Bulldogs open 2011 season at Maine

Game Notes

Smithfield, R.I. --  The Bryant University football team travels to Orono, Maine to take on Colonial Athletic Association-member the University of Maine on Saturday, Sept. 3 in the 2011 season opener.  The Bulldogs begin their fourth and final season of NCAA-mandated transition to full Division I status with their first-ever trip to Harold Alfond Stadium.

Bryant is coming off a season in which it went 7-4 overall and 4-4 in Northeast Conference play.  The Bulldogs' conference record was good enough to finish in a tie for fourth in just their second season in the NEC standings.  They were chosen to finish fifth in the league this year and received one of nine first-place votes in the preseason coaches' poll.

Led by junior running back Jordan Brown (Glastonbury, Conn.), the Bulldogs return 16 starters from a year ago.  Brown ran for a league-high 1,410 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore and was named to the All-NEC First Team.  Bryant also returns its top two targets in sophomore wide out Jordan Harris (Lincoln University, Pa.) (25-467-2) and senior tight end Matt Tracey (Littleton, Colo.) (30-382-5).  A preseason injury will sideline senior quarterback Mike Croce (Waterbury, Conn.) for at least the first week, and that means sophomore Mike Westerhaus (Farmingville, Md.) will get his first-career start under center on Saturday.

Bryant's defense will miss the contributions of graduated seniors Jason Riffe and Addison Lynch, but welcome back Franck Tebou's (Mattapoisett, Mass.) 55 tackles and 2.5 sacks.  Preseason all-conference picks Samad Wagstaff (New Rochelle, N.Y.) and Max Machado (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) return after helping Bryant finish second in turnover margin in the NEC with four interceptions each, anchoring one of the best defensive backfields in the conference.

The Bulldogs will have their hands full on Saturday as they face their third CAA opponent in team history.  Bryant has not fared well in those two games, losing by a combined score of 82-31 to the University of Massachusetts and Hofstra.  Playing in what is considered one of the top Division I FCS conferences in the country, Maine is coming off a 4-7 season and a 3-5 showing in conference play.  Of those 11 games, the Black Bears faced five nationally ranked opponents and knocked off rival and No. 14 New Hampshire in overtime.

Maine returns 18 starters this year, including its entire backfield and top three tacklers.  Warren Smith will be under center for the second-straight year and is coming off a campaign in which he threw for 1,861 yards and nine touchdowns.  Running back Pushaun Brown returns as well after rushing for 650 yards and five touchdowns in 2010.  Playmaker Derek Session (50-580-1) returns on the outside and will provide Smith with a reliable downfield option.  Donte Dennis, a Phil Steele Preseason All-America Third Team selection, had 108 tackles in 2010, 57 of which were solo tackles.

Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Saturday night, and Bulldog fans can follow the play-by-play locally on WOON 1240 AM or online at www.bryantbulldogs.com.