WALTHAM, Mass. American International College senior running back Maurice Easterling (Yonkers, N.Y.) recorded his sixth touchdown in four weeks, but football dropped a Northeast-10 road game at Bentley Saturday afternoon, 10-6.
With the loss AIC falls to 3-4 overall and 3-3 in NE-10 play, while with the win Bentley moves to 4-3 and 4-2 in the conference.
Easterling, who has been the offensive spark the last three week's was the only Yellow Jacket to cross the goal line for the second straight game. He scored on a one-yard carry in the third quarter to cut the deficit to four with two second left in the third, 10-6. The two-point conversion attempt, a Kwame Jarvis (Schenectady, N.Y.) pass, was no good.
On the ensuing drive, Bentley marched into AIC territory and set up for a field goal, but Michael Baron's 34-yard field goal missed and the Yellow Jackets took over on downs.
Both teams punted on their next two possessions, giving AIC the ball back on their own 28-yard line with 4:30 to go in regulation.
Jarvis got the drive going with a 14-yard completion to junior wide receiver Ryheime Moore (Windsor, Conn.), but three straight bad plays including a sack and an incomplete pass set up the Yellow Jackets in a 4th-and-17 situation on their own 35-yard line.
Jarvis heaved the ball downfield, but was intercepted by Sam McDonald on the Falcon 47-yard line and returned back into AIC territory. Although the AIC defense forced a Bentley punt, the American International offense sputtered and turned the ball over on downs, allowing Bentley to kneel on the ball.
For the second straight game, AIC went into the halftime locker room with a 0-0 score. It also marks the eighth straight game the Jackets have shutout their opponents in the first quarter.
The Yellow Jacket secondary held Bentley to 49 passing yards for the game. Senior corner back Mike Ford (Sammamish, Wash.) intercepted Falcon quarterback Matt Monalto deep in AIC territory and returned it 47-yards to around midfield, preserving the shutout late in the first half.
Jacket defensive end Andrew Justice (Brooklyn, N.Y.) made another 1.5 sacks for 6.5 this season, second in the NE-10. Entering the game, AIC ranked tied for ninth in total defense in NCAA Division II.
Easterling paced the offense with 64 net yards on the ground, while Jarvis completed 14-28 passes for 117 yards and one interception. For the second straight week he was sacked four times.
AIC returns to action Saturday, Oct. 24 when they host Assumption on Homecoming Weekend and featured on ESPN3 as the D2 Game of the Week. Kickoff is slated for 1:04 p.m.
