WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Senior tailback Mike DeCaro (Weston, Fla.) rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns in only 11 carries, and also had a 71-yard punt return for a score, as the University of New Haven tallied two TDs in every quarter en route to a 54-10 win over Bentley University in Northeast-10 Conference football Saturday afternoon at DellaCamera Stadium.

His efforts, along with the efforts of senior Anthony Tillman (Piscataway, N.J.), helped New Haven amass 351 net rushing yards, with a 10.6 per carry average. Tillman also topped the century mark, with 105 yards in 12 carries.

After forcing Bentley to punt on the first possession of the game, New Haven covered 91 yards in only six plays, a drive that featured a 61-yard scamper by DeCaro to the Bentley eight. Three plays later, he took it across on a third-and-one.

The Falcons answered right back with a nine-play, 79-yard drive finished with senior quarterback Danny Guadagnoli (Framingham, Mass./Framingham HS) taking it in from the one on a third-down play. Sophomore Michael Baron (Medfield, Mass./Roxbury Latin School) added the extra point and the two teams were even at 7-7 with 4:27 left in the opening stanza.

A punt block by New Haven's Dave Calderon (Neptune, N.J.) later in the first led to a 46-yard run for a go-ahead touchdown by senior QB Ronnie Nelson (Stuart, Fla.).

Another special teams miscue, this time a blocked field goal coupled with a Bentley personal foul penalty, led to the Chargers' third touchdown of the day, a three-yard pass from Nelson to sophomore tight end Michael Flacco (Audubon, N.J.), and made it 21-7 with 8:49 left in the first. A little more than a minute later, the lead grew to 27-7 on DeCaro's punt return.

Bentley started the second half on a positive note with senior Kent Kozar (Fairport, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff. After the drive stalled at the Charger 14, Baron made a 31-yard field goal, his ninth of the year, reduce the UNH lead to 27-10.

It took New Haven only 19 seconds to regain the momentum with DeCaro busting a 53-yarder for a touchdown, making it a 34-10 contest. Bentley drove 75 yards, to the Charger eight, on the ensuing possession before turning the ball over on downs.

The home team completed the scoring with a three-yard run by freshman Andre Anderson (New Haven, Conn.), a five-yard pass from Nelson to senior Chris Higgins (Cumberland, Maine) and a 31-yard fumble return by sophomore Kendall Marks (Piscataway, N.J.).

Bentley finished with 296 yards total offense, with most coming via the air. Guadagnoli completed 21 of 44 for 262 yards, with both Kozar and junior wide receiver Jeff Hill (Mansfield, Mass./ Mansfield HS) catching five balls.

Guadagnoli surpassed 5,000 career passing yards during the contest, becoming the fifth Falcon to do so, and Hill became the first Bentley receiver in five years to post a 1,000-yard season, vaulting from tenth to fifth on the program's single-season list with 1,026.

For New Haven (7-3, 7-2 NE-10), which had 507 yards of offense, Nelson completed 10 of 15 passes for 151 yards.

Senior linebackers Kyle Young (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial HS) and Mike Marini (Marlborough, Mass./Marlborough HS) each had ten tackles for the injury-riddled Falcons, and freshman Sam McCarthy (Norfolk, Mass./King Phillip Reg. HS) had his team-leading fifth interception.

Bentley (5-5, 4-5 NE-10) will close out the season at home next Saturday (12 noon) against Saint Anselm College as part of Northeast-10 Championship Weekend. The two teams played five weeks ago with the Falcons prevailing 32-27.