Easton throws 4 TDs as Bryant rolls, 41-20

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Senior Dalton Easton (Miami, Fla.) connected with classmate Keenan Thompson (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) for a 49-yard touchdown on the first offensive play of the season and finished the game 13-of-20 for 223 yards and four touchdowns as the Bryant University football team defeated Merrimack 41-20 on Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium.

With the victory, the Bulldogs (1-0) have now won four-straight season openers and six-straight against the Warriors (0-1). Bryant also improves to 11-0 against Division II teams since elevating to the DI level in 2008.

Easton opened his final season with a bang, posting one of the best all-around games of his career. He completed 65 percent of his passes, the ninth such game of his career, was sacked just once and also carried the ball three times for 18 yards. Senior Taylor Barthelette (East Longmeadow, Mass.) was Easton's favorite target, catching seven passes for a career-high 109 yards and three touchdowns. He became the first Bulldog receiver to catch three TDs in a game since Jordan Harris in 2013.

Bryant also received strong outings from a trio of backs, sophomores Brenden Femiano (Northport, N.Y.) and Christian Martey (Centreville, Va.) and junior Hunter Taute (Norfolk, Mass.). Femiano carried the ball 10 times for a career-high 98 yards and two touchdowns, while Martey added 90 yards on seven carries thanks to a 78-yard run late in the game. Taute carried the ball four times for 55 yards.

Merrimack started quickly, capping a 14-play, 62-yard drive with a 31-yard field goal to make it 3-0 six minutes into the game. The lead was short-lived as junior Torrey Dixon (Dumfries, Va.) returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards and Easton hit a wide-open Thompson on the very next play to give Bryant a lead it wouldn't relinquish.

The Warriors then capped another long drive, 10-plays, 44-yards, with a 19-yard field goal with 7:06 left in the second quarter. Bryant quickly answered, however, as Femiano picked up 19 yards and Easton found Barthelette for another 24 to push the ball inside the MC 15. The Bulldogs then converted on fourth down as Easton fired a strike to the endzone that Barthelette ripped away from a Merrimack defender to make it 15-6.

It took just three plays for the Warriors to get back into the game. Nick Davis connected with Dillon Salva for 18 yards on the first play of the drive and then found Devin O'Reilly in the flat. He appeared to be tackled for only a four-yard gain but he rolled over the Bryant defender and never hit the ground, eventually getting to his feet and scampering 40 yards for a touchdown.

Thanks to big plays and timely Merrimack penalties, the Bulldogs put the game away over the next 10 minutes. Easton scampered for 21 yards on a broken play and was hit out of bounds, tacking 15 more yards on to the run. He was then slammed to the ground on the very next play, pushing the ball 15 yards further on the personal foul. Bryant took advantage of the free yardage with Easton hitting Barthelette in the front corner of the endzone to make it 21-13.

It continued into the second half as Taute broke off a career-high 51-yard run on second down. He burst through the middle of the line and then raced down the sideline. Two plays later, Easton flipped to Femiano and the sophomore trotted into the endzone from three yards out for his first-career touchdown.  

Bryant then forced a punt and Femiano went back to work. After Easton hooked with Aaron Aryee (Hartford, Conn.) for 22 yards, Femiano posted runs of 18 and 13 before pushing the ball into the endzone from two yards out.

Merrimack made one final push as Davis led the Warriors on an 11-play, 84-yard drive scoring drive. Two penalties against the Bulldogs kept the drive alive before Juwan Hall punched the ball in from a yard out with 7:55 remaining.

Easton capped Bryant's offense with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Barthelette in the back of the endzone. The drive was set up by a 36-yard return from Dixon and aided by a 15-yard reception by Matt Sewall (Portsmouth, R.I.).

Defensively, senior Patrick Kenney (Camarillo, Calif.) led the Bulldogs with eight tackles. Raamah Vaughn (Fort Washington, Md.) posted seven tackles and posted his first-career interception, while Danny Hughes (Shoreham, N.Y.) added five tackles and his first-career INT.

Bryant returns to the gridiron next Saturday when it travels to Bozeman, Mont., to face Montana State. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. EST.