Bulldogs welcome Red Flash to Smithfield

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – With a shot at a Northeast Conference regular-season title still in sight, the Bryant University football team will host Saint Francis U. in a crucial NEC game on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Bulldog Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.

GAME NOTES

LAST TIME OUT - Bryant 3, Robert Morris 24

Bryant trailed by just seven at the half against Robert Morris last Saturday but the Colonials used a staunch defense and an opportunistic offense to add a pair of second-half scores on their way to a 24-3 victory at Joe Walton Stadium. RMU's Duane Mitchell caught a 67-yard TD pass on the third play of the game to make it 7-0 and added two more TD catches in the second half to produce the Colonial offense. For the second time in three weeks, the Bulldogs turned the ball over four or more times. Junior Michael Perry (Dunmore, Pa.) had an outstanding day, carrying the ball 24 times for a career-high 131 yards.

SCOUTING THE RED FLASH

Coming off a breakout season in 2012 that saw them win four league games, the Red Flash have had an up-and-down 2013. SFU stayed with perennial CAA contender James Madison in week two and battled Fordham, currently undefeated, in week four. Two weeks ago, the Red Flash handed Sacred Heart a 24-10 defeat in Loretto.

Discussion about Saint Francis begins with senior running back Kyle Harbridge. The speedy veteran back is currently second in the country in both rushing yards (1,257) and rushing yards per game (157.1) and has scored 12 touchdowns. Harbridge was injured in the first series two years ago in Smithfield and missed all of last season with an injury. He leads an offense that is based heavily on the run, as it averages just over 100 yards of passing per game. Quarterback Max Ward is averaging just 94 yards of passing per game but has thrown just four interceptions and the Red Flash are currently 17th in the country in turnover margin thanks to turning the ball over just seven times, the lowest total in the country.

Defensively, Jake DeMedal leads the team with 57 tackles and linebacker Bishop Neal has a team-high 12 tackles for a loss. SFU is allowing just 156 passing yards per game, good enough for fifth in the country. The Red Flash are third in the conference in total defense, allowing 335 yards per game.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Bryant enjoyed great success against Saint Francis over the first four meetings, winning all four games convincingly. That changed last season as the Red Flash defeated the Bulldogs, 39-28, on a cold and rainy day in Loretto. The Black and Gold defeated SFU 23-0 in their first meeting in 2008, 35-12 the following year and 48-10 in 2010. During that stretch, the Bulldogs were a remarkable 8-1 against teams from the state of Pennsylvania (SFU, DU and RMU).

PLAYOFF PUSH

With the Northeast Conference regular season winding down, the Bulldogs find themselves in the middle of the jam packed standings. Last Saturday's loss knocked the Bulldogs out of first place in the standings but they still have a shot at claiming their first NEC regular season title. It all hinges on Bryant winning its final two games. If Bryant wins today and at CCSU, it will need Duquesne and Sacred Heart to lose at least once more and Robert Morris to lose twice over the final three weeks. If that scenario plays out, it would set up a three-way tie for first between Bryant, CCSU and Duquesne, with the Bulldogs owning the tiebreaker over both schools.