October 19, 2009 

BRYANT FOOTBALL RETURNS HOME TO HOST CENTRAL CONNECTICUT
KICKOFF SATURDAY AT 1 PM
Bulldogs 3-3 on the season; Blue Devils Bring 5-1 Record to Bulldog Stadium

GAME NOTES / LIVE STATS / LIVE VIDEO / LIVE AUDIO

BRYANT STATS / CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATS

BULLDOGS HOST CENTRAL CONNECTICUT SATURDAY AT 1 PM
After two road losses, Bulldogs look to get back in the win column this Saturday when Central Connecticut State comes to town for a 1 p.m. kickoff. This Saturday's game is Parents & Family Weekend on the Bryant University Campus. The Bulldogs are 2-1 at home this season while Central Connecticut is 3-1 on the road this season. Bryant is coming off a strong effort last week at Albany that saw the Bulldogs give the two-time conference champs a tough battle before falling 20-17.  Central Connecticut pulled off a solid 31-24 win at Duquesne last weekend.  It was the Blue Devils fourth-straight come-from-behind win. This will be the second meeting between Bryant and Central Connecticut. The Blue Devils pulled out a 45-37 win last year in Bryant's first Division I game.  Jerell Smith rushed for 93 yards while Mike Canfora had 62 yards receiving and two touchdowns for the Bulldogs.  CCSU's James Mallory rushed for 256 yards and two scores.  Bryant led 28-21 in the fourth quarter but a 94-yard touchdown run by Mallory tied the game at 28-28.

BRYANT Stat Leaders:

Rushing
Jerell Smith (Sr., 5-9, 185)      122-588 yards, 3 TD, 5th in league with 98.0 ypg

Passing
Mike Croce (So., 5-11, 200)    87-172, 999 yards, 7 TD, 1 INT(166.5 ave/game)

Receiving
Matt Tracey (Jr., 6-5, 250)      20-279 yards, 2 TD
Mike Canfora (Jr., 5-10, 180) 17-176, 1 TD, 1 TD passing (vs. Albany)
Khalel Pritchard (Sr., 5-9, 170)           14-243, 3 TD 

QUICK HITS

* Saturday's game with Central Connecticut is the 108th game in the Bryant football history (58-49 overall) and 18th competing at the Division I level.

*  Jerell Smith's fourth-quarter touchdown run against Albany was the third of the season (all by Smith) for the Bulldogs.  It was also Smith's 13th career rushing TD.  He needs two more TDs to pass Tony Granieri for fifth all-time and three to move into fourth place.  Smith now has 2,461 career rushing yards in three seasons, third-best in school history.

* Mike Croce threw for a career-best 234 yards against Albany, completed 62.9 percent (22 of 35) passes without an interception.  He has thrown just one interception all season (vs. Hofstra in week 2).  His previous best was 209 yards against Hofstra. Croce has 999 yards passing this season.

* Jason Riffe's 14 tackles were a season-best and ties him for the fifth-most in school history.  The school record is 16 held by Greg Daniel and Greg Wolyniec.

* Don Smith recorded his 15th career sack against Albany, moving him to within a half-sack of Jay Stahl who is fourth all-time with 15.5. 

* Senior Paul Polomski had 8 tackles against Albany, moving him into third-place all-time in school history with 209.  Andrew McLarty holds the school record with 229 while Greg Wolyniec is second with 227.

THE BLUE DEVILS OF CENTRAL CONNECTICUT
The high-powered Central Connecticut Blue Devils, picked to finish third in the NEC this season, come into Saturday's  game averaging 408.5 yards of total offense including an NEC best 229.8 yards rushing per game.  James Mallory is currently third in the league in rushing with 102.5 yards per game on the ground and has eight touchdowns. Senior quarterback Hunter Wanket completed 15 of 20 passes for 233 yards and a career-best three touchdowns last week in the Blue Devils' 31-24 win over Duquesne in Pittsburgh, Pa.  Wanket threw for 200 yards and all three touchdowns in the second half as CCSU came from 11 points down to pull out the victory.  It was the team's fourth-straight come-from-behind win.  Mallory rushed for 121 yards on 15 carries while receiver Josue Paul had eight catches for 142 yards. The Blue Devils bring a four-game win streak into today's game with the lone loss coming on the road at seventh-ranked William & Mary 33-14 in week 2.

