WALTHAM, Mass. – Heading into Saturday's regular season finale and Senior Day football game against LIU Post (1:00 pm), the Bentley University Falcons are only a couple seconds away from having an undefeated home record this fall.

Bentley (4-5, 4-4 NE-10) will be looking to continue its home success and bolster its chances of also playing at home next week for its Northeast-10 Championship weekend game. The Falcons, who appear locked into the 5 vs. 6 game, will also be attempting to bounce back from losses to Stonehill College (21-14) and streaking Assumption College (40-7) the last two weeks.

LIU Post, winners of three of its last four, will make the trek to Waltham with records of 6-3 overall and 5-3 NE-10. The Pioneers, coming off a 49-46 home win against Southern Connecticut, are in a three-way tie for third and can be seeded anywhere from third to sixth next week.

Prior to the game, Bentley will recognize 14 seniors, all of whom have played significant roles during their time in a Falcon uniform. That group includes four defensive linemen, all of whom have played in over 30 career games: Jeff Amell (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle HS) along with captains Quincy Giles (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral HS), Paul Norris (North Attleboro/North Attleboro HS) and Bob Richman (North Attleboro/North Attleboro HS).

Other defensive players who'll be playing in their final regular season games are linebackers Craig Hanley (Walpole/Walpole HS) and Matt McDermott (Merrimac/Central Catholic HS), along with corners Josh Charles (Hyde Park/Catholic Memorial HS) and Emmitt Smith (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy).

Two fixtures on the offensive line, Ryan Anger (Worcester/St. John's HS) and captain Matt Biscardi (Holbrook, N.Y./St. Anthony's HS), will be honored, as will quarterback Matt Montalto (West Yarmouth/Dennis-Yarmouth Reg. HS) and receivers Chris Calvanese (Norfolk/Xaverian Bros. HS) and Chris Walsh (Attleboro/Attleboro HS).

Rounding out the list is placekicker Michael Baron (Medfield/Roxbury Latin School), whose 171 career points ranks ninth in program history.

While both teams have frequently played close games this fall (six of Bentley's decided by seven or less and LIU Post has had a final spread of exactly three four times), how they've gotten there couldn't be more different.

Bentley hasn't reached 20 points since week 2 and the average Falcon game has included a total of 37.4 points. On the other hand, LIU Post has scored 40+ three times and allowed 40+ in five games with the Pioneers' average game including a combined 66.3 points.

The Falcons are fourth in the NE-10 in total defense (288.3 yards) but just ninth in scoring (14.6). They limited Assumption's potent offense to 303 yards on Friday night, a game in which special teams mistakes directly accounted for 18 points and also set up short fields for a pair of field goals. Over the last seven, coach Bill Kavanaugh's team has limited the opponents to an average of 249.1 yards and come up with 16 takeaways.

LIU Post, on the other hand, is last in defense (461.8 yards) but second on offense (424.9 yards, 31.2 points). The Pioneers have given up 109 points in their last two games with New Haven gaining 643 in a 63-16 win and Southern Connecticut scoring 22 unanswered in the fourth during a 49-46 Owl loss.

One key to the Falcons' defensive success has been junior safety Sean McDonald (Norfolk/ King Philip Reg. HS) who has a conference-high six takeaways with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Five of those have come over the last four weeks and is a significant reason why Bentley is tied for the NE-10 lead in turnover margin (+7). McDonald is also third in the NE-10 in punt return yards with 87 on 10 returns.

Junior linebacker Bryan Hardy (Barnstable/Barnstable HS) is well on his way to leading the Falcons in tackles for the second straight year with his 73 stops (10th in the NE-10) giving him a two-year total of 176.

The offensive leaders for the Falcons have included junior running back Martin Bannerman (Pawtucket, R.I./La Salle Academy) and tight end Alex Farkes (Boston/BB&N), along with Walsh and Calvanese. Bannerman, despite being hampered by injury, has rushed for 605 yards with his per game average of 75.6 the third best for a Bentley player in the last decade.

Farkes, Walsh and Calvanese all average at least three receptions a game with Calvanese averaging a team-high 13.6 yards per catch.

LIU Post QB Jeff Kidd, this week's NE-10 Offensive Player of the Week, leads the conference in both passing yards (2,072) and TD passes (23, including six this past week) but has been picked off the most as well, 14 times. No one in the NE-10 puts the ball in the air more often, and he has four receivers who have at least 30 receptions. Included is Shane Hubbard, who has reached the end zone on 10 of his 35 catches.

The Pioneers have a pair of 600-yard rushers, including Malik Pierre, who'll enter Saturday with 701 yards and seven TDs.

Coach Brian Collins' team has been extremely efficient in converting fourth downs (16 of 24) and is fourth nationally in sacks with 31. Topping the list in that category are ends Kevin Petit-Frere and Kenny Scotland, the only NE-10 teammates with seven apiece.

In last year's game, played down on Long Island, the Pioneers scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning TD with 2:41 left, to prevail 35-31. Danny Guadagnoli threw TD passes to four different receivers for the Falcons and Hubbard had 102 receiving yards for LIU Post.