WALTHAM, Mass. – The Bentley football team boasts the nation's fifth-best total defense when it heads into its home game against Fanklin Pierce Saturday, Oct. 28, at 2 p.m.

The ball stops here

The Falcons are allowing just 225.6 yards per game, which ranks fifth in NCAA D-II. Bentley is also allowing only 14.0 points per game – a mark that is tied for ninth in the nation.

All gas, no brakes

Salvatore Lupoli Jr. remains the nation's leader in tackles per game, racking up 12.4 per game (stats corrections from the American International game Oct. 21 are not yet official). Lupoli had a career-high 23 tackles at St. Anselm (Oct. 7), which is the most tackles in a game by a Falcon in at least 30 years. The graduate student came up with his first interception of the season at AIC last week (Oct. 21). So far this season, Lupoli as earned D2football.com Defensive Player of the Week, the Gold Helmet, and he is a two-time NE-10 Defensive Player of the Week.

Waid dives in

Quarterback Mark Waid totaled five touchdowns during Bentley's 62-12 win at AIC last week (Oct. 21). He threw for three scores, and ran for two more. He was subqeuently named the NE10 Offensive Player of the Week. Waid's longest scoring play for the game was a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Oriakhi late in the third quarter. Waid is the only player in the NE10 with 10+ passing touchdowns and 4+ rushing touchdowns.

Campbell keeps kickin'

Mason Campbell earned his third NE10 Special Teams Player of the Week honor this season following the win at AIC. Campbell tied a school record by making four field goals in the game, all which came in the first half. His longest make that afternoon was from 46 yards. Earlier this season, Campbell broke his own school record by making a 49-yard kick in a home game against New Haven (Sept. 9).

Holmes alone

Vinnie Holmes is the only NE10 player averaging more than 100 rushing per game (101.4). He ran for 260 yards in a win at Post (Sept. 16) – the third most rushing yards in a game in Bentley history.

Sack attack

Tommy DeMatteo leads Bentley with 5.0 sacks this season, and Salvatore Lupoli Jr. has 4.5. They rank third and fourth, respectively, in the NE-10.

Scouting Franklin Pierce (3-4, 2-2 NE10)

The Ravens narrowly trail Bentley for the best total offense in the NE10, averaging 359.4 yards per game (the Falcons average 359.9). Despite moving the ball well, Franklin Pierce is fourth in the conference for scoring offense (21.7). Joziah Gonzalez ranks second in the NE10 for receiving yards per game (56.0), and Antonio Smikle Jr. is fourth (44.4). Running back Alex Benitez has the most touchdowns in the NE 10 with seven. He has scored in every game but one, and found the end zone twice last week against Post. Defensively, Tyvarius Daniels leads the NE10 in interceptions with four.