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Blaine Burkhalter - Football vs. Assumption
14
Assumption ASM 4-2 , 3-1
20
Winner Saint Anselm STA 4-3 , 4-1
Assumption ASM
4-2 , 3-1
14
Final
20
Saint Anselm STA
4-3 , 4-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT F
ASM Assumption 7 0 7 0 0 14
STA Saint Anselm 0 7 0 7 6 20

Game Recap: Football |

Football Completes Comeback, Defeats Assumption in Dramatic Overtime Fashion

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Fifth-year senior Blaine Burkhalter (Burnet, Texas) caught two touchdown passes and the Saint Anselm College football team came back to defeat Assumption in overtime on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 20-14. Freshman Jake Croce (Point Pleasant, N.J.) rushed in the game-winning touchdown from one yard out to give the Hawks their fourth victory of the season. With the win, Saint Anselm is now in second place in the Northeast-10 Conference standings with three games remaining.
 

UP NEXT:

  • Saint Anselm has a bye week before taking on in-state rival Franklin Pierce on Saturday, November 2nd at 1:00 p.m. in Rindge, N.H.

Score: Saint Anselm 20, Assumption 14 (OT)
Records: Saint Anselm (4-3; 4-1 NE10); Assumption (4-2; 3-1 NE10)
Location: Manchester, N.H. (Grappone Stadoum)
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Attendance: 718

HOW IT HAPPENED:

  • It did not take long for the scoring to start as Assumption found the end zone after just two plays from scrimmage. Jay Kastantin connected with Nick Ofodile for a 55-yard strike to give the Greyhounds an early 7-0 lead.
  • The two teams then exchanged punts after each going three-and-out. Saint Anselm got the football back at their own 13-yard line with 11:00 minutes left in the first quarter and went on an eight-play, 86-yard drive. A 35-yard reception by junior wide receiver Patrick Yesinko (Marshfield, Mass.) and a 31-yard rush by senior running back Bowen Lewis (Austin, Texas) helped set the Hawks up with goal to go. However, the Greyhounds defense came up with a huge fourth down stop at the goal line to force a Hawks turnover.
  • Despite starting their next possession on their own one-yard line, Assumption put together an 11-play drive of their own and crossed midfield with Kastantin linking up with Quinn Sieger on two passes for a total of 44 yards. The Greyhounds' drive eventually stalled out after a sack by junior Aidan Noke (Burlington, Mass.), which forced a punt at the end of the first quarter.
  • Saint Anselm generated another long drive to begin the second quarter, ultimately leading to points. Sophomore quarterback Drew Forkner (Plano, Texas) led the Hawks down the field with 52 passing yards and 24 rushing yards and eventually found Burkhalter in the end zone on third-and-goal to make it a 7-7 game. The Hawks spent 8:08 with the football and drove 92 yards during that series.
  • The Hawks got the ball back again after the defense forced a punt by the Greyhounds midway through the second quarter. After picking up a first down and getting close to midfield, Forkner had his pass picked off by Assumption's Jaron Wilson. The return set the visitors up at the Saint Anselm 43-yard line with 3:15 left in the half.
  • The Greyhounds offense faced an immediate fourth down and medium coming out of the two minute timeout, but they could not convert as Kastantin missed his target on a pass.
  • With just over a minute left in the half, Saint Anselm quickly crossed midfield after a couple of completions. With just seconds left on the clock and at the Assumption 35-yard line, Forkner sent a hail mary towards the end zone, but it was picked off by Assumption's Treyvion Gilbert as the halftime horn sounded.
  • The Hawks started the third quarter with the ball after receiving the kickoff to start the second half, but were forced to punt after going three-and-out.
  • Assumption regained the lead on their ensuing drive after finding the end zone to cap off an eight play, 81-yard drive that lasted five minutes. Kastantin scrambled for a touchdown from eight yards away to give his team a 14-7 advantage. The Greyhounds totaled 37 rushing yards during that possession.
  • Saint Anselm looked to respond on their next offensive series and were starting to put together a solid drive. The Hawks rushed for seven consecutive plays and picked up a pair of first downs to cross midfield, but were stopped on fourth down at the Assumption 38-yard line after an incomplete pass by Forkner.
  • The Hawks defense then made a huge play at the end of the third quarter to get the football back. After calling a timeout, the Greyhounds decided to go for it on fourth-and-one from their own 47-yard line. Senior defensive back Brandon Potts (Bowie, Md.) knocked the football out of Angelo Smith's hands and it was recovered by sophomore Aris Xerras (Danvers, Mass.).
  • After Lewis rushed three times for 11 yards to pick up a quick first down for Saint Anselm, Assumption's defense forced their third turnover on downs of the afternoon to preserve their lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
  • The Greyhounds were unable to cross midfield on their next possession and punted it back to the Hawks with 8:06 left in the game.
  • Saint Anselm made the most of their next drive, which went 11 plays and spanned 79 yards while taking up a little over five minutes. Forkner connected twice with Burkhalter for 53 yards through the air, including a 24-yard touchdown strike that tied the score at 14-14 with 2:56 remaining.
  • Assumption got into opposing territory just before the two minute timeout. Kastantin tossed a 29-yard completion to Ethan Friberg that set the Greyhounds up at the Hawks 43-yard line, but the visitors were unable to move the chains after that and turned the football over with 1:00 minute remaining after Potts made a huge fourth down tackle short of the sticks.
  • After being flagged for a couple of penalties, Saint Anselm decided to take a knee to run out the clock and play for overtime.
  • Assumption started the overtime period with possession and immediately faced third down and long. On the third down play, Kastantin was intercepted by junior Hugo Silsby (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). 
  • The turnover all but sealed the win for the Hawks, as Lewis rushed three times for 19 yards to set the home team up with second-and-goal at the Greyhounds one-yard line. Croce rumbled in on the very next play to give Saint Anselm the 20-14 victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

