WALTHAM, Mass. – Following an impressive win over nationally-ranked LIU Post in which the Falcons scored the first 19 points and went on to win by that same margin, Bentley University will turn its attention to a much-improved Pace University this coming Saturday.

Kickoff at Pace Stadium in Pleasantville, N.Y. is set for noon with a webcast available at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/pace/.

 Bentley, after opening its Northeast-10 schedule with three straight wins, will be attempting to complete the first half of the schedule and enter the NE10 bye weekend with records of 4-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference.

Meanwhile, Pace has split its first four games with wins over Millersville and American International. The Setters are coming off a 21-20 loss to New Haven, a game they had a chance to win with a 48-yard field goal attempt on the final play.

Forcing turnovers has been a key to Bentley's success this season with coach Bill Kavanaugh's club tied for second in Division II with 14. Eleven have come the last two weeks, including six against an LIU Post team that had lost the ball only once in its first three games.

Leading the way in the takeaway department against the Pioneers was this week's Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Division II-III Gold Helmet award winner, junior strong safety Nick Athy (Holliston/ Holliston HS). He was involved with five during Saturday's Homecoming win with two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. For the season, he has picked off three passes and come up with three loos

e balls.

So far this season, nine Falcons have forced at least one fumble, five have recovered one or more, and three have recorded at least one interception. In addition, eight have been credited with a sack in the first four games.

Meanwhile, Bentley's offense was also impressive against LIU Post, which had won 16 of 17 overall and 13 straight against NE10 foes since losing to the Falcons in November 2015. Senior quarterback and NE10 Offensive Player of the Week Mack Lowrie (Foxborough/Roxbury Latin School) threw five TD passes with two going to junior Drew Mahoney (West Suffield, Conn./Suffield Academy) and three to freshman Austin Ryan (Foxborough/Foxborough HS), the conference's Rookie of the Week for the second time.

It was the second time this season that Lowrie has thrown multiple TD passes, following up on four during a 50-14 win over Saint Anselm in week two. For the season, he's completed 58 percent of his throws for 857 yards.

Mahoney and Ryan have emerged as his prime targets. Mahoney is averaging six catches a game and has four TDs. Ryan, second in Division II in average yards per reception (29.0), has reached the end zone on five of his 14 catches, including a 63-yarder against Saint Anselm and a 56-yarder Saturday.

On the ground, freshman Andrew Brazicki (Franklin Park, N.J./Bishop Ahr HS) has shown promise with three TDs and an average of 5.4 yards per carry. He's gotten the ball 34 times and gained a team-best 184.

Bentley has been receiving solid play from the offensive line with only four sacks allowed in the first four games. Junior Jack Hansbury (Tyngsboro/Chelmsford HS) and senior Matt Choinski (Huntington, N.Y./John Glenn HS) bookend the line at tackle and the interior three are senior guard Connor Peck (Sherborn/Catholic Memorial HS), junior guard Ryan Finn (Centerport, N.Y./St. Anthony's HS) and freshman center Sean Mitchell (Park Ridge, N.J./Saint Joseph Reg. HS).

Linebackers Aaron Chretien (Commerce Township, Mich./Walled Lake Northern HS) and Andrew Carmichael (Wayland/Wayland HS) lead Bentley in tackles with 31 and 26, respectively. Chretien had a career-best 10 against LIU Post while Carmichael followed with nine along with a forced and recovered fumble.

Pace, which has already matched its win total from the last five years combined, is also among the conference leaders in turnovers gained with 11 already. That includes recovering eight of their opponents' ten fumbles, tying for the NE10 lead with Bentley.

The Setters have the NE10's leading rusher in junior Jhalen Bien-Aime, whose 574 net yards rank sixth in Division II. He's averaged 6.3 yards per carry and has rushed for three TDs. The last three weeks, he's run for 155, 170 and 151 yards.

Junior QB Dan Anerella has completed 60 percent of his passes, most of the short variety, for 490 yards and five TDs, with his completions going to 11 different receivers. Sophomore slot Darius Jones tops that list with 15 for 107 yards.

Bentley owns a 14-game winning streak against Pace, dating back to an overtime loss in 2001, but it hasn't always been easy, particularly on the road. It was a 15-13 game in 2015, the Falcons' most recent trip to Pleasantville, N.Y., and in 2009, a 28-27 decision that required a game-winning 91-yard drive in the final 2:30.

Last year in Waltham, Bentley pitched a 28-0 shutout with the Falcon D limiting the Setters to 155 yards total offense.

Following the Oct. 7 bye, Bentley will resume play with a home game against American International Oct. 14.

BENTLEY BRIEFS: Bentley is looking for its first four-game win streak since the 2012 team opened with five straight wins … Athy is Bentley's first Gold Helmet winner since Danny Guadagnoli in 2012 … In this week's NCAA Division II stats, he is tied for second in fumbles recovered and tied for fourth in interceptions … Ryan, in addition to being second in yards per reception, is tied for ninth in TD catches … sophomore Quintin McDermott (Franklin/ Milton Academy) is tied for fourth in forced fumbles and Carmichael is tied for sixth in fumble recoveries … Bentley has scored on 13 of 14 red-zone trips, including nine TDs … on the other side of the ball, the opponents are just 9 of 14 with four turnovers … The Falcons were 3-for-3 on fourth down conversions against LIU Post, pushing Bentley to 6-for-6 on the season … Senior Martin Bannerman (Pawtucket, R.I./La Salle Academy) is 16 yards away from 2,000 career all-purpose and Mahoney is 110 away from that same mark.