Strong start propels Bryant, 26-6

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Senior tight end Matt Tracey (Littleton, Colo.) tied a program-record with his 14^th  career touchdown reception, and junior running back Jordan Brown (Glastonbury, Conn.) compiled 334 all-purpose yards to lead the Bryant University football team to a, 26-6, victory over Sacred Heart Friday night at Campus Field.

Winless in two previous trips to Fairfield, and winless in nine total trips to the state of Connecticut, the Bulldogs (2-1, 1-0) scored 24 second quarter points and shutout the Pioneers (0-2, 0-1) in the second half to open their conference schedule with a victory.

A big part of the second quarter outburst was Tracey. Leading 2-0, and in possession thanks to a safety, the Bulldogs drove 40 yards in six plays and senior quarterback Mike Croce (Waterbury, Conn.) hit Tracey for an 11-yard score. Later in the quarter, and the Bulldogs ahead, 16-3, Tracey snagged a bee-bee from Croce for his second score of the game. The touchdown reception was his 14^th career, tying him with Justin Kix ('06) for the program lead. The 15 yards on the touchdown also pushed him over 1,000 yards receiving, becoming the fourth player in program history to surpass the plateau.

The two touchdown grabs helped the Bulldogs open a 20-point lead and Brown did the rest on offense. Returning to his home state, Brown rushed 38 times for a career-high 248 yards. His most exciting moment, though, came on special teams. Held to a three-and-out by the Bulldog defense, the Pioneers decided to punt it to Brown. He received the kick at his own 47, eluded two defenders, took it outside and then beat two more defenders, returning the punt 53 yards for a touchdown. In all, Brown totaled 334 all-purpose yards, the second-highest total in a single game in program history.

With Brown and Tracey doing their part on the offensive side, the Bryant defense continued to dominate. The Bulldogs forced four-consecutive three-and-outs to start the game, and forced the Pioneers to punt six times. Bryant got even better in third and fourth down situations. The Bulldogs held Sacred Heart to 2-of-16 on third down conversions and 1-of-7 on fourth down conversions.

Senior linebacker Franck Tebou (Mattapoisett, Mass.) led the unit with 11 tackles, a sack, three tackles for a loss and a forced fumble. Senior Joshua Janes (Newport, R.I.) and classmate Nick Sengotta (Wayne, N.J.) each picked up a sack and the Bulldog secondary was exceptional all game. The combination of sophomore Michael Johnson (New Market, Md.), senior Samad Wagstaff (New Rochelle, N.Y.),  sophomore Jeremy Woodson (Houston, Texas), junior Tyler Carter (Baltimore, Md.), sophomore Max Machado (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) and junior Stefaun Whitehead (Union, N.J.) held Pioneer starting quarterback Tim Little to 16-of-41 passing on the evening. Machado and Johnson each collected an interception.

One of the nicest defensive plays of the game came from the special teams unit in the first quarter. A Brendan Lane (Annapolis, Md.) punt pinned the Pioneers inside their five-yard line, and after a three-and-out, they were forced to punt from their own endzone. Senior wide receiver Matthew Hunt (Greenbrook, N.J.) broke through the line and blocked the punt out of the back of the endzone for a safety. The play became even bigger when the Bulldogs scored on the ensuing possession.

Freshmen place kicker Tom Alberti (Marshfield, Mass.) made all three PAT's and capped the Bulldogs' scoring with a 21-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter. Making his first start of the year, Croce finished 8-of-16 for 72 yards and two touchdowns.   

The Bulldogs return home next Saturday, Sept. 24, to host Wagner in Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium.