Bulldogs fall to Sacred Heart, 24-17

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Seniors Jesse Nemerowicz (Hudson, Mass.), Tomas Wright (St. Augustine, Fla.) and Robert Brown (Palmetto Bay, Fla.) combined for 35 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 5.0 tackles for a loss but it wasn't enough as the Bryant University football team fell to rival Sacred Heart, 24-17, on Family and Friends Weekend.

Nemerowicz posted 12 tackles to become the first player in school history to reach 300 career tackles and also returned an interception for a touchdown. Wright became Bryant's sack king with a pair of QB takedowns, giving him 30.5 in his stellar career. Brown posted 14 tackles for the second-straight week and added two tackles for a loss.

GAME INFORMATION
Sacred Heart 24, Bryant 17
Records: Bryant (2-8, 1-4 NEC), Sacred Heart (5-4, 3-2 NEC)
Attendance: 3,778

Key Moment

• With the game tied 14-14 in the third quarter, the Pioneers intercepted a pass at the Bryant 22. The Pioneers scored three plays later to break the tie.         

How It Happened

• Sacred Heart struck first on Saturday, capping a seven-play, 70-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown pass.
• Bryant responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive to tie the game. Anthony Frederick (Hollywood, Fla.) made a 45-yard catch to get Bryant into SHU territory and Kory Curtis (Cape Coral, Fla.) rushed in from five yards out to tie the game.
• Nemerowicz then gave Bryant the lead as he intercepted a Logan Marchi pass and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown.
• Sacred Heart tied the game right before halftime, with a Rob DiNota 25-yard touchdown capping a 11-play, 70-yard drive.
• Kezio Snelling's 15-yard TD reception and Dane Borges' field goal made it 24-14 with 2:03 left in the third quarter.
• Bryant pulled within seven as Luke Samperi (Beverly, Mass.) knocked down a 23-yard field goal with 12:48 to go in the game.  

Stats

• SHU outgained Bryant, 360-254.
• The Pioneers received 203 rushing yards on 43 carries from Julius Chestnut.
• Curtis finished 14-of-26 for 172 yards.
• Easton rushed for 76 yards on 17 carries.
• Frederick finished with two catches for 61 yards.
• Brown posted 14 tackles and 2.0 TFLs.
• Nemerowicz collected 12 tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown.
• Wright posted nine tackles, two sacks and 2.5 TFLs.
• Eulogio Portugal (Rosedale, N.Y.) and Ricardo Martinez (Saugus, Mass.) each added eight tackles.

Notes and Notables

• Bryant is now 5-7 all-time against Sacred Heart.
• With 12 tackles, Nemerowicz now has 301 in his career. He is the first player in school history to record 300+ career tackles.
• Nemerowicz's interception was the third of his career. The touchdown was his first career score.
• With two sacks, Wright now has 30.5 in his career, surpassing the school record of 29.5 that was set by Jeff Covitz.
• Wright is just the third player in NEC history with 30+ career sacks.
• Wright's 9.0 sacks this year are tied for fifth in a single season in program history.
• Brown's 14 tackles matched his career high set last week and he's now posted 10+ tackles in three of the last four games.
• Brown now has 197 career tackles, three shy of 200.
• Martinez finished with a career-high eight tackles.
• Samperi is now 9-of-10 this season. His nine field goals are tied for the second most in a single season in program history.

Up Next

Bryant will have a bye week next Saturday before hosting Duquesne on Nov. 16. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.