2009 CENTRAL CONN SCHEDULE

Record: 5-1, 3-0 NEC

Sept. 5             at Lehigh         28-21 W

Sept. 12           at William & Mary     14-33 L

Sept. 26           at Columbia    22-13 W

Oct. 3              SACRED HEART *        24-12 W

Oct. 10             ROBERT MORRIS *      42-21 W

Oct. 17             at Duquesne* 31-24 W

Oct. 24             at Bryant *      1 pm

Oct. 31             ALBANY *        12 pm

Nov. 7             at Wagner *    1 pm

Nov. 14           MONMOUTH *           12 pm

Nov. 21           at Saint Francis (PA) *            1 pm

* NEC game

Central Connecticut Stat Leaders

Rushing

James Mallory (Sr., 5-10, 200)           136-615 yards, 8 TD, 102.5 ave.

Passing

Hunter Wanket (Sr., 6-4, 210)           68-99, 815 yards, 3 INT, 7 TD, 135.8 ave.

Receiving

Josue Paul (Jr., 6-1, 190)        26-317 yards, 2 TD, 52.8 ave.

THE COACHES
Bryant coach Marty Fine, now in his sixth season, comes into Saturday's game with a 37-21 record since arriving at Bryant in 2004. He has led the Bulldogs to four consecutive winning seasons including an impressive 7-4 campaign in 2008, Bryant's first at the Division I level. Fine led the Bulldogs to back-to-back conference championships and NCAA playoff appearances in 2006 and 2007.  Central Connecticut coach Jeff McInerney is 26-13 in four seasons at CCSU. His teams have led the NEC in rushing in his first three seasons.  A native of South Windsor, Conn. and graduate of Slippery Rock, McInerney spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at the University of Rhode Island before arriving at CCSU.

LAST YEAR VS. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT
Playing in its first Division I game, the Bulldogs trailed 21-13 at the half at Central Connecticut but tied the game with a Mike Canfora 15-yard touchdown reception and successful two-point conversion.  Lindsey Gamble (81 yards) would score from a yard out to give Bryant a 28-21 lead but Central Connecticut would answer with two scores, one on a 94 yard run by James Mallory and the second on a blocked punt to lead 35-28.  Bryant would answer once again as Canfora hauled in his second TD of the day, this time on a 20-yarder from quarterback Jay Graber to tie the game at 35-35 with 4:43 left.  But the Blue Devils answered right back, scoring what would prove to be the game-winner on a 70-yard touchdown pass from Aubrey Norris to Nick Colagiovanni.   The two teams combined for 43 points in the fourth quarter.  Bryant racked up 350 yards of offense in the game but two blocked punts proved costly.  

BULLDOGS PLAY WELL AGAINST ALBANY LAST WEEK
After falling to Fordham, 35-7 two weeks ago, the Bulldogs rebounded with a strong showing at two-time NEC champion Albany last Saturday afternoon.  Albany came into the game winners of 16-straight conference games but had a tough battle with the Bulldogs.  A 13-yard touchdown pass by running back Mike Canfora to Vinton South in the third quarter gave the Bulldogs a 9-6 lead.  After two touchdowns by the Great Danes that put the hosts up 20-9, the Bulldogs marched 44 yards in under three minutes to pull within 20-17 thanks to a Jerell Smith 2 yard touchdown run with 3:13 left.  Albany was able to chew up nearly the rest of the clock before turning the ball over on downs inside Bryant territory.  Quarterback Mike Croce connected with James Mullane for a 20 yard gain on the final play of the game.  Croce had a career day, passing for 234 yards on 22 of 35 passing.  He was sacked five times in the game.  Matt Tracey had five catches for 66 yards while Khalel Pritchard had four catches for 82 yards.  Linebacker Jason Riffe recorded a career-high 14 tackles in the game - tying him for the second-most tackles in a game in school history. The record is 16.  Aaron Bryant added 13 tackles plus a blocked punt and recovery in the second quarter that helped set up Bryant's first score. 

