SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The American International College football team overcame a 20-3 second quarter deficit to earn a 37-27 Northeast-10 victory over Assumption College Saturday afternoon at Ronald J. Abdow Field.

The Yellow Jackets improved to 2-1 for the season, while the Greyhounds fell to 1-2. It was the conference-opener for both teams.

Junior defensive back Markell Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.) started the comeback when he returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown with 5:30 remaining in the second quarter. Redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Arduino (Cornwall, N.Y.) then ran 58 yards for a score with 2:35 left in the period to pull AIC within three, 20-17, at the half.

Assumption opened the second half scoring when sophomore running back Matt Pedone (Holden, Mass.) caught a pass at near the Greyhounds' sideline at the line of scrimmage and took it 91 yards for a score to extent Assumption's lead to 27-17 4:26 into the third quarter. It was the last time the Greyhounds would score the rest of the game.

The Yellow Jackets answered on their ensuing drive to pull back within three, 27-24. Junior wide receiver Stephen Benjamin's (Rosedale, N.Y.) 59-yard reception gave AIC first and goal from the Assumption nine-yard line and junior fullback Anthony Enderle (Gloucester, Mass.) finished the drive when he found the end zone on fourth-and-one.

The Yellow Jackets took their first and only lead of the game on their next drive as Arduino hooked up with sophomore running back Terrell Williams (Hempstead, N.Y.) on a 25-yard scoring play to cap off a 10-play, 75 yard drive with 1:10 left in the third quarter.

Redshirt freshman defensive back Carron McCluney (Hillside, N.J.) capped the comeback when he returned an interception by sophomore quarterback Gabe Homiski (Preston, Conn.) 12 yards for a touchdown with 3:28 left in the game.

Junior wide receiver Paul Perez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) opened the scoring for the Greyhounds when he returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown midway through the first quarter. The PAT sailed wide-left, give Assumption a 6-0 lead. That lead grew to 13-0 when freshman quarterback Kevin Bumpus (Bridgewater, Mass.) ran for a five-yard score with 1:46 left in the opening frame.

AIC got on the board when freshman place kicker Cesar Vaca-Hurtado (Naples, Fla.) split the uprights on a 30-yard field goal attempt 50-seconds into the second quarter, but Assumption answered after getting the ball back when Bumpus ran in for a two-yard score to make it 20-3 in favor of the Greyhounds.

Arduino completed 14-of-21 passes for 209 yards and one touchdown and carried the ball five times for 56 yards and one score after entering the game late in the second quarter. Williams had 18 carries for 112 yards and a score, and caught three passes for an additional 45 yards and a second TD.

Bumpus was 11-of-20 for 171 yards with an interception and ran four times for 23 yards and two scores for Assumption before getting knocked out of the game. Previte was 4-for-9 for 107 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and Homiski was 4-for-10 with two picks. Pedone finished the game with 176 yards of total offense, 110 rushing and 66 receiving, and two three TDs.

Rice finished the game with four tackles, two interceptions and twp pass breakups, while McCluney finished with 4.5 tackles, one picks and one pass breakup. Sophomore linebacker Jaquawne Simpkins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) had 7.5 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and senior defensive back Max Brown (Paterson, N.J.) had 6.5 tackles.

Senior linebacker Nick DiAntonio (Milford, Mass.) had a game-high 10.5 tackles for Assumption, while junior defensive back Eric Agyeman (Worcester, Mass.) had seven tackles. Junior defensive end Tom Effler (North Attleboro, Mass.) added five tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and forced a fumble.

AIC will next travel to Stonehill College September 24 for a 1 p.m. Northeast-10 contest.