  • Saint Anselm dominated in total offense with 386 yards compared to Assumption's 248 yards.
  • The Hawks picked up 21 first downs in the game, while the Greyhounds moved the chains just 11 times.
  • Saint Anselm outgained Assumption on the ground, 192-72. The Hawks averaged 4.0 yards per carry compared to 2.3 yards per rush by the Greyhounds.
  • The Hawks also held a 194-176 advantage in passing yards.
  • There were four total turnovers on the afternoon. Saint Anselm had two interceptions, while Assumption had an interception and lost a fumble.
  • Assumption punted four times for a total of 149 yards (37.2 average) with two landing inside the opposing 20-yard line. Saint Anselm punted twice for 77 yards (38.5 average) with one landing inside the opposing 20-yard line.
  • The Hawks committed six penalties for a loss of 50 yards in the game, while the Greyhounds committed two penalties for a loss of five yards.
  • Time of possession was controlled slightly by the home team. The Hawks had the ball for 33:37, while the Greyhounds had it for 26:23.
  • Saint Anselm had an efficient day on third down, converting seven out of 14 times. Assumption struggled on third down and converted only twice out of 10 times. The two teams combined to go 1-7 on fourth down.
  • The Hawks scored twice out of their three red zone trips, while the Greyhounds scored on their only red zone opportunity.
  • Defensively, Assumption registered three sacks for a loss of 19 yards. Saint Anselm posted just one sack for a loss of 11 yards.
  • For Saint Anselm, Forkner completed 13 of his 26 pass attempts for 194 yards to go along with two touchdown passes and two interceptions. He also rushed 16 times for 39 yards.
  • For Assumption, Kastantin completed 10 of his 16 pass attempts for 176 yards to go along with one touchdown pass and one interception.
  • Lewis rushed 18 times for a career-high 107 yards, while Croce scored the lone touchdown on the ground for the Hawks.
  • The Greyhounds did not have a player rush for over 30 yards in the contest.
  • Burkhalter led Saint Anselm with five catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns. It was his first career multi-touchdown game.
  • Ofodile led Assumption with one catch for 55 yards and a touchdown.
  • Noke led the defensive effort for the Hawks with eight total tackles and one sack. Seven Hawks finished the game with six or more total tackles.
  • Silsby recorded his first collegiate interception for Saint Anselm, which stopped Assumption's overtime drive.
  • Owen Fitzgerald led Assumption with a game-high 11 total tackles. Gilbert and Wilson each came down with an interception for the Greyhounds.
  • Junior kicker Sean Hurley (Bayville, N.J.) made both of his extra point attempts for the Hawks.
  • It is the first overtime win for Saint Anselm since September 13, 2014 when the Hawks defeated the Owls of Southern Connecticut State, 23-20.
  • This marked the 26th all-time meeting between Saint Anselm and Assumption. The Hawks improve to 8-18 against the Greyhounds and have now won the last two meetings.

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