WALTHAM, Mass. – Fifth-year senior safety Steve Hopkins (Waltham, Mass./Waltham HS) had three takeaways, all of which led to scores, as Bentley University remained undefeated with a 38-28 win over Saint Anselm College in Northeast-10 Conference football Saturday evening at Grappone Stadium.

Hopkins picked off a pass on the opening play of the second quarter to set up the Falcons' first touchdown. Later in the quarter, he recovered a fumble in the red zone and that led to a 14-play drive that culminated with a half-ending 24-yard field goal. Five minutes into the third, Hopkins returned his second pick of the day 40 yards for a touchdown and a 24-0 Falcon lead.

Bentley's seventh consecutive win, the program's longest streak in eight years, elevated the Falcons to 5-0 overall (4-0 NE-10). Next Saturday, in a battle for NE-10 supremacy, the Falcons will put their perfect record on the line when they host another unbeaten, nationally-ranked New Haven.

Offensively, Bentley was powered by junior QB Dan Guadagnoli (Framingham, Mass./ Framingham HS) and senior tailback Bobby Tarr (Byfield, Mass./Bishop Fenwick HS). Guadagnoli amassed 255 yards of total offense, all but eight coming in the first half which ended with the Falcons on top 17-0. Tarr ran for two touchdowns and 88 yards in only eight carries, including a 75-yard score in the third for a 31-7 lead.

Bentley, kept off the scoreboard in the first quarter, erupted for 17 unanswered points in the second with Guadagnoli leading the way. He finished the first half with 247 yards total offense after a quarter in which he scrambled for 60 yards and completed eight of 12 for 116 yards.

The Falcon scoring began three-and-a-half minutes into the second with a one-yard run by Tarr finishing a seven-play, 46-yard drive. On Bentley's next possession, Guadagnoli teamed up with senior Sean Cross (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury HS) for a 32-yard TD pass and a 14-0 lead. The scoring strike was the ninth of the year for the Falcon QB.

On the drive finished by Lockwood's field goal, Guadagnoli completed four passes for 50 yards and also had a 20-yard gain on the ground.

After Hopkins made it a 24-0 game, the Hawks answered right back with a three-yard run by junior Greg Bell (Liverpool, N.Y.) finishing a 10-play, 55-yard drive. It was then Bentley's turn, and on the Falcons' very first play after the ensuing kickoff, Tarr broke loose and sprinted down the sideline for his third career rushing touchdown of at least 75 yards.

Saint Anselm, despite still striving for its first win of 2012, kept battling back against a Falcon defense that entered the game allowing only 8.8 points a game (second in Division II). A 10-yard pass from freshman Andrew Murphy (Franklin, Mass.) to junior Justin Bernard (Cambridge, Mass.) and a two-point conversion pass between the same two reduced the deficit to 16, 31-15, with four minutes still left in the third.

Bentley senior QB Luke Zahradka (Franklin Square, N.Y./H.F. Carey HS), who replaced Guadagnoli late in the third, ran the ball in from the 15 with 9:10 left in the fourth, stretching the lead back to 23 at 38-15. It didn't stay that way for long as Murphy teamed up with junior Keith Charles (Laurel, Md.) on a 73-yard scoring strike immediately after the kickoff, bringing the Hawks back to within 16 at 38-22.

A three-yard run by Saint Anselm sophomore Ahkeem Williams (DeWitt, N.Y.) with 1:05 to play, but any hopes of a Hawk miracle were dashed when the two-point conversion pass fell to the ground.

Bentley outgained the Hawks 501-378 overall after having a 308-101 advantage at the half, and finished with 26 first downs, six more than the home team. The Falcons totaled 289 on the ground and 212 through the air.

Guadagnoli completed half of his 24 pass attempts for 180 yards and also netted a career-high 75 rushing yards on ten carries. Cross had the best receiving day of his career with seven for 129 yards.

Murphy, in his second career start, was 32 of 48 for 293 yards and two interceptions. He completed passes to eight different players, with Bernard leading Saint Anselm (0-6, 0-5 NE-10) with nine for 74.

Junior linebacker Blaine Hopwood (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford HS) powered the Falcon D with 13 tackles, and classmates Kyle Young (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial HS) and Taylor Tavarozzi (Berlin/Berlin HS) followed with 10 and eight, respectively.