Bryant downs Brown, 36-29, on Homecoming

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University freshman quarterback Zevi Eckhaus completed 35-of-49 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns and the Bryant University defense forced three turnovers as the Bulldogs earned a 36-29 victory over in-state rival Brown on Homecoming Saturday night. 

Eckhaus finished 35-of-49 and threw three scores to pace an offense that racked up 472 yards of total offense. Anthony Frederick caught seven passes for 85 yards for two scores, his second-straight game with two TD receptions. David Zorrilla caught seven passes for 87 yards, including a crucial 29-yard reception on 3rd-and-5 with just over a minute remaining in the game. 

Defensively, Jayvis Rayside had an interception and recovered a fumble. Joe Andreessen posted 10 tackles, while Ricardo Martinez posted eight and Nsaiah Harriet and Kenny Dyson Jr. each had two sacks.

Bryant built a 33-0 lead before the Bears scored 29 fourth-quarter points to make it a game. 

Game Information
Bryant 36, Brown 29
Records: Bryant (3-2), Brown (0-3)
Location: Smithfield, R.I. (Beirne Stadium)

Key Moment

• Bryant turned two Brown turnovers into 20 points and a 26-0 lead in the span of just three minutes in the second quarter.

How it Happened

• Kenny Dyson Jr. picked up a sack to stop the Bears' first possession and Bryant went on a seven-play, 55-yard scoring drive. Gary Cooper made a great grab for 16 yards on 3rd-and-15 to extend the drive and Eckhaus followed with a strike over the middle to Landon Ruggieri for a 13-yard score.
• Bryant's defense would hold Brown to back-to-back three-and-outs before Eckhaus capped a 12-play, 55-yard drive with a gritty one-yard plunge on 4th-and-goal from the 1. Macklin Kortebein caught passes for 9 and 7 yards to open the drive and Zorrilla added a 13-yard reception along the sideline to put the ball into the redzone. Bryant was able to get the ball to the 1 and Eckhaus did the rest, keeping the ball and barreling into the endzone for his first-career rushing score.
• Following the score, Bryant's defense turned the tide. Three plays into Brown's ensuing drive, Marcel Myers tipped a pass by E.J. Perry and Rayside intercepted it, returning it 36 yards to the Brown 16. Eckhaus connected with Frederick for a 16-yard touchdown on the very next play to make it 20-0. 
• On the ensuing kickoff, Ricardo Martinez knocked the ball free from the kick returner and Aaron Clark recovered at the Brown 26. Three plays later, Fabrice Mukendi electrified the crowd with an 18-yard TD run to make it 26-0. 
• Bryant took that 26-0 lead to halftime and pushed it to 33-0 on its second possession of the third quarter. Bryant's defense stopped the Bears on 4th-and-9 from the Bryant 25 and went on to drive 75 yards in eight plays. 
• Mukendi and had runs of 12 and 14 to aid the drive and Eckhaus capped it with a beautiful throw to Frederick in the corner of the endzone for a 24-yard TD strike. 
• Brown finally got on the board as Perry capped an eight-play, 84-yard drive with a two-yard TD run. 
• Bryant answered quickly, going 68 yards in 12 plays and capping the drive with a 40-yard field goal from Luke Samperi. 
• Brown, however, made things interesting. Zach Targoff scored on a 17-yard reception to make it 36-14 and the Bears recovered the ensuing onside kick. Perry added his second rushing touchdown of the game nine plays later to make it 36-22.
• The Bears, once again, recovered the onside kick and needed just three plays to score and make it 36-29. 
• Bryant, however, was able to convert a huge 3rd-and-5 to put the game away. Eckhaus fired a strike to Zorrilla, who was in man-to-man coverage, for 29 yards. 

Stats

• Bryant outgained Brown, 472-351.
• The Bulldogs posted 30 first downs and had the ball for 36:38.
• Bryant was 9-for-16 on third downs.
• The Bulldogs also posted four sacks, intercepted a pass and recovered two fumbles. 
• Eckhaus finished 35-of-49 for 335 yards and three touchdowns. 
• Eckhaus finished the game with a net rushing total of eight yards and had a rushing TD.
• Frederick posted seven catches for 85 yards and two TDs.
• Zorrilla added seven catches for 87 yards in his return to the field.
• Mukendi posted 64 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.
• Dan Adeboboye rushed for 32 yards and also caught five passes for 32 yards.
• Andreessen led Bryant with 10 tackles, six solo. Martinez added 8.0 tackles and a forced fumble. 
• Jack Daly had five tackles and 1.5 TFLs.
• Dyson Jr. and Harriet each posted a pair of sacks.
• Rayside had three tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. He totaled 51 yards in returns.

Game Notes

• Bryant is now 2-4 all-time against Brown. Saturday marked the first win at home against the Bears.
• Bryant is now 14-3 on Homecoming over the last 17 seasons. 
• Eckhaus' 35 completions are tied for the second-most in a single-game in program history. He's just the third QB in school history with 30+ completions and the only freshman.
• Eckhaus has now completed 68 percent or more of his passes in each of the last three games. 
• Eckhaus now ranks fifth nationally among freshmen in passing yards per game with 170.
• Frederick posted two touchdown receptions for the second-straight game. He's the first Bulldog since Jean Constant in 2017 to do that in back-to-back games.
• Zorrilla posted career-highs in both receptions (7) and yards (87). 
• Rayside delivered his first-career interception and his first-career fumble recovery. Clayton McAlpine also posted his first-career forced fumble.
• Dyson Jr. now leads Bryant with 3.5 sacks on the year. 

Up Next
Bryant returns to Northeast Conference play next weekend when it travels to Pittsburgh to face Duquesne. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m.