Bryant football opens 20th season Saturday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University football team kicks off the 2018 season on Saturday afternoon as it welcomes Division II New Haven to Beirne Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

Saturday will be move-in day for students at Bryant University.

The Particulars
Opponent: New Haven
Location: Beirne Stadium (Smithfield, R.I.)
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m.
Tickets: BryantBulldogs.com/Tickets
Watch Live: NECFrontRow.com
Listen Live: WOON 1240 AM/99.3 FM or onworldwide.com
Live Stats: Sidearm
Game Notes: Bryant | New Haven

Series History

• Saturday will be the first meeting between Bryant and New Haven.
• The Bulldogs are a former member of the NE-10 but the Chargers were an independent (1999-03) and were not a program (2004-08) during Bryant's time in the league.

Beirne Stadium Upgrades

• Beirne Stadium has undergone some renovations since the Bulldogs last played at home in November 2017.
• FieldTurf and permanent lights were installed, giving the Bulldogs some of the best FCS facilities in the Northeast.

20^th Season of Bryant Football

• Bryant Athletics is celebrating the "20^th Season of Bryant Football" in 2018-19.
• The Bulldogs began the program in 1998 and played their first varsity season in 1999.

Bulldogs Notes and Notables

• Bryant finished the 2017 season with a 6-5 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the Northeast Conference. It was the Bulldogs' first winning season since 2014.
• The Black and Gold won each of their final four games in 2017, the first time they had won four-straight since the 2014 season.
• Bryant has been picked third in the NEC Preseason Poll and a record six players were named to the Preseason All-NEC team.
• In addition, senior LB Thomas Costigan (Stamford, Conn.) and redshirt-junior WR/RS Jean Constant (Delray Beach, Fla.) were named STATS FCS Preseason All-Americans, the first in program history.
• Costigan posted 103 tackles, 11.5 sacks and 17 tackles for a loss on his way to NEC and ECAC Defensive Player of the Year honors last fall.
• Constant became the first Bulldog since Jordan Brown (2011, 2012) to earn multiple All-NEC honors in the same season last fall. He finished fifth nationally with 148.5 all-purpose yards per game thanks to a program-record 989 kick return yards.
• Bryant also welcomes back record-setting redshirt-senior QB Price Wilson (Marietta, Ga.). Wilson threw for a program-record 3,311 yards, finishing just 10 yards shy of breaking the NEC single-season record.
• The Bulldogs also welcome back leading receiver senior Tom Kennedy (Farmingdale, N.Y.), All-NEC defensive linemen Kevin Lazo (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and Dillon Guthro (Newburyport, Mass.) and All-NEC kicker Gavin Rowley (Hampstead, Md.).
• Lazo tied for the national lead in blocked kicks last season, swatting away four.
• In total, Bryant returns 20 starters and 45 letterwinners this fall.

A bit about the Chargers

• New Haven finished 6-4 in 2017 and is picked to finish fourth in the NE-10 this year.
• The Chargers return their top rusher (Ryan McCarthy – 65.7 ypg) and top passer (Ajee Patterson – 2,611 yards, 16 TDs) from a year ago.
• Also back is leading tackler, Jordan Francklin (82).
• There will also be a familiar face on the New Haven sideline, former Bryant assistant coach Dave Paganetti. Paganetti spent nearly 10 years on the Bryant sidelines.

Gameday at Beirne Stadium

• Fans can visit the Bryant Football Gameday page for all their gameday information.
• Tailgating opens five (5) hours prior to kickoff and is allowed in Lots A and B adjacent to the Bulldog Strength and Conditioning Center.
• Saturday also marks the first Bryant Athletics Student Tailgate of the season.

Tickets

• Tickets for Saturday's opener can be purchased by visiting BryantBulldogs.com/Tickets.
• Single-game and season tickets for 2018 are still available.

First-ever Home Night Game

• The Bulldogs will play their first-ever home night game on Sept. 15 against Marist.
• Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Beirne Stadium.

Up Next

• The Bulldogs cross the Long Island Sound to face nationally-ranked Stony Brook on Saturday, Sept. 8.
• Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at LaValle Stadium.