WALTHAM, Mass. – On September 23, 1972, what was then Bentley College played its first football game of the modern era, a club game at Western New England College that finished in a 6-6 tie.

On the 45th anniversary of that debut game, Bentley University will celebrate Homecoming 2017 with the Falcons looking for their third straight win as they take on nationally-ranked LIU Post with kickoff set for 2 pm.

Bentley, 2-0 in the Northeast-10 Conference for the second straight season, returns home off a 17-7 victory at Merrimack College this past Saturday, one that was fueled by the defense. Coach Bill Kavanaugh's club forced five turnovers in the contest with three of the four interceptions coming in the end zone.

That victory followed a 50-14 win over Saint Anselm in the Sept. 8 home and Northeast-10 opener and gave the Falcons a 2-1 overall record.

LIU Post, ranked ninth in the most recent AFCA Division II national poll, comes into Waltham at 3-0 overall and 2-0 NE10. The Pioneers, an NCAA playoff team in 2016, opened with a 42-13 non-conference win over Virginia Union, escaped with a 35-34 victory against New Haven on a missed field goal by an All-Conference kicker on the final play, and most recently, overpowered Stonehill, 51-16.

Bentley's starting safeties, sophomore Quintin McDermott (Franklin/Milton Academy) and junior Nick Athy (Holliston/Holliston HS), played key roles in Saturday's Merrimack game as the Falcons recorded their most takeaways since registering seven against Pace in October 2009.

McDermott, the reigning NE10 Defensive Player of the Week, made his first two career interceptions, including one of three Bentley picked off in the end zone. He also had his third forced fumble of the season, tying him for the most in the nation in Division II.

Athy also picked off a pass in the end zone in the first quarter and he also recovered a fumble later in the game.  Bentley's third end-zone INT was made by sophomore Derek Perkins (Milton/ Milton HS) in the third quarter.

Bentley's leading tacklers are senior linebacker Aaron Chretien (Commerce Township, Mich./ Walled Lake Northern HS) and sophomore corner Peter Thorbahn (Norwell/Xaverian Bros. HS) with 21 and 20, respectively. They were also 1-2 on the team in tackles against Merrimack with Thorbahn making ten and Chretien nine.

Both senior running back Martin Bannerman, Jr. (Pawtucket, R.I./La Salle Academy), who scored both of the Falcons' TDs on Saturday, and junior wide receiver Drew Mahoney (West Suffield/ Suffield Academy) are approaching 2,000 yards in career total offense. Bannerman, the team's top rusher with 144, is 56 shy of 2,000 and Mahoney is 164 away.

Mahoney leads Bentley in receptions with 16 while freshman Austin Ryan (Foxborough/ Foxborough HS) will enter this week's game ranking fifth in Division II in yards per reception at 27.2. He's caught 11 passes so far during his rookie season, good for 299 yards and two TDs.

Directing the Falcons' offense is senior quarterback Mack Lowrie (Foxborough/Roxbury Latin School), whose 129.0 efficiency rating is fourth in the NE10. He's completed 56 percent of his attempts for 602 yards, four TDs and two interceptions.

Yianni Gavalas, also a senior, is having an outstanding year at QB for LIU Post after transferring from Saint Anselm. The NE10 Offensive Player of the Week each of the last two weeks, he's thrown four TD passes in each of the Pioneers' first three games and has been picked off only once while completing an incredible 76.5 percent of his passes.

Coach Bryan Collins' team relies greatly on its aerial attack with the ground game producing only 3.4 yards per play and 110.3 per contest. Junior Malik Pierre leads the Pioneers in rushing (94 yards) and has rushed for four TDs.

Through the air, Gavalas' top weapons are junior Mike Richardson and Pierre. Richardson, who averages 181.7 all-purpose yards per game, has caught 19 for 290 yards and four scores, and Pierre has come out of the backfield for 17 receptions (206 yards).

The defense, ranked third in the conference in points and yards allowed, features senior Anthony DeNunzio, who leads the NE10 in tackles for losses (6.5) and sacks (4). He's one of four 2016 first-team All-Northeast-10 honors that Collins can call upon, a list that also includes defensive back Jared Chester, the 2016 NE10 Defensive Player of the Year, and offensive linemen James Louison and Joe Lacey.

Last year's match-up between Bentley and LIU Post, was a classic. The Pioneers won on a walk-off field goal, 34 yards by Joey Tolygesi, after the Falcons tied the game up at 24 apiece on a 50-yard catch and run by Mahoney with 2:16 to play. Mahoney was tremendous in the game, finishing with 225 yards on 13 receptions.

After facing LIU Post, Bentley will complete the month of September and the first half of the season Sept. 30 at Pace University.

BENTLEY BRIEFS: Since the program was elevated to varsity status in 1988, Bentley owns a 22-6 record on Homecoming, including wins over Southern Connecticut in 2015 and Pace last fall … The Falcons are 7-14 all-time against LIU Post, including 2-3 since the Pioneers returned to the Northeast-10 in 2013 … Sophomore Grant Buchanan (Holliston/Holliston HS) leads Bentley in scoring with 20 points. He's four-for-four on field goals, with a long of 25, and perfect on eight extra point attempts … Bentley and LIU Post are two of the three NE10 teams with 2-0 conference records, the other being Assumption College.