Bulldogs visit Holy Cross on Halloween

FULL GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University football team wraps up the non-conference portion of its schedule on Saturday as it makes the short trip of Route 146 for a Halloween showdown with Holy Cross. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. at Fitton Field.

GAME INFORMATION:
Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
Time: 1:05 p.m.
Listen: WOON 1240 (onworldwide.com)
Watch: Patriot League Network
Stats: Live Stats

Winners of back-to-back games for the second time this season, the Bulldogs (4-3, 2-1 NEC) will face the Crusaders (3-4, 1-2 PL) for just the second time in program history. Bryant won the only other meeting, 17-16, on the opening day of the 2013 season in Smithfield. Tom Alberti's 30-yard field goal with 38 seconds left was the difference in the game.

This Saturday, the holiday crowd will certainly be in for a treat in Worcester. The Bulldogs and Crusaders feature two strong offenses that have been clicking of late. Bryant is averaging 387 yards of total offense and 26 points per game this season, while Holy Cross is putting up 30 points per game and 405 yards of total offense.

The offense starts with a pair of outstanding junior QBs in Bryant's Dalton Easton (Miami, Fla.) and Holy Cross's Peter Pujals. Easton was slowed last week against Saint Francis U. but still leads the Northeast Conference with 243.6 passing yards per game. He has thrown 12 touchdowns and six interceptions on the year. Pujals has had a breakout season in Worcester, completing 60 percent of his passes for 1,998 yards and 19 touchdowns in just seven games. He leads the Patriot League in passing yards per game (285.4) and posted the highest passing game in school history against Fordham when he completed 35-of-70 passes for 508 yards and four scores.

Defensively, the Bulldogs will lean on senior Aaron Dixon (Danbury, Conn.) and juniors Patrick Kenney (Camarillo, Calif.) and Marquise Watson (Hillside, N.J.). Dixon enters the game just eight tackles shy of becoming the first player since 2011 to record 200 career tackles. Kenney leads the Bryant defense with 50 tackles this season and Watson has posted 19 tackles in the past two weeks after returning from injury.

Holy Cross is Nick McBeath and Kyle Young on defense. McBeath has 59 tackles and Young has posted 49 solo tackles and 50 tackles total. The Crusaders are allowing an average of 383 yards per game and 22 points per game. The defense has posted 12 sacks and seven interceptions on the season.