Potent Offenses on Display Saturday when 2-0 Bentley Hosts Stonehill on Homecoming
WALTHAM, Mass. – After being cancelled a year ago, Homecoming and Falcon Weekend return to Bentley University this Saturday when the Falcons take on visiting Stonehill College in the opening Northeast-10 Conference game of the season. Kickoff is set at 2 pm.
Tickets can be purchased in advance online by clicking here and if you can't attend, you can view the game on the NE10 NOW Digital Network.
Bentley is 4-1 in its last five Homecoming Day games, including a 41-35 win over Saint Anselm in 2019, and is 24-7 on Homecoming since the program was elevated to varsity status in 33 years ago.
Bentley and Stonehill were the two highest scoring teams in the conference during the non-conference portion of the schedule. Bentley, which is riding a seven-game winning streak, averaged 40.5 points in wins over West Chester and Assumption. Stonehill, also 2-0, put up 44.5 a game in victories over Bloomsburg and Southern Connecticut State.
The two leading rushers in the NE10 will be in action as will the two of the three All-Conference quarterbacks from 2019.
Bentley junior tailback Nathaniel Larkins (Huntington, N.Y./John Glenn HS), after showing promise as a freshman in 2019, has excelled in the first two games with 149 yards against West Chester, 138 in the Assumption game and an average of eight yards per carry thus far.
Stonehill All-America Justin Felder is the only NE10 running back with more yardage this season. He's averaged 6.8 yards per attempt and has 360 yards and a Division II-best eight TDs. Back in 2019, he amassed 1,513 yards and crossed the goal line 16 times.
Both teams also another experienced back who share the load. Bentley graduate student Andrew Brazicki (Franklin Park, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas) is averaging 122.5 yards in total offense and has 1,680 career rushing yards. Stonehill can call upon Brian Kearns Jr., the NE10's number five rusher with a 94.5 average.
Guiding their respective team's offensive fortunes are Bentley senior Stephen Sturm (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley HS) and Stonehill's Anton Stoneking. Sturm was first-team All-Northeast-10 in 2019 and Stoneking received third-team accolades.
Sturm, who surpassed 6,000 yards in career total offense Saturday, has thrown for 404 yards and five TDs thus far with a .628 completion percentage. Junior Tajon Vassar (Worcester/Doherty HS) leads the team in receptions with nine and senior Noah Neville (Boston/Newton North HS) had four catches for 106 yards at Assumption.
Stoneking has completed 69 percent of his attempts for 430 yards and four TDs for the Skyhawks. Chris Domercant has averaged nearly 27 yards per reception, with seven for 188 yards.
Both teams have been solid defensively as well. Bentley leads the conference in a number of categories, including total defense (284.0), pass efficiency defense (108.0), opponents completion percentage (113.46). lowest opponent completion percentage (.510), turnover margin (+3) and opponents third down efficiency (.263).
Stonehill has kept their first two opponents in check on the ground, yielding only 2.5 rushing yards per carry and 82 rushing yards per game.
The top tacklers for the Falcons are linebackers Salvatore Lupoli Jr. (Chelmsford/Chelmsford HS) and Cole McCubrey (Boylston/Tahanto Reg. HS) with 23 and 16, respectively. Senior defensive lineman Cedric Dashiell II (Buena Park, Calif./Buena Park HS) has two sacks this season and at least one in each of his last seven games.
Bentley will be looking for its third straight win in the series with the Skyhawks after dropping four of the previous five meetings. All-time as varsity opponents, the Falcons own a 24-10-1 advantage.
In the most recent meeting, in October 2019, Bentley kicker Grant Buchanan delivered his third field goal of the fourth quarter, this one a 32-yarder, as time expired to give his team a 30-27 win. Stoneking completed 25 of 36 for 337 yards and Sturm threw for 225 yards and two TDs.
After Saturday's game, Bentley will be looking at two straight on the road, Sept. 25 at American International and Oct. 2 at Saint Anselm.