WALTHAM, Mass. – Following a disappointing loss to American International College in the home finale, the Bentley University Falcons will wrap up Alvin Reynolds' first season as head coach on a positive note Saturday with a noon game at Pace University. Fans who don't make the trip to Pleasantville, N.Y. can view the game live on NE10NOW.tv.

The loss to AIC dropped the Falcons to 6-3 overall, 4-2 Northeast-10 and out of the hunt for the conference championship, as well as the NCAA Division II regional rankings. A victory Saturday would give Bentley consecutive seasons with at least seven wins for the first time since 2001-05.

Pace's records are identical to Bentley's after the Setters have strung together three consecutive victories, including 17-14 over Saint Anselm last Saturday.

This will be the second meeting of the season between the two clubs, who played in Waltham back in week two. That was a high-scoring affair, particularly in the fourth quarter when a combined five touchdowns were scored, and was won by the Falcons, 41-20.

Senior tailback Nate Larkins (Huntington, N.Y./John Glenn HS) scored three touchdowns, two on the ground and one through the air, and graduate transfer Mark Waid (Cortland, Ohio/Girard HS) threw two touchdowns and amassed 257 yards total offense, including 137 rushing.

Waid, who had his third 100-yard game of the season on Saturday, and his counterpart from Pace, former NE10 Offensive Player of the Year Carlton Aiken, are both dual threats with each amongst the top three rushers in the conference. They are also 1-2 in the NE10 in total offense with Aiken averaging 252.8 and Waid 220.7.

Waid has rushed for a team-best 676 yards and has thrown for 1391 yards with a 138.8 efficiency rating. He's accounted for 18 touchdowns during his first Bentley season.

Aiken also leads his team in rushing (639 yards) and has thrown for 1,636 yards with an efficiency rating of 136.4. He's accounted for 22 TDs, including five on the ground.  

Waid is one of three Falcons listed among the NE10's top eight ground gainers. Larkins has rushed for 488 and leads the conference in touchdowns (8) and junior Vinnie Holmes (Mansfield/Mansfield HS) has gained 428. Both have also caught ten passes this season.

The top receivers for Bentley have been sophomore Isaiah Decias (Ozone Park, N.Y./Hudson Catholic HS) and senior Noah Neville (Boston/Newton North HS) and Abel Lopes Jr. (Scituate/Scituate HS). Each leads in a different category with Decias having 18 catches, Neville 304 yards and Lopes Jr. an average of 20.2 yards per reception.

The Bentley defense enters the season finale ranked number one nationally in Division II in scoring defense (10.6) and red zone defense (.476) as well as third in total defense (225.0). Coach Reynolds' defense has only allowed two TDs in the last 22 quarters and has held eight consecutive opponents to less than 280 yards.

A key factor in that success have been 32 sacks, resulting in losses of 240 yards. Senior Cedie Dashiell II (Buena Park, Calif./Buena Park HS) is fourth in Division II with 10 sacks, and for his career, is fourth among active D-II players with 30. In addition, the Falcon captain is tied for first in forced fumbles with 11 in 39 career games.

Senior corner Jailen Branch (Randolph/Milton Academy) and junior linebacker Salvatore Lupoli Jr. (Chelmsford/Chelmsford HS) have also been among the players instrumental in Bentley's defensive success. Branch has intercepted four passes and broken up seven, and Lupoli Jr. is the NE10 leader in tackles with 87.

Senior d-back Mathieu Severance (Lynn/Lynn English HS) leads the Falcons in break-ups with ten and senior linebacker Christian Lanzalotto (Rumson, N.J./Rumson-Fair Haven HS) is second to Lupoli Jr. in tackles with 48. He also has three takeaways this fall.

Junior kicker Mason Campbell (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) continues to lead the conference in scoring with 62 points. His 11 field goals, in 14 attempts, is tied for the third most by a Falcon in a single season, and he's been perfect on 29 extra point tries.

Pace, 4-1 at home with the only loss coming to conference champion Assumption, averages 362.4 yards offense and 28.4 points, both ranking second in the conference.  Defensively, they give up 282 yards and 20.7 points a game.

Bentley is 18-5 all-time against Pace after winning the last three meetings. Down in Pleasantville, the Falcons have won eight of nine since 2003.