WALTHAM, Mass. – Coming off an overtime win over the University of New Haven Chargers this past Saturday, the Bentley University Falcons will look to carry that momentum into this Saturday's season finale at unbeaten Assumption College.

It won't be an easy test for the Falcons as they take on an Assumption team that is ranked eighth nationally in Division II and has outscored its opponents by over 38 points a game this season, 426-82.

Kickoff at Assumption's Multi-Sport Stadium is set for 1 pm with a link to the webcast available at www.bentleyfalcons.com.

Coach Bill Kavanaugh's Falcons will take records of 5-4 overall and 5-3 Northeast-10 to Worcester with two of the three conference losses decided by three points and the other in overtime.

Against New Haven, Bentley staged its second fourth-quarter comeback of the season. The Falcons tied the game with 6:46 left, on an impressive 27-yard run by senior Martin Bannerman Jr. (Pawtucket, R.I./La Salle Academy) before a walk-off and career-long 39-yard field goal by sophomore Grant Buchanan (Holliston/Holliston HS) ended the game in overtime.

Bentley came up with three takeaways against the Chargers and is now 5-0 on the season when forcing at least two turnovers. Junior safety Nick Athy (Holliston/Holliston HS) wrestled the ball away from a New Haven ball carrier, senior linebacker Aaron Chretien (Commerce Township, Mich./Walled Lake Northern HS) recovered a fumble at the UNH 1 and took it in for a touchdown, and sophomore defensive lineman Nnamdi Okaka (Shrewsbury/Shrewsbury HS) also recovered a fumble.

The Falcons have forced a total of 21 turnovers this season with Athy involved in more than a third of those. He's tied for second in Division II in fumble recoveries (4) and also has three interceptions and two forced fumbles. Athy leads the team in tackles with 65 after making 13 and 11 the last two weeks.

Freshman quarterback Stephen Sturm (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley HS) saw his string of passes without an interception halted at 76 but still completed more than three-quarters of his passes for the third time in as many starts this season. In three-and-a-half games since an injury resulted in him becoming the Falcons' number one, he has directed the Falcons to 118 points while throwing for eight TDs, 898 yards and a .781 completion percentage.

Another freshman, Austin Ryan (Foxborough /Foxborough HS), will enter the game needing 42 yards to become Bentley's first 1,000-yard receiver since Jeff Hill in 2014. Ryan is fourth in Division II in average yards per reception (23.4) and his 12 touchdowns puts him in a three-way tie for the NE10 lead. Only two players in program history have had more than that, Dallas Mall four times and Mark DeBrito twice.

Led by Ryan, Bentley's freshman class has been responsible for nearly half of the team's points this season, 126 of 265. Ryan has 72, running back Andrew Brazicki (Franklin Park, N.J./Bishop Ahr HS) follows with 42, and Sturm has scored two TDs.

Assumption has clicked on all cylinders this season while winning their first nine games by an average of 38.2 points. Since a 25-8 win over Southern Connecticut State in week three, they've outscored their opponents 314-46, and in the first four home games, they've rolled 56-0, 56-7, 41-6 and 68-0.

Coach Bob Chesney's team has excelled in all three phases. In addition to scoring 47.3 points a game, they are number one defensively in fewest points (9.1) and yards (281.2) allowed. Placekicker Cole Tracy leads Division II with 20 field goals and 112 points, and junior Deonte Harris has returned a kickoff and five punts for touchdowns. He's averaged 45 yards on seven kickoff returns and 26.3 on 18 punt returns.

With starter Marc Monks sidelined, Brandon Tobey is expected to make his second start at QB for the Hounds. He's completed 31 of 60 for 546 yards and three TDs. 

On the other side of the ball, senior safety Andrew Benson leads the conference in interceptions (7) and also has three fumble recoveries.

Bentley will be looking for its first win over Assumption since prevailing in double OT in 2014, 30-24. Last year, the Hounds erupted for 35 points in the first 21 minutes, two of those TDs as the result of special teams successes (98 yard kickoff return to the one, blocked punt), and cruised to a 42-7 win.

BENTLEY BRIEFS: Since both programs gained varsity status in 1988, Bentley is 26-4 all-time against Assumption … Sophomore Ryan McCarthy (Holden/Wachusett Reg. HS), one of seven Falcons from Worcester County, had a career-best eight catches for 53 yards against New Haven Saturday … Bentley's highest scoring quarter this season has been the fourth with 90 points. Last year, the Falcons managed only 27 in the fourth … Bentley ranks in the top five nationally in fewest penalties and penalty yards.