MANCHESTER, N.H. – After its bye week, the Saint Anselm College football team returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 22 to face a non-league opponent in Post University at 6 p.m. under the lights in Waterbury, Conn.
SAINT ANSELM COLLEGE HAWKS (4-2, 2-2 NE10)
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POST UNIVERSITY EAGLES (0-6, IND)
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Saint Anselm entered the bye week with a 4-2 record as the team is off to its best start since the 2014 campaign where it won five games in a row to begin the season. The Hawks have won eight of their last 16 games overall since the end of the 2019 season and will look to improve to 2-1 on the road on Saturday against Post.
Post University is in its second season of intercollegiate football at the NCAA Division II level and owns an 0-6 record playing against an independent schedule. Like Franklin Pierce, the Eagles sponsored sprint football for many years before making the jump to NCAA football in 2021. That season, Post produced a 2-3 record against several junior college and preparatory school opponents.
Tickets for Saturday's game under the lights are $10 for general admission and $5.00 for students (with valid identification) and seniors 65 years of age and older.
SAINT ANSELM NOTABLES
SETTING THE STAGE: The Hawks will play their seventh game of the season on Saturday and still remain nationally-ranked in several major statistical categories. Saint Anselm ranks fifth in NCAA Division II in turnovers gained (19), seventh in fewest penalty yards per game (38.17), and eighth in third down conversion percentage by the team's opponents (25.9%).
NOT "OUT OF OUR LEAGUE": A win over Post would give Saint Anselm a perfect 3-0 record in non-conference play for the first time in the team's modern-day history. With the departure of Stonehill to the NCAA Division I ranks, the Hawks have the opportunity for three non-league games in one season for the first time in program history.
PICKS GALORE: The Hawks have logged 11 interceptions on defense this season, the eighth-most in a single season with four games to play in the season. The single-season Hawks record was set in 2004 and 2013 with 19 defensive interceptions.
HOME IS WHERE IT HAPPENS: The Hawks have won nine of their last 11 games played at Grappone Stadium. The two defeats have come against nationally-ranked opponents - the first loss was to No. 24 Bentley on Oct. 2, 2021 where Hawks rallied from a 27-0 deficit but could not complete the comeback, falling 34-21. On Saturday, Oct. 1, the Hawks posted a narrow 21-10 defeat to No. 24 New Haven.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?: Anthony Brown (Belton, Texas) has caught a pass in each of his 26 career games at Saint Anselm, the fourth-longest streak in Hawks history. Justin Bernard '15, the all-time NCAA Division II leader for career passes caught (386), had a program-record streak of 41 games with at least one reception from Sept. 9, 2010 through Nov. 15, 2014. Brown has hauled in 16 career touchdowns, needing two on Saturday against Post to pass Marc Wilson '12 for third place on the all-time list.
THE SPILLE SITUATION: Sophomore Austin Spille (Austin, Texas) has recorded 41 yards off sacks this season for Saint Anselm, the ninth-most yardage from quarterback takedowns in a single campaign. The only student-athlete to record 40 or more yards from sacks in the last decade was CJ Miller '20 in his All-America season in 2019.
LAST TIME OUT: Saint Anselm posted a 38-7 loss at Bentley University on Saturday, Oct. 8 prior to the bye week. Playing on the road for just the second time all season, the Hawks were stymied by Bentley on both sides of the ball. Four student-athletes hauled in touchdown passes for the home team, who also took advantage of three Saint Anselm interceptions in the victory.
Similar to last year's win over Saint Anselm where Bentley, then nationally-ranked, opened up a 27-0 lead at Grappone Stadium, the Falcons similarly got off to a great start on Saturday, leading at one point by a 38-0 margin.
In total, Bentley owned a distinct edge in time of possession, controlling the ball for just shy of 38 minutes. Breaking up 11 passes by the Hawks on the day, the Falcons also converted all three of their fourth downs in the game and similarly clicked on third down, converting on seven of their 14 attempts on third down.
The Hawks scored their lone touchdown with 8:06 to go in the game as junior Mike Tellier (Braintree, Mass.) hauled in an 18-yard pass from quarterback Drew Willoughby (Austin, Texas) to conclude a seven-play, 74-yard drive that spanned just shy of 2:30.
The complete GAME NOTES for Saturday's game can be found here.
