WALTHAM, Mass. – Eight weeks after the Bentley University Falcons pulled out a last minute 21-14 victory over Assumption College out in Worcester, the two teams will square off again Saturday afternoon, this time in Waltham as part of the Northeast-10 Championship Weekend. Kickoff is slated for 12 noon.

The Bentley-Assumption rematch is one of four games that are part of the championship weekend, a list that includes third-ranked and undefeated New Haven hosting American International in the title game. The Falcons had hoped to be in that game, but back-to-back four-point losses to those two clubs last month thwarted those plans.

Still, Bentley will bring a solid 7-2 overall record and a two-game winning streak into Saturday's game after finishing third in the conference. A victory would give the Falcons their sixth season of at least eight wins since 2001, and second in Thom Boerman's four seasons at the helm.

Assumption, the number six seed, dropped to 3-6 overall with last week's 43-40 shootout loss at Merrimack. Five of the six losses have been by four or less, or in the final minute of play.

Bentley is coming off a come-from-behind 24-14 win at Southern Connecticut State, the third time this season the Falcons have rallied to win. They erased a 10-0 deficit in a 27-16 victory at West Virginia Wesleyan, rebounded from being down 14-0 at Assumption Sept. 14, and entered the final quarter at Southern on the short end of a 14-10 score.

Defense has been a forte of the 2012 Falcons and that was certainly the case Saturday. The Falcons limited the Owls to 136 net yards (a total largely reduced by two costly bad snaps that resulted in losses totaling 61 yards) and just one third down conversion in 12 attempts.

One of those errant center snaps provided the go-ahead touchdown for Bentley as junior linebacker AC Carter (Marlborough/Marlborough HS) recovered in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 8:50 left in the fourth.

For the season, Bentley ranks fifth in Division II in rushing defense and third down conversion defense, sixth in fewest yards allowed (274.1) and eighth in fewest points allowed (16).

In the earlier meeting this season, that defense kept Assumption off the board in the second half while junior quarterback Danny Guadagnoli (Framingham/Framingham HS) turned in a Gridiron Club of Boston Gold Helmet-winning performance to lead the Falcons to the meeting. He threw for a career-high 344 yards against the Hounds, including 260 in the second half when he completed 15 of 18 passes.

Guadagnoli threw a pair of TD passes in the first six minutes of the third quarter to erase the Assumption lead and engineered a game-winning drive after Bentley took possession of the ball on its own seven with 1:50 left. Following four short passes, he uncorked a 70-yard bomb to standout sophomore receiver Jeff Hill (Mansfield/Mansfield HS) with 51 seconds left.

Those were three of 13 TD passes Guadagnoli has thrown this season in his first year as a starter. He's completed 62 percent of his aerials for 2,045 yards, and has been intercepted only six times on 240 attempts.

Hill, the NE-10 leader in yards per reception at close to 20, enters the season finale needing 93 yards to reach the 1,000 plateau, a milestone last achieved by a Falcon in 2008 (John Studley). His 46 receptions this season is matched by senior Sean Cross (Duxbury/Duxbury HS), who had a career-best nine catches at Southern and has averaged seven a game over the last five contests.

Prior to Saturday's game, Bentley will recognize its Class of 2013, a group of 21 players who have helped Boerman earn a 26-12 record thus far in his tenure as head coach. That contingent includes ten offensive players, the same number of defense and kicker Will Lockwood (Menlo Park, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep).

The offensive players who'll be recognized are Cross, linemen Sean Goodwin (Marlborough, Conn./ RHAM HS), Nick Halloran (Somerville/BB&N) and Angel King (New Haven, Conn./Wilbur Cross HS); quarterback Luke Zahradka (Franklin Square, N.Y./ H.F. Carey HS); receivers Bill Kiley (Quincy/ Boston College HS) and Mike Sumrell (Dorchester/Belmont HS); and running backs Bobby Tarr (Byfield/Bishop Fenwick HS), Anthony Curto (Clifton Park, N.Y./ Shenendehowa HS) and Jack Pizzotti (Melrose/Melrose HS).

Bentley will also be honoring defensive linemen John Aminti (Sandy Hook, Conn./Newtown HS), R.J. Barden (Quincy/North Quincy HS), Matt Campo (Dedham/Catholic Memorial HS) and Andrew Sklar (Ivyland, Pa./Perkiomen Prep); defensive backs Don and Steve Hopkins (Waltham/Waltham HS), Chris Bunge (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South HS), Steve Stewart (Wilmington/Wilmington HS) and Paul Tizzano (Shrewsbury/Shrewsbury HS); and linebacker Colby Dalton (North Eastham/Nauset Reg. HS).

Assumption's offense has been clicking on all cylinders the last three weeks, averaging nearly 48 points over that time. Before scoring 40 in the three-point loss to Merrimack, the Hounds had blasted Southern Connecticut State, 44-0, and cruised to a 59-31 victory against Pace University.

Junior Bobby Jordan directs the Hound offense and has thrown for 1,736 yards and 14 TDs while completing 49 percent of his passes. Senior Uly Gibson leads the ground game with 456 yards, and the team's top receivers are Eddy Frazier (35-430, 3 TD) and Scott Simonson (33-528, 6 TD).

Defensively, the Hounds are among the conference's best at getting into the backfield as they average 1.6 sacks and 7.4 tackles for losses per game. They also have a propensity for coming up with the loose ball, with their 17 fumble recoveries tied for the fourth most in Division II. Amazingly, 13 different players have come up with a loose ball.  Putting that into perspective, Bentley is second in the conference in fumble recoveries, with 11 total.

BENTLEY BRIEFS: Tarr went over 2,000 career rushing yards at Southern, becoming the seventh player in program history to achieve that milestone … The win in Worcester two months ago was the Falcons 24th in 25 varsity meetings between the two programs … Former Bentley center and assistant coach Adam Griggs is in his first year as Assumption's offensive coordinator … Links for live stats and a webcast will be available at www.bentleyfalcons.com.