CANFORA'S RECORD DAY LEADS FOOTBALL PAST MERRIMACK 46-29 SATURDAY

September 18, 2010

BRYANT FOOTBALL SHAKES OFF MERRIMACK
Canfora's record five touchdowns lifts Bulldogs to 3-0

SMITHFIELD, R.I – Senior running back Michael Canfora (Verona, N.J.) set a new single-game record for points scored and touchdowns in a game while junior quarterback Mike Croce (Waterbury, Conn.) tied a school single-game record with four touchdown passes to lead the Bryant University football team to a 46-29 win over Merrimack College Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium.

Canfora rushed for three touchdowns and had two more receiving to break the previous single-game record of four held by Lindsey Gamble and Lorenzo Perry.  He finished the day with 111 yards on 24 carries, his second 100-yard game of the season, and hauled in four passes for 33 yards as the Bulldogs topped the 40-point mark for the third-consecutive game.

Sophomore running back Jordan Brown (Glastonbury, Conn.) recorded his third-straight 100-yard rushing game with a season-high 183 yards on just 22 carries including a thrilling 55-yard run in the second quarter. Brown was part of a backfield tandem that tallied 310 yards on the ground rushing and averaged just under six yards per touch.

Leading 14-6 after the first quarter, the offense started to hit on all cylinders, racking up thirteen first downs and 125 yards.  Canfora continued to control the tempo, running in two of his four touchdowns in the second quarter alone.  Junior quarterback Croce went four of nine for seventy two yards in the second frame, and dialed up Jordan Harris (Lincoln University, Pa.) for a 27-yard reception down to the Merrimack three, setting up a Canfora touchdown two plays later.

Merrimack would claw its way back into the game, scoring two touchdowns in less than four minutes right before the half.  Quarterback James Suozzo connected with wideout Isaiah Voegeli for a 23-yard touchdown at the 4:53 mark in the second quarter. 

Souzzo would strike again with a three-yard touchdown run to make it 27-21.  Despite the comeback, it would be the closest Merrimack would get, Bryant would open the second half with two quick scores to take 39-21 lead and never looked back.

Croce picked up where he left in the first half, orchestrating a seven-play, 66-yard drive on the Bulldog's first possession in the third quarter.  Croce connected with Matt Tracey (Littleton, Colo.) on a play-action pass on the Merrimack 10-yard line for Tracey's first touchdown of the 2010 season.

After forcing a quick three and out, the Bulldogs offense connected again on a seven-play 36-yard drive that was capped off by a four yard touchdown run by Canfora. 

Merrimack would close the gap to 39-29 midway through the fourth, but Croce and the Bulldogs would answer  with a solid 8-play drive capped off by a 3-yard touchdown pass to Tracey to put the game away.

Defensively, Stefaun Whitead (Union, N.J.) led the unit with nine tackles including seven solo and one tackle for a loss.  Senior linebacker Jason Riffe (Newton, Mass.) had a big game for the Bulldogs as the co-captain recorded two sacks on the day for 26 yards and six solo tackles.  Riffe now has a team-high 28 tackles through the first three games. For his career, Riffe is now eighth all-time in school history with 169 career tackles.

With his 178 yards passing, Croce went over the 2,000-yard mark for his career with 2,123 which is third all-time in school history.  His four TD's also moves him up to third all-time with 18 career touchdown passes.

Canfora's four receptions gives him 50 for his career (fourth all-time) and his five scores moves him into sixth all-time with 16 career touchdowns (10 rushing, 6 receiving).

Bryant will travel to Central Connecticut next Saturday for the Northeast Conference opener at 12 p.m.