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Football vs. Post
28
Post POST 1-4 , 1-3
56
Winner Saint Anselm STA 3-2 , 3-0
Post POST
1-4 , 1-3
28
Final
56
Saint Anselm STA
3-2 , 3-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
POST Post 7 7 7 7 28
STA Saint Anselm 7 21 7 21 56

Game Recap: Football |

Football Scores Eight Touchdowns, Defeats Post for Third Straight Win

MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College football team picked up their third straight win on Saturday over Post to remain unbeaten in Northeast-10 play. The Hawks offense dominated with eight touchdowns and 584 total yards of offense in the 56-28 victory. Freshman running back Jake Croce (Point Pleasant, N.J.) led Saint Anselm with 14 carries for 129 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
 

UP NEXT:

  • Saint Anselm travels to Pleasantville, N.Y. next Saturday, October 12th for another NE10 contest against Pace at 12:00 p.m.

Score: Saint Anselm 56, Post 28
Records: Saint Anselm (3-2; 3-0 NE10); Post (1-4; 1-3 NE10)
Location: Manchester, N.H. (Grappone Stadium)
Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024
Attendance: 797

HOW IT HAPPENED:

  • Post got on the board early in the opening quarter with the game's first touchdown. After receiving the kickoff to start the game, the Eagles drove 73 yards in just over two minutes and found the end zone courtesy of a 60-yard touchdown pass from Malakai Taylor to Josh Tracey.
  • Saint Anselm responded nicely on the ensuing kickoff. Senior Najei Snyder (Deltona, Fla.) ran back a 50-yard return to set the Hawks up at the Eagles 36-yard line, but the home team was not able to pick up a first down after that and failed to convert on fourth-and-short.
  • The Hawks defense forced a punt by the Eagles midway through the first quarter, allowing the offense to retake the field.
  • Saint Anselm made quick work of their next drive, scoring in just about two minutes to tie the game. Sophomore quarterback Drew Forkner (Plano, Texas) linked up with junior wide receiver Andrew Edwards (Cibolo, Texas) on a 30-yard touchdown pass that made it 7-7. Forkner went 5-5 with 76 passing yards on that drive, including three completions to Edwards.
  • Neither side got anything going on their next offensive series, with both resulting in punts. Fifth-year defensive back Devin Wood (Merrimack, N.H.), who handles the punting duties for the Hawks, sent a punt away from around midfield that rolled all the way to the Eagles one-yard line, where it was downed by the special teams unit.
  • The Saint Anselm defense again forced a three-and-out and Post had to punt it away from their own end zone at the end of the first quarter. That punt only went 12 yards before going out of bounds, which set the Hawks offense up already inside the red zone at the Eagles 17-yard line.
  • On third down, Forkner connected with junior wideout Jackson Coan (Wall, N.J.) on a 14-yard touchdown pass that gave Saint Anselm a 14-7 advantage. It was Coan's first career touchdown reception.
  • Post evened up the score with another touchdown just over two minutes later. Taylor found Tracy in the end zone once again, this time on a 13-yard pass, that made it 14-14. Tracey also had a 40-yard rush earlier that drive.
  • The Hawks then rattled off their own seven-play, 80-yard drive in two minutes to regain the lead. Croce set Saint Anselm up at the Post 10-yard line with a 41-yard rush and then finished the drive with a rushing score from a yard out that put his team in front, 21-14.
  • Saint Anselm's defense forced three consecutive three-and-outs by Post's offense their next three times touching the ball. Fifth-year linebacker Alejandro Santiago (Woodbridge, N.J.) and senior defensive end Austin Spille (Austin, Texas) had sacks to help lead the defensive effort towards the end of the first half.
  • The Hawks got the football back near midfield with 1:36 left in the half. Two completions by Forkner and a 17-yard rush by junior running back Jaidin Haynes (Sayreville, N.J.) quickly gave the home team goal-to-go from the Eagles five-yard line. Forkner was then able to cross the goal line on a scramble up the middle, giving Saint Anselm a 28-14 lead at halftime.
  • Despite Saint Anselm receiving the second half kickoff, it was Post who generated the first big play of the third quarter. After three straight completions, Forkner's next pass was picked off in the end zone and returned 29 yards by Jalen Russell. However, the Eagles were not able to take advantage and punted back to the Hawks after another quick three-and-out.
  • The next drive, five straight rushing plays allowed Saint Anselm to cross midfield and another long run by Croce gave them goal-to-go at the Post three-yard line. The Hawks sent out a goal line package that included several members of their defense for blocking purposes, but deceived the Eagles with a play-action pass. Forkner found Santiago wide open in the back of the end zone for his first career touchdown that made it a 35-14 game.
  • Post remained composed and responded with an eight-play, 84-yard drive that lasted four minutes. Taylor led the Eagles down the field with four completions of more than 10 yards, capped off by a 20-yard strike to Jermaine Tillery in the end zone. That score made it 35-21, Hawks, with 3:19 to play in the third quarter. 
  • Saint Anselm countered that scoring drive by Post and put another one of their own together. Forkner and the Hawks quickly crossed midfield thanks to a 20-yard completion to fifth-year wide receiver Blaine Burkhalter (Burnet, Texas) and mostly ran the rest of the way. Croce rushed in his second touchdown of the game from nine yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter and gave the Hawks a 42-21 edge.
  • The Eagles did not go quietly and pieced together another solid drive that resulted in points. This time, running back Isaiah Emmanuel led Post down the field with 29 rushing yards and finished the drive with a seven-yard rushing touchdown that made it a two-possession game once again with the score at 42-28.
  • The Hawks got the ball back with 11:36 remaining in the game and all but sealed the victory with another touchdown drive that took over five minutes off the clock. The home team ran the ball on every play of the series with Croce, Forkner, Haynes, and sophomore running back Anthony Almeida (North Arlington, N.J.) all getting touches. Haynes capped off the drive with an eight-yard rushing touchdown, his first of the season, and with 6:10 to play, the Hawks led, 49-28.
  • On the first play of the ensuing drive for Post, Taylor's pass was intercepted by sophomore defensive lineman Aris Xerras (Danvers, Mass.) of Saint Anselm. Xerras ran back his first collegiate pick 14 yards all the way to the Eagles 38-yard line.
  • Saint Anselm scored one final touchdown after that. Senior quarterback Anthony Santino (Woodbridge, N.J.) checked into the game and led the scoring drive that resulted in him finding the end zone on a three-yard designed run. That gave the Hawks 56 points in the game, their most since 2022. Santino also linked up with junior wide receiver Peter Popowich (Verona, N.J.) twice for 19 yards on that drive.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

