WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior Bobby Tarr (Byfield/Bishop Fenwick HS) and sophomore Lorenzo Warren (Boston/Catholic Memorial HS) both ran for two touchdowns and senior defensive end Sal Ruffino (Allentown, Pa./Central Catholic HS) led a strong defensive effort as Bentley University put up 21 unanswered points in the second half to top American International College, 28-10, in Northeast-10 Conference action Friday night at Bentley.

Bentley, which extended its winning streak in NE-10 action to seven, improved to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the conference. AIC dropped to 3-2 overall (2-1 NE-10) and remained winless in Waltham since 1999.

After giving a touchdown on AIC's opening possession, the Falcons yielded only a field goal over the game's final 54 minutes and limited the Yellow Jackets to only 100 net yards in the second half, 52 of which came on a single play.

Ruffino had 3.5 quarterback sacks, resulting in losses of 23 yards, and sophomore defensive tackle John Aminti (Sandy Hook, Conn./Newtown HS) blocked a field goal to finish a fourth-quarter goal line stand by the Falcon D. Sophomore Terrell Williams (Hempstead, N.Y.) broke a 52-yard run, giving AIC a first-and-goal from the three, but three plays later (two of those resulting in losses), Aminti came through with the block.  That kept Bentley unscored upon in the fourth quarter this season.

Offensively, Bentley had three players amass over 100 all-purpose running yards and received another solid effort from reigning conference MVP Bryant Johnson (Hopedale/Milford HS), with the grad student completing 20 of 27 passes and eclipsing 6,000 passing yards for his career. Tarr rushed for 112 yards on 20 carries, Warren had 130 all-purpose yards and grad student Wade Critides (Wayland/Wayland HS) caught nine passes for 107 yards.

With Bentley down 10-7 midway through the third, Warren turned the game around by busting a 64-yard punt return to the AIC one. Two plays later, he took it in from the one for the go-ahead score.

The Falcons' next possession, which covered 85 yards in nine plays, featured a 23-yard run by Tarr and a 26-yard reception by Critides. Two plays into the fourth, Warren scored for his fourth TD of the season, this time running it in from the three. Junior Will Lockwood (Menlo Park, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep), who remained perfect on extra points for the season (21-21), tacked on the PAT for a 21-10 lead.

It looked like AIC would get back into the game after Williams' 52-yard run on the ensuing possession.  However, after the D came up big, Bentley extended its lead to 18 with an 11-play, 86-yard scoring drive that was aided by a pair of pass interference penalties and finished by Tarr with a six-yard run.

The game started out with both teams scoring on their opening possession. Bentley used over six minutes of clock time before Tarr scored from the one, and AIC quickly answered, moving 57 yards in under three minutes to counter. Freshman red-shirt QB Kevin Arduino (Cornwall, N.Y.) ran it in from the five for the Jackets' only TD of the night.

AIC took its only lead of the night five minutes into the second quarter, freshman Cesar Vaca-Hurtado (Naples, Fla.) kicking a 31-yard field goal.

Bentley outgained AIC, 355-230, and in a rarity for the Falcons, had more rushing yards (190) than passing (165). The Falcons nearly doubled the visitors in first downs (23-12), converted eight of 13 third downs and controlled the ball for 34:30, nine minutes more than the Yellow Jackets.

Sophomore linebacker Blaine Hopwood (New Bedford/New Bedford HS) led Bentley in tackles with nine, and also had a fumble recovery in the first quarter. Ruffino and sophomore linebacker Kyle Young (Ellicott, Md./Centennial HS) followed with eight stops apiece.

Williams rushed for 102 yards on 12 carries for AIC, and Arduino ran for 65. He also had the same amount through the air, completing 11 of 21 passes.

Bentley takes to the road next Saturday, playing a 1:00 game at Merrimack College.