SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Despite controlling the game for three and a half quarters the American International College football team dropped a 27-16 decision at NCAA Division I FCS Bryant University Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium.

This marked the first meeting between the former Northest-10 rivals since 2007. Bryant began the process of elevating to NCAA Division I the following year.

The Bulldogs took their only lead of the game when senior tight end Matt Tracey (Littleton, Colo.) pulled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Mike Croce (Waterbury, Conn.) to cap a 90-yard scoring drive with 3:51 left in the game.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Arduino (Cornwall, N.Y.) then lost the ball as he was sacked at the AIC five-yard line by junior defensive lineman Jordan Kelly (Canton, Mass.) on the ensuing possession and freshman quarterback Mike Westerhaus (Farmingville, Md.) connected with junior running back Jordan Brown (Glastonbury, Conn.) two plays later for a nine-yard score with 1:34 left for the 27-16 final

AIC opened the scoring when sophomore running back Bryant Fitzgerald (Highland Park, N.J.) scored on a sweep to the left from the one-yard line, capping a 13-play 60-yard scoring drive to give the Yellow Jackets a 7-0 lead with 6:46 left in the first quarter.

Bryant answered right back on the ensuing drive, going 68 yards on seven plays. Brown finished the drive off as he dove for the right pylon for a 10-yard score to tie the game at seven with 3:53 left in the opening frame.

The scored stayed that way until freshman place kicker Daniel Backx (Evesham, England) split the uprights for a 34-yard field goal that gave the Yellow Jackets a 10-7 halftime lead. The lead could have been bigger, but the previous AIC drive stalled at the Bryant one-yard line and Backx missed a 19-yard field goal wide left.

The Yellow Jackets struck first in the second half after senior defensive back Wausa Onigbanjo (Paterson, N.J.) forced the ball loose as he sacked Croce and jumped on the ball on the Bryant 37-yard line. After what would have been a seven-yard touchdown reception was called back on an illegal block in the back penalty, Arduino ran the ball in for a 12-yard score to give AIC a 16-7 lead after the PAT was tipped at the line 3:41 into the third quarter.

Brown once again had the answer for the Bulldogs as he followed a 21-yard return to the Bryant 46 with a 54-yard touchdown run to pull Bryant within 16-13 after a failed PAT of their own 16 seconds later.

Arduino was 17-of-32 for 140 yards and carried the ball 16 times for 80 yards and a score. Fitzgerald had 21 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown, while Perryman caught eight passes for 74 yards.

Westrerhaus was 10-for-13 for 106 yards and threw for two TDs, while Croce was 1-for-3 for 54 yards and one TD. Brown had 29 carries for 29 times for 121 yards and one touchdown and caught two passes for 56

Onigbanjo led AIC with 7.5 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, while sophomore linebacker Joel Bowen (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had 6.5 tackles with two tackles for loss.

Senior linebacker Paul Hanley (Leicester, Mass.) and sophomore defensive back Max Machado (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) had 7.5 tackles each for Bryant, while Kelly had 4.5 tackles with two sacks and a forced fumble.

The Yellow Jackets will next open the Northeast-10 portion of their schedule September 17 when they host Assumption College at noon at Ronald J. Abdow Field.