WALTHAM, Mass. – The 2023 Northeast-10 title is on the line when the Bentley football team kicks off at New Haven Saturday, Nov. 11, at 1 p.m.

NE10 landscape

Bentley and New Haven are both 5-1 in the NE10 this fall. Both teams lost to St. Anselm in October. St. Anselm finished its conference season with a 5-2 mark.

The first time around

Bentley hosted New Haven for a non-conference game in the second week of the season (Sept. 9). The Chargers narrowly edged out the Falcons, 14-13. Mark Waid (96) and Vinnie Holmes (85) combined for 181 rushing yards, and Tajon Vassar set a school record by returning a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.

Worth the Waid

Mark Waid earned the NE10 Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season following Bentley's 31-6 Senior Day win over Assumption (Nov. 4). Waid threw for a season-high 263 yards, and he ran for a game-high 105 yards. The graduate student completed 19 of 31 pass attempts and threw three touchdown passes. The biggest play of the game was an 86-yard touchdown pass to Abel Lopes Jr. in the second quarter. Waid earned the same NE10 honor following his five-touchdown game in Bentley's 62-12 win at American International (Oct. 21).

Closing in on history

Salvatore Lupoli Jr. is just eight tackles away from becoming Bentley's all-time leading tackler. He has 325 career tackles, and Bryan Hardy (2013-16) is the record holder with 332. Matt Zahoruiko holds the single-season record with 111 during the 2009 season. Lupoli's 12.3 tackles per game this season leads NCAA D-II.

Take your pick

Tajon Vassar came away with two interceptions against Assumption last week (Nov. 2). He is tied for the NE10 lead with five picks this season.

Abel to beat corners

Abel Lopes Jr. torched Assumption last week for 127 receiving yards on six catches and two touchdowns. He had an 86-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. Lopes leads Bentley this season in receptions (33) and receiving yards (440).

Special effort

Three Falcons have combined for five NE10 Special Teams Player of the Week honors this season: Nick Pucillo (Oct. 30), Mason Campbell (Oct. 23, Sept. 25, Sept. 18), Tajon Vassar (Sept. 11).

Total package

Bentley's defense ranks fifth in the nation for total yards allowed per game (232.3), and the scoring defense ranks sixth (12.67). On the other side of the football, Bentley leads the NE10 in total offense (355.8 yards per game), and the Falcons are second in points per game (26.0).

Moving the chains

Bentley's 3^rd-down conversion rate of 43-percent by far leads the NE10. Assumption has the next best mark at 35-percent.

Sack attack

Bentley is tied for the NE10 lead in sacks with 24. Salvatore Lupoli Jr. leads the team with six sacks, and Tommy DeMatteo has 5.5.

Recent history

New Haven has won four consecutive games in the head-to-head matchup with Bentley, including an NCAA first-round victory during the 2021 season.

Scouting New Haven (7-2, 5-1 NE10)

The Chargers are just barely the conference's highest scoring offense, averaging 26.1 points per game to Bentley's 26.0. Quarterback Daelen Menard is tied for the conference lead in total touchdowns with 15. Both Elijah Jeffreys (312) and Dev Holmes (350) have over 300 receiving yards this season. Kevin Foelsch is tied for the team lead in receptions (26). Christopher Ais leads the Chargers in rushing yards with 467, and Hunter Cobb has 371. Defensively, Giye Jenkins has five interceptions, Joe Vitale has five sacks, and Devin O'Malley has a team-high 55 tackles.