Bryant rolls past LIU, 52-7

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University football team racked up 547 yards of total offense and ran away with a 52-7 victory over Long Island University on Saturday afternoon at Beirne Stadium.

With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the Northeast Conference. Bryant's four NEC wins match the second-most in a season and its most since 2017. Bryant also honored its senior class prior to the game.

Two offensive seniors shined as Daniel Adeboboye rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns, while David Zorrilla had nine catches for a career-high 147 yards and a touchdown. A pair of rookies also had standout games as Zevi Eckhaus completed 29-of-38 passes for a career-high 356 yards and two scores and classmate Fabrice Mukendi rushed for two scores.

Bryant's defense limited the Sharks to just 11 first downs and only 231 yards of total offense – 79 coming on the Sharks only touchdown of the afternoon. Jack Daly had four tackles and 1.5 TFLs on the afternoon.

Game Information
Bryant 52, LIU 7
Records: Bryant (6-4, 4-2 NEC), LIU (2-7, 2-4)
Location: Smithfield, R.I. (Beirne Stadium)

Key Moment

• Trailing 7-0, the Bulldogs scored 14 points in 1:04 to take the lead for good.  

How it Happened

• LIU got on the board first, scoring on a 79-yard catch-and-run. Owen Glascoe caught the pass over the middle and then raced down the sideline for the score.
• Bryant answered on its next drive, going 70 yards in 10 plays. Landon Ruggieri made a 12-yard reception on third-and-short and Zorrilla posted a five-yard grab on fourth-and-three. Mukendi took the next play 27 yards to paydirt. He broke one tackle at the line of scrimmage and then raced to the corner of the endzone.
• The Bulldogs then forced a three-and-out and scored on the first play of the next drive. Eckhaus hit Anthony Frederick in stride for a 42-yard score to make it 14-7.
• Bryant pushed its lead to 21-7 with a 12-play, 83-yard scoring drive. Frederick made two key grabs on the drive and Adeboboye pounded it home from a yard out to cap the drive.
• The Black and Gold added to their lead before the half, capping a seven-play, 59-yard drive with 38 seconds left. Zorrilla went up to haul in a Eckhaus pass and then stretched the ball across the goalline.
• Bryant received the kickoff in the second half, thanks to Ralph Squitieri winning the coin toss, and went 82 yards in 10 plays to make it 35-7. Adeboboye picked up seven on fourth-and-one and Zorrilla followed with 26-yard grab. Adeboboye then took the handoff and broke to the outside for a 17-yard TD score.
• Luke Samperi then forced a fumble and recovered it on the ensuing kickoff to give Bryant the ball back. Completions of 21 yard and 19 yards to Zorrilla and Kortebein put the ball at the LIU 1 and Mukendi punched it in to make it 42-7.
• Samperi booted a 27-yard field goal to make it 45-7.
• Ryan Clark then engineered a nine-play, 53-yard scoring drive. He capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run to the left corner of the endzone.

Stats

• Bryant outgained LIU, 574-231.
• The Bulldogs posted 33 first downs and allowed just 11.
• Bryant was 7-for-12 on third down.
• Eckhaus completed 29-of-38 passes for 356 yards and two scores.
• Adeboboye rushed for 101 yards and two scores on 16 carries.
• Mukendi scored twice and finished with 44 yards on eight carries.
• Clark rushed for 34 yards and a touchdown in limited duty.
• Zorrilla posted nine catches for 147 yards and a touchdown.
• Jihad Edmond made a career-high five catches for 32 yards.
• Frederick had three catches for 67 yards and a touchdown.
• Matthew Prochaska had three catches for 26 yards.
• Daly posted 4.0 tackles and 1.5 TFLs.
• Austin Edmonds also posted 4.0 tackles.
• Kenny Dyson Jr. had 1.0 sack and 1.5 TFLs.

Game Notes

• Bryant has won at least six games for the sixth time since moving to Division I in 2008.
• The Bulldogs have also won four league games for the first time since 2017. Bryant won five in 2011, finishing 5-3.
• Bryant finished the year 4-0 at home, the first undefeated home season in DI program history and just the third ever.
• Bryant's 547 yards of total offense are its most under Chris Merritt and the 52 points are the most since Bryant score 56 at Howard on Nov. 17, 2018. It is the second-most points in DI program history.
• Eckhaus has now thrown 2+ touchdowns in each of his last seven games.
• Eckhaus threw for a Bryant freshmen record 356 yards. The yardage is 10th-most in a game in program history.
• Eckhaus' 29 completions are the seventh-most in program history.
• Eckhaus has now thrown for 2,075 yards, 17 touchdowns and just three INTs. He's just the fourth different QB to throw for 2,000+ yards in program history. Eckhaus' 211 completions are the third-most all-time.
• Adeboboye posted his fourth-career 100-yard game. He now has 1,766 career rushing yards.
• Adeboboye now has 16 career rushing touchdowns, the seventh-most all-time.
• Mukendi posted his first-career multi-TD game and has a team-leading seven rushing scores.
• Frederick caught his team-leading sixth touchdown of the year.
• Zorrilla posted his second 100-yard receiving game of the year and now has a team-leading 566 receiving yards. He has 960 career receiving yards.
• Samperi made his 22nd career field goal.
• Dyson Jr. posted his team-leading seventh sack of the year.

Up Next

Bryant closes the regular season next Saturday at Merrimack. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.