WALTHAM, Mass. – Graduate student Bryant Johnson (Hopedale/Milford HS), the 2010 Northeast-10 Conference MVP, threw a career-high five touchdown passes and amassed 333 yards of total offense as Bentley University rolled to a 43-16 win over Saint Anselm College in NE-10 action Friday night at Bentley.

Johnson, who finished the day 25 of 34 for 286 yards, threw two scoring passes to junior Bill Kiley (Quincy/Boston College HS) and one apiece to junior Mike Sumrell (Dorchester/Belmont HS), senior Jon Wilkie (Groton/Lawrence Academy) and grad student Wade Critides (Wayland/Wayland HS).

Bentley, now 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference, crammed all of its scoring into two quarters. After a scoreless first (ending a string of 17 straight quarters that the Falcons had put points on the board), the Falcons erupted for 23 points in the second. Saint Anselm (0-3, 0-2 NE-10) came back with 10 unanswered in the third quarter, drawing to within seven, before coach Thom Boerman's club answered with 20 points in the fourth.

Kiley scored the game's first touchdown with 11:48 left in the second, finishing an 11-yard pass play by diving for the pylon. The nine-play, 66-yard march was kept alive when Kiley dove forward for a first down at the Hawk 18 after a pass from Johnson on a fourth-and-14.

Saint Anselm countered on its next possession, with junior QB Mike Pierce (Andover) teaming up with sophomore Justin Bernard (Cambridge) on a 23-yard scoring strike.  However, a bad snap foiled the Hawks' attempt to tie and Bentley senior Aaron McFadden (Duxbury/Duxbury HS) returned the ball the distance for a rare two-point defensive extra point and a 9-6 Falcon lead.

Before the second quarter was completed, Johnson had both the 50th and 51st touchdown passes of his impressive career. He went over the top of the defense for a 27-yard TD score to Sumrell and engineered the two-minute drill to perfection, moving the Falcons 65 yards in eight plays and just 53 seconds in the waning moments of the half. Kiley was on the receiving end of that TD pass, a 14-yarder.

Two big Bentley mistakes helped Saint Anselm got back in the game in the third.  Junior Shea Cerio (Canastota, N.Y.) booted a 32-yard field goal seven plays after a roughing the punter penalty prolonged the drive. Later in the third, after his team took possession on a fumble, sophomore Keith Charles (Laurel, Md.) scored on a two-yard run to cut the Falcon advantage to 23-16.  That was the first rushing TD yielded by the Bentley D all season.

Johnson and Bentley responded with a one-yard pass to Wilkie on the opening play of the fourth making it 29-16. The Falcons scored on their next two possessions as well, with Johnson teaming up with Critides on a 30-yard scoring strike and junior QB Luke Zahradka (Franklin Square, N.Y./H.F. Carey HS) finishing the scoring with a 16-yarder to junior Justin Young (Lynn/Lynn English HS).

Johnson, who now has 13 TD passes for the season, also scrambled for 47 yards on nine carries. Critides (9 for 112) and Kiley (8 for 102) both topped the century yard in receiving yards, and Zahradka, in his relief role, was a perfect 4-for-4 for 78 yards.

Defensively, sophomore Kyle Young (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial HS) led Bentley with a career-best 12 tackles, and senior safety Don Hopkins (Waltham/Waltham HS) notched his seventh career interception. Hopkins returned it 55 yards for an apparent score, but the TD was negated by one of an uncharacteristic 11 Falcon penalties.

Bentley, which controlled the ball for just over 40 minutes, amassed 529 yards of total offense, including 364 through the air, and 30 first downs. Saint Anselm had only 13 first downs and 226 yards of total offense.  Pierce was 15 of 42 for 184 yards, with Bernard the team's top receiver with six for 71 yards.

Bentley will also be at home next Friday night with American International providing the opposition.