GREAT DEFENSIVE EFFORT AGAINST SOUTHERN
Led by sophomore linebacker Franck Tebou, the Bryant defense held a potent Southern Connecticut offense to just 267 yards of offense including 108 yards rushing.  SCSU senior tailback Jarom Freeman, who ran for 400 yards in a game against Bryant two years ago, managed just 75 yards on 17 carries in the game.  Tebou led the Bulldogs with a career-best 10 tackles including six solo stops.  Andrew Regan added seven tackles while senior Paul Polomski and junior Addison Lynch each had five.

NOT A FUN NIGHT IN THE BRONX
The Bulldogs saw their two-game win streak come to an end with a 37-7 loss at Fordham Saturday night. Jerell Smith, who was named the NEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, was limited to just 86 yards rushing in the game.  Bryant fell behind 21-0 and failed to capitalize on a Samad Wagstaff interception at the Fordham 20 as Mike Croce's pass in the endzone for Khalel Pritchard fell incomplete on fourth down.  Fordham would march downfield and score just before the half to take a 28-0 lead into the locker room at the break. Bryant's only score came on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Croce to Iona transfer Tim Mastrino in the third.

BULLDOGS DOWN WAGNER 6-2
It may look more like a baseball score, but the Bulldogs picked up a 6-2 win over visiting Wagner before a rain-soaked Homecoming crowd of 3,262 on October 3. Jerell Smith rushed for 179 yards and scored the only touchdown of the game, a 17-yard run early in the fourth that proved to be the game-winner (extra-point attempt failed). Wagner scored first thanks to a Bryant miscue in the third when a high-snap on a punt attempt sailed through the back of the end zone for a safety.  The Bryant defense, led by the play of linebacker Jason Riffe (8 tackles) and defensive lineman Patrick Gauthier (7 tackles, 1 sack), held Wagner to just 59 yards rushing and 46 yards passing on the day. 

SMITH GARNERS NEC HONORS
Senior running back Jerell Smith (Brooklyn, NY) rushed for a season-high 178 yards in the win over Wagner on Oct. 3 earning him co-Player of the Week honors in the NEC.  For the Bulldogs, it was the first individual honor in school history as Bryant, though not officially in the league until the four-year reclassification end in 2012, is included in the conference standings and eligible for player honors for the first time this season. Smith is currently third on Bryant's all-time career rushing list and has gone over the 100 yard mark in three of Bryant's five games this season. 

BIG WIN AT ROBERT MORRIS
Trailing 10-0 after one quarter, the Bulldogs scored 20 unanswered points en route to a 20-13 road win over Robert Morris in Moon Township, Pa. back on September 26.  For Bryant, it was the school's first victory in NEC competition. Senior running back Jerell Smith rushed for 111 yards on 24 carries, marking the eighth time in Smith's career with 100 yards rushing in a game. Quarterback Mike Croce completed 14 of 25 passes for 182 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. Croce hooked up with senior wide receiver Khalel Pritchard with a nine-yard touchdown strike midway through the second quarter to pull the Bulldogs to within 10-7.  A 28-yard field goal by Chris Bird early in the third tied the game at 10-10 but a 21-yard field goal by Bird at the start of the fourth quarter finally put the Bulldogs in front, 13-10.   Later in the fourth, Croce and the Bulldogs took advantage of another RMU turnover, this time connecting with Mike Canfora for an 11-yard touchdown pass to make it 20-10. Canfora finished the game with a career-high six receptions for 75 yards.  Bryant had 344 yards of total offense while the defense held RMU to just 167 yards all together.  Jason Riffe led the defensive effort for Bryant, finishing with a career-best nine tackles including a pair for a loss and one sack .  

SMITH TOPS 2,000 CAREER RUSHING YARDS
Senior runningback Jerell Smith, who is now in his third season at Bryant after transferring from Howard University in 2007, became the third player in school history to go over the 2,000 yard mark in rushing in a career.  He is currently third on Bryant's all-time career rushing list (program is only in its 11th year) behind Andre McLeod (3,521) and Lorenzo Perry (3,259).  Smith had 121 yards against Southern Connecticut in the opener. He reached the 2,000 mark with an 11-yard run on the team's first drive in the first quarter against Hofstra.  He has gone over 100 yards in three of Bryant's five games this year including a season-best 178 vs. Wagner in the rain. 

