Football welcomes Assumption on Sat.

BULLDOGS AND GREYHOUNDS MEET FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2007

FULL NOTES

PROMO VIDEO

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Coming off a thrilling 17-16 victory over Holy Cross last Saturday, the Bryant University football team will look to start to 2-0 for the first time since 2010 when it hosts Assumption on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Bulldog Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

TODAY AT BULLDOG STADIUM
Coming off a thrilling opening-day victory over Holy Cross, the Bulldogs welcome former NE-10 rival Assumption to Bulldog Stadium. It will be the first meeting between the teams since the 2007 season.

LAST TIME OUT
Bryant jumped out to a 14-6 halftime lead but needed a last-minute field goal from Tom Alberti (Marshfield, Mass.) to eke out a 17-16 victory over Holy Cross last weekend. Touchdown receptions from Jose Depadua (Hagerstown, Md.) and Chad Ward (Delray Beach, Fla.) put the Bulldogs on top in the first half but the Crusaders scored the first 10 points of the second half to open a 16-14 lead. Alberti then capped a 10-play, 71-yard drive with a 30-yard field goal with just 38 seconds remaining to put the Black and Gold on top. Holy Cross' John Macomber's try at a game-winning field goal sailed wide left as time expired to seal the victory.

SCOUTING THE GREYHOUNDS
A Division II member of the NE-10, Assumption is coming off a 3-7 season and is playing its first game of 2013 this afternoon. The Greyhounds finished 3-5 in league play a year ago, averaging 372 yards of total offense.

Assumption's offense could be powerful again as it returns its starting quarterback and its top three receivers from last year. Bobby Jordan threw for 1,964 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior, completing just under 50 percent of his passes. Eddy Frazier led the team with 38 catches a year ago, while Scott Simonson caught six touchdowns and is a College Football America Division II Preseason All-American.

Defensively, the Greyhounds bring back their top two tacklers in seniors Mike Bates and Matt Colangelo. Bates made 61 tackles and intercepted two passes a year ago, while Colangelo collected 59 tackles and recovered two fumbles.

INSIDE THE SERIES
Meeting for the first time since the 2007 season, Saturday's contest will be the 10th between the two schools. Bryant owns a commanding 9-0 lead in the all-time series, defeating the Greyhounds 38-28 on Sept. 22, 2007 in the last meeting. Ironically, the Bulldogs played Assumption in their first-ever game as a full football program on Sept. 11, 1999. Bryant defeated the Greyounds 20-13 in Worcester.

SELLOUT CROWD WITNESSES EXCITING VICTORY
A sellout crowd of 4,817 came out to watch Bryant defeat Holy Cross last Saturday at Bulldog Stadium. The crowd is the largest since the Bulldogs drew 5,113 fans to their home opener against Fordham in 2010. The last time Bryant eclipsed 4,000 fans was in 2011 when 4,587 watched the Bulldogs face Monmouth. The largest crowd in Bulldog Stadium history came on Oct. 18, 2008 when 5,630 fans watched the Black and Gold defeat Robert Morris 20-7. Bryant's first game as a club team in 1998 came against Assumption and drew 5,561 fans, the second largest crowd in history.

WESTERHAUS SURPASSES 300 YARDS
For the third time in his career, Mike Westerhaus passed for over 300 yards in a game last Saturday vs. Holy Cross. The senior completed 21-of-40 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon. The 323 yards are good enough for third all-time in a single game in Bryant history. Westerhaus currently holds the record with 350 yards against Robert Morris last season.

MCCRAY SETS CAREER-HIGH ON THE GROUND
In his first game as Bryant's starting running back, junior Ricardo McCray racked up a career-high 117 yards on 23 carries. The explosive back set up Bryant's first score of the afternoon as he raced 45 yards down the sideline to put the ball inside the Holy Cross 20. Saturday marked just the second 100-yard game of McCray's career. He also surpassed the century mark last season against Central Connecticut with 111 yards on 13 carries.