WATERBURY, Conn. -- With both teams search of their first win of the 2023 season, Post University Football faced off against a tough Bentley University team which would hold them to just six points offensively while the Eagle defense held strong against the Falcons for the first half, making some key stops before ultimately letting up 21 second-half points in Post's 40-13 loss at Municipal Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

THE BASICS

Post University 13, Bentley University 40 

Post University (0-3)
Bentley University (1-2)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Less than a minute into the game, the Falcons drove down the field in just two plays as junior wide receiver Rashon Bradford caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from graduate quarterback Mark Waid, giving Bentley a quick 7-0 lead. Waid would extend the lead to 13 points after throwing to graduate wide receiver Abel Lopes Jr. for a 20-yard touchdown pass which capped off a 13 play, 99 yard drive for the Falcons who would miss the extra point and lead 13-0. 

Stepping it up in the second quarter, the Eagle defense held back Waid and Co. at the five yard line on fourth-and-five to force a turnover on downs. After going three-and-out, the punt by freshman punter Aden Caine would travel just 16 yards out of bounds and set up Bentley in excellent field position on the Post half. Once again, the defense held back the Falcons in the red zone, forcing them to kick a 33-yard field goal which was made by senior kicker Mason Campbell.

The very next drive would result in the lone offensive touchdown of the afternoon for the Eagles as graduate quarterback Simon Burkett drove Post down the field in seven plays which included three tremendous catch and runs by sophomore wide receivers Jermaine Tillery and Josh Tracey to set up Tracey for the one-yard touchdown pass that cut the deficit to 10 points, 16-6.

A long 14 play drive by Bentley to end the first half would once again result in a red zone stop for the Eagles who forced the Falcons to kick a 29-yard field goal with Campbell and head into the half leading 19-6 despite three red zone opportunities in the second quarter. 

After going three-and-out to start the second half and giving the ball back to the Falcons, senior running back Vinnie Holmes was the go-to for the Bentley offense as he pierced through the Eagle defense before junior tight end Nayvon Reid caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Waid that bumped the Bentley lead to 20 points. 

A red zone opportunity for the Eagles, who go inside the 10 yard line, would end in no points as three straight incompletions from Burkett forced a turnover on downs, but a few plays later a blocked punt by graduate wide reciever Anthony Gambino gave the Eagles six more points on the scoreboard as graduate running back Christian Matthews-Byrd picked it up in the end zone for the scoop and score which made it a two possession game, 26-13. 

A quiet fourth quarter for Post University offense along with a couple of touchdown scoring drives on a quarterback run by Waid and the second touchdown of the afternoon from Holmes near the end of the game would put the Falcons in the driver seat as the Eagles fell to 0-3 on the season with the 40-13 defeat. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Mark Waid finished the game with three touchdown passes while going 22-for-24 with 162 passing yards for Bentley, Waid also rushed for 51 total yards
• Vinnie Holmes anchored the Falcon offense with 260 total rushing yards and a touchdown, Holmes had no negative rushes on the day
• Simon Burkett finished 12-of-23 with 115 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception while being sacked four times
• Jermaine Tillery led offensively in recieving yards with 56 yards on six receptions while Joshua Tracey caught four passes for 54 yards and a touchdown 

WHO'S NEXT
Post University begins a four-game road trip starting with a matchup against Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire next Saturday afternoon at 3:30 PM. Meeting last October up in the Granite State, the Eagles dropped the matchup, 24-20, nearly capping off a late fourth-quarter comeback to steal away their first victory of the season.