MORE ABOUT THE RECLASSIFICATION
Bryant, located in Smithfield, Rhode Island (7 miles NW of Providence), is currently in year number two of reclassifying from Division II to full-time Division I (Football Championship Subdivision in football) for all of its 22 intercollegiate sports.  Upon completion of the four-year transition (2012-13), Bryant will become a full-time member of the Northeast Conference (NEC). This year, Bryant will be included in the NEC standings for all sports and eligible for weekly honors, however, Bryant will not be eligible for postseason play in all sports except field hockey and men's lacrosse which will be eligible for postseason play in 2010-11.  Bryant enjoyed tremendous success at the Division II level, winning two Northeast-10 Conference Championships in football and earning back-to-back NCAA playoff appearances (2006, 2007). 

HOME SWEET HOME
The Bulldogs are 21-7 at home over the past five seasons and 21-6 in regular season games since 2004. The Bulldogs fell to West Chester in the 2006 NCAA playoffs at Bulldog Stadium.  Bryant was 3-1 at home in 2008. 

2004 -  2-3

2005 -  5-0

2006 -  5-2 (including NCAA playoff loss to West Chester)

2007-   4-0

2008 -  3-1

2009 -  2-1

Total   21-7

NEW LOCKER ROOMS FOR THE BULLDOGS
During this past summer, Bulldog Stadium underwent a locker room expansion project that included a new expansive football locker room.  The locker room includes new wood lockers, common area, coaches locker room, and LCD televisions.  In addition, a new men's lacrosse locker room was built.  The previous locker rooms were remodeled during the project, providing new locker rooms for Bryant's field hockey, women's lacrosse and women's soccer. The field hockey locker room will serve as lockers for visiting teams. 

NEC PRESEASON POLL 2009 
Eligible for the first time in the Northeast Conference standings, the Bryant University football team has been tabbed to finish seventh in 2009 following the announcement of the preseason coaches' poll.  Defending champion Albany is the preseason favorite for the fourth year in a row.  The Danes, an associate member of the league in football, won their fourth conference championship going a perfect 7-0 (9-3 overall) in NEC play.  Bryant will travel to Albany on Oct. 17.  Monmouth, last year's runners up, were picked to finish second followed by Central Connecticut and Sacred Heart.  

1. Albany

2. Monmouth

3. Central Connecticut

4. Sacred Heart

5. Robert Morris

6. Duquesne

7. BRYANT

8. Wagner

9. Saint Francis (PA)

CAREER UPDATES

Rushing Yards

1. Andre McLeod, 2000-03                 3,521

2. Lorenzo Perry, 2005-06                  3,259

3. Jerell Smith, 2007-present             2,461

4. Lindsey Gamble, 2006-pres.                      1,950

Rushing Touchdowns

1. Lorenzo Perry, 2005-06                  36

2. Lindsey Gamble, 2006-pres.                      21

3. Andre McLeod, 2000-03                 20

4. Chris Peaks, 2003-07                      15

5. Tony Granieri, 1999-01                  14

6. Jerell Smith, 2007-present             13

Receptions

1. Justin Kix, 2002-06                         112

2. Sean Bergin, 2004-07                     97

3. Brandon Dillingham, 1999-01                    59

4. Mike Carti, 1999-01                                    45

5. Anthony DiNaso, 2007-present     44

PATs

1. Chris Bird, 2007-pres.                    60

2. Pete DiMartino, 1999-04               58

Tackles

1. Andrew McLarty, 2003-06              229

2. Greg Wolyniec, 1999-01                 227

3. Paul Polomski, 2006-pres.             209

4. Chris Wohlheter, 2004-07             206

 -  Greg Daniel, 2002-05                     206

Sacks

1. Mark Gunther, 2004-07                 23.0

2. Ben Wellington, 1999-02               19.5

3. Delano Dryden, 2000-03                19.0

4. Jay Stahl, 2004-07                          15.5

5. Don Smith, 2006-pres.                   15.0

BRYANT AGAINST DIVISION I OPPONENTS
Bryant is currently 7-10 all-time vs. Division I-AA teams, earning the school's first win over a Division I opponent on Sept. 27, 2008 at Wagner. Bryant is in its first season competing in Division I.  The Bulldogs are independent during their four-year transition year and will join the Northeast Conference (NEC) in the fall of 2012.