NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Merrimack College junior Nick Davis (Oxnard, Calif.), in his first career start at quarterback, threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Warriors to a 41-10 win over Bentley University in Northeast-10 Conference football at Martone-Mejail Field Saturday afternoon.

The Warriors put up points in every quarter and blanked the Falcons over the final 38-plus minutes to notch their first win of the season after three losses. Bentley slipped to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play despite finishing with more yards (403-376), more plays (87-59), more first downs (25-21) and 36:22 in possession time.

It took Merrimack less than two minutes to claim a lead it would never relinquish. On the first pass attempt by Bentley senior Matt Montalto (West Yarmouth/Dennis-Yarmouth Reg. HS), red-shirt freshman Oladiran Isijola (Piscataway, N.J.) intercepted at the Falcon 49 and took it the distance for a touchdown.

Later in the first quarter, Warrior sophomore Stephen Cammaro (North Reading) finished a 14-play, 77-yard drive with the first of his two short field goals, this one of 23 yards, to make it a 10-0 game with 4:35 left in the first.

Twice over the next ten minutes, Bentley scored to make it a one-possession game. Senior Michael Baron (Medfield/Roxbury Latin School) matched Cammaro's field goal on the first play of the second quarter and junior Martin Bannerman (Pawtucket, R.I./La Salle Academy), who had his second 100-yard rushing game of the season, ran it in from 36 yards out with 8:45 in the second, making it a 17-10 game.

Baron's field goal capped a drive that featured a 42-yard completion from Montalto to freshman Drew Mahoney (West Suffield, Conn./Suffield Academy) and a 16-yard keeper by Montalto to turn a fourth-and-12 into a first down. Bannerman's run for a touchdown later in the quarter was the longest rushing play of the season for the Falcons.

After each Bentley score, the home team answered with touchdowns. Senior running back Adriell Hayes (Chesapeake, Va.) finished a seven-play, 69-yard drive with a one-yard run for a score and Davis threw his first TD pass of the day, a six-yarder to senior Jere Brown (Freeport, N.Y.).

The Falcons threatened to cut the deficit in half late in the second but a six-yard completion from Montalto to grad student Alex Farkes (Boston/BB&N) on a fourth-and-seven came up inches short at the 18-and-a-half yard line.

Bentley's first drive of the second half ended the same way as its opening possession of the game, with a turnover. After the Falcons moved the ball from one 20 to another, Merrimack junior Josh Hill (Glastonbury, Conn.) recovered a fumble, denying the visitors' scoring bid.

Bentley got the ball right back on an interception by junior safety Junior Chery (Waltham/Waltham HS), but Merrimack scored on three of its next four possessions to break the game open. Camarro kicked a 29-yard field goal and Davis threw two more TD passes, 19 yards to sophomore Derrick Villard (Cromwell, Conn.) and six yards to Brown.

Success in the red zone proved to be a major difference. While Merrimack came away with four touchdowns and two field goals on its six trips, Bentley managed only three points on four visits.

That number more than offset the Falcons' advantages in most of the team statistical categories. The majority of Bentley's 403 yards came on the ground with the Falcons rushing for 220, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Merrimack, which averaged 14.3 yards per completion, struck for 31 points over the final three quarters despite having the ball for only 16:16 during that span.

Bentley's offense was paced by Bannermam, junor Elijah Morrissey (Rowley/Governor's Academy) and Farkes. Bannerman ran for 111 on 16 carries and also caught a 17-yard pass, Morrissey rushed for 64 on 13 carries and Farkes had six receptions. Montalto finished 14 of 27 for 148 yards.

Davis was 20 of 33 overall with Brown (9 for 73) his principal target. He also led the Warriors on the ground, gaining 85 yards on 17 carries.

Bentley will look to get back on track Friday night when it visits Pace for a 7 pm contest.