left in the game to end the threat. Saint Anselm would score on its next drive, as Keith Comeau (Marblehead, Mass.) hit Jason Case (Attleboro, Mass.) for a five-yard score, but Bryant recovered the onside kick and was able to run out the clock.
Graham completed 6 of 12 passes for just 29 yards, bur led three Bryant players with at least 70 yards on the ground with his 102-yard day. Senior Tony Granieri (Atlantic City, N.J.) - Bryant's regular starting quarterback - lined up as a wideout Saturday and had five receptions for 21 yards.
Comeau completed 17 of 35 passes for 196 yards, a touchdown and an interception, Matt Santiago (Clinton, Mass.) hauled in five passes for 46 yards and senior wide receiver Travis Pelletier (Deerfield, N.H.) moved atop the College's single season recpetions mark with five catches for 61 yards, giving his 35 for the season.
