SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – After falling behind 14-0 in a battle of 3-0 teams, the Bentley University Falcons ran off 28 unanswered points and went on to gain a 35-27 win over American International College in Northeast-10 Conference football on Ronald Abdow Field Saturday afternoon. The victory was the ninth straight for Coach Bill Kavanaugh's team, the Falcons' longest since 2003.

With junior tailback Nathaniel Larkins (Huntington, N.Y./John Glenn HS) and senior QB Stephen Sturm (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley HS) both rushing for over 100 yards, the Bentley ground game played a major role in the victory, amassing 285 yards in 54 carries, an average of 6.3 per play. Larkins ran for 131 yards and two scores on 24 carries, surpassing 500 for the season in the process, and Sturm gained a career-best 103 yards on 14 rushes.

Bentley fell into a hole as the result of two TD passes by AIC junior Jayson DeMild (Sayreville, N.J.) in the first 16:19. He connected with senior Tommy Smith (Hackensack, N.J.) on a 14-yarder with 2:56 left in the opening stanza and with freshman Jaxon Ramsay (Hollywood, Fla.) on a 28-yarder a little more than four minutes later.

After a quiet first quarter and the two-TD deficit, Bentley's offense came alive with the Falcons moving 75 yards in 11 plays to reach the end zone. The final two plays were both nine-yard runs by Larkins, the conference's second-leading rusher.

On its next possession, a 24-yard pass from Sturm to graduate student Andrew Brazicki (Franklin Park, N.J./ St. Thomas Aquinas) with 12 seconds on the first-half clock capped a 13-play drive that covered 89 yards. Included was an 11-yard pass by Sturm on a third-and-one and a two-yard gain by Brazicki on a fourth-and-two.

During those two drives, Bentley controlled the ball for nine-and-a-half minutes during the second quarter.

Bentley had another lengthy drive on its first possession of the third, this one for 16 plays and 74 yards in 6:31 to make it 21-14 Falcons. Before Larkins ran it in from the five, Sturm scampered 17 yards on a fourth-and-two from his own 34, and both Brazicki and Sturm converted third downs.

The Falcons scored on a fourth straight possession in the final seconds of the third and doubled up the home team 28-14. After taking possession on the AIC 34 after a 16-yard punt return by junior Tajon Vassar (Worcester/Doherty HS). On a fourth and goal from the Jacket 5, Sturm threw his 42^nd career TD pass with senior tight end Chris Varone (Victor, N.Y./Victor HS) on the receiving end.

AIC scored twice in the fourth quarter, but the Falcon defense came up big plays when needed. UMass transfer and graduate linebacker Cole McCubrey (Boylston/Tahanto Reg. HS) restored the 14-point lead with a 45-yard pick-six with 5:17 left. And the Yellow Jackets' final possession ended with an interception by junior linebacker Salvatore Lupoli Jr. (Chelmsford/Chelmsford HS) on a fourth-and-five from the Bentley 37.

McCubrey and Lupoli led the Falcons in tackles, with eight and seven, respectively. Senior DE Cedie Dashiell II (Buena Park, Calif./Buena Park HS) had a sack for the ninth straight game as well as three quarterback hurries.

AIC had the slight edge in total offense, 405-385, while the Falcons amassed 25 first downs, eight more than the Yellow Jackets. Bentley's passing attack was quiet (9 of 20, 100 yards), but the impressive ground game more than countered that.

For AIC, DeMild was 17 of 25 for 275 yards and senior Samad Davila (New Brunswick, N.J.) rushed for 105 yards on 13 carries.

Bentley, 4-0 overall for the first time since 2012 and 3-0 NE10, will be back on the road next Saturday with a 3:30 game at Saint Anselm.