WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior Will Sheriffs (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) returned an interception for a touchdown on the first play of the game, junior QB Stephen Sturm (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley HS) amassed 294 yards total offense, senior receiver Drew Mahoney (West Suffield, Conn./ Suffield Academy) caught 11 balls for 146 yards and the defense pitched a shutout over the final 55 minutes as Bentley University defeated the University of New Haven, 31-14, in Northeast-10 Conference football Friday night at Bentley.

While the offense was powered by Sturm and Mahoney, the Falcon defense came up big after giving up 14 points in the first five minutes and sophomore Isaiah Collins (Dorchester Center/Belmont Hill HS) returned three kickoffs for 139 yards, twice taking the ball past midfield.

The win in its home and NE10 opener was the first for Bentley after two close losses to start the season. Meanwhile, New Haven, the preseason favorite in the conference, dropped to 2-2 overall and 1-1 conference.

After Sheriffs pick-six gave Bentley a 7-0 lead 15 seconds into the game, the next five minutes were not good as the Chargers scored twice in a span of 97 seconds, with a fumble recovery at the Bentley 29 sandwiched in between. Senior running back Chris Liggio (Mount Laurel, N.J.) scored on a four-yard run and junior QB Nick Robins (Nephi, Utah) took it in from the one.

Bentley drew even four minutes into the second quarter on the first of two TDs from senior running back Jordan Artope (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson HS). That finished a 14-play, 72-yard drive that encompassed six-and-a-half minutes.

The Chargers owned the ball for the final 7:54 of the first half but that 19-play drive came up empty when a 32-yard field goal attempt was deflected by Falcon senior nose tackle Frank Damata (Framingham/Marian HS).

Bentley's run of 24 unanswered points continued on the opening drive of the second half. Ten plays after Collins returned the ball 56 yards to the New Haven 37, senior Grant Buchanan (Holliston/ Holliston HS) kicked a 20-yard field goal to put the Falcons in front, 17-14.

The Falcons scored on their next possession as well, a 79-yard pass from Sturm to Mahoney. He caught the ball at about the New Haven 40 and took it the rest of the way untouched.

Bentley made it a three-possession game with 10:29 left in the fourth, Artope's five-yard run finishing an eight-play drive after the Falcon defense came up with a fourth-down stop near midfield.

Sturm distributed the ball to seven players and finished 23 of 37 through the air for 236 yards. He also scrambled for a team-best 58 yards on nine carries.

Sheriffs, in addition to the pick-six, forced a fumble midway through the fourth quarter. Sophomore Jailen Branch (Randolph/Milton Academy) also had an interception for Bentley, and classmate Ryan Philibotte (Nashua, N.H./Salisbury School) recovered a fumble.

Junior linebacker Marc Doran (Ramsey, N.J./Saint Joseph Reg. HS) had a game-high nine tackles for the Falcons and sophomore defensive end Cedric Dashiell II (Buena Park, Calif./Buena Park HS) finished with eight tackles and a pair of sacks.

New Haven had a slight edge in several team categories, including first downs (16-15) and total offense (365-333) but Bentley was able to convert two of three fourth downs and control the ball for 18:36 in the second half.

Next Saturday, Bentley will travel to Worcester to take on Assumption.