  • Saint Anselm racked up 584 total yards of offense, while Post totaled 336 yards. The Hawks gained 31 first downs in the game compared to 19 first downs picked up by the Eagles.
  • 56 points scored is the most in a single game by Saint Anselm since September of 2022 in a 56-7 win over American International. 584 total yards of offense is their most in a single game since 2019.
  • Saint Anselm recorded eight touchdowns in the game, five rushing and three passing.
  • The Hawks excelled both on the ground with 283 rushing yards and through the air with 301 passing yards. Post picked up 125 yards on the ground and totaled 211 yards passing.
  • There were four total turnovers on the afternoon, two committed by each team. Post had an interception and a fumble, while Saint Anselm had two interceptions.
  • The Eagles punted six times for 182 yards (30.3 average), while the Hawks punted just one time for 32 yards. The lone Saint Anselm punt was downed at the Post one-yard line.
  • Post committed six penalties and lost 52 yards on the day. Saint Anselm committed five penalties for a loss of 60 yards.
  • The home team held a slight advantage in time of possession, controlling the ball for 34:03 out of the game's 60 minutes.
  • The Hawks had a great day on third downs and went 10-for-13, while the Eagles went 5-for-14. Both teams combined to go 0-3 on fourth down.
  • Saint Anselm scored on seven of their nine trips to the red zone, while Post was perfect and scored on all three of their red zone trips.
  • Defensively, the Hawks totaled two sacks on the afternoon, while the Eagles did not record a sack in the game.
  • For Saint Anselm, Forkner completed 25 of his 34 pass attempts for 282 yards to go along with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed 10 times for 51 yards and a score.
  • For Post, Taylor completed 10 of his 25 pass attempts for 181 yards to go along with three touchdowns and an interception.
  • Croce led the Hawks on the ground with a career-high 129 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Haynes and Santino each had one rushing touchdown as well, with Haynes recording his first touchdown of the season. Four Hawks recorded 40 or more rushing yards in the contest.
  • Emmanuel rushed 21 times for 94 yards and a touchdown for the Eagles.
  • On the receiving end, Edwards had a career day for Saint Anselm. The wide receiver set new career-bests with six catches and 119 receiving yards in addition to his first touchdown reception of the season.
  • Coan and Santiago each caught their first collegiate touchdowns. Santiago is a linebacker, but was on offense during a goal line set as a tight end.
  • Tracey led the Eagles with five catches for 110 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
  • Santiago led the defensive effort for Saint Anselm with a team-high eight total tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack. Spille finished his day with five tackles, three quarterback hurries, and one sack, while junior Aidan Noke (Burlington, Mass.) had a game-high 2.5 sacks.
  • Also making a difference on defense for the Hawks was Xerras, who snagged his first collegiate interception.
  • On special teams, junior Cooper Estes (Hingham, Mass.) recovered a fumble following a dropped snap on a Post punt. On returns, Snyder recorded his third kickoff return of 50+ yards this season.
  • Post's Michael Gabettie registered a game-high 15 total tackles along with two quarterback hurries. Russell and Myles Snead each recorded an interception for the Eagles.
  • Junior kicker Sean Hurley (Bayville, N.J.) tied a program record by making all eight of his extra point attempts for the Hawks.
  • This game marked the third all-time meeting between Saint Anselm and Post. The Hawks improve to 3-0 against the Eagles and have now won 15 of their last 21 home games at Grappone Stadium.

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