SPRINGFIELD, Mass. American International College scored their lone touchdown in the first quarter, but Assumption downed football on ESPN3 in Northeast-10 action Saturday afternoon at Abdow Field, 32-7.
With the loss AIC falls to 3-5 overall and 3-4 in NE-10 play, while the league leading Greyhounds move to 7-1 and 6-1 in the conference.
On the opening drive, the Greyhounds marched down the field on a 10-play, 73 yard scoring drive that ended in an Ashton Grant 13-yard touchdown reception from Brendan Tobey. The touchdown was the first points AIC has allowed in the first quarter since Pace on Senior Day last November.
On the ensuing AIC possession, the Jacket offense went three-and-out, forcing a junior Chris Boteler (Manassas, Va.) punt. The snap was high and Boteler chased it out of the back of the end zone to prevent a Hound touchdown, but ended in a safety.
Down 9-0 just 4:40 into the contest, AIC caught a break. Hound wide receiver Deonte Harris coughed up the ball in Assumption territory and junior defensive lineman Omari Manhertz (Bronx, N.Y.) came away with the football on the Hound 33-yard line.
With great field position, sophomore quarterback Shawn Brathwaite (Brooklyn, N.Y.) went to work. His first attempt at junior wide receiver Ryheime Moore (Windsor, Conn.) was off the mark, but a play later Brathwaite hit Moore in the back of the end zone for his first career touchdown. Boteler's extra point was good and AIC cut the deficit to two, midway through the first, 9-7.
Assumption's special teams were on point all day. Later in the first, Hound senior punter Patrick Tyler pinned AIC deep in their own territory. Snapping on his own five-yard line, Brathwaite back pedaled too far and was taken down the second safety of the day.
Assumption led at the end of one, and the teams played a scoreless second, taking an 11-7 game into the break.
In the third, Assumption went to work, scoring touchdowns on consecutive drives to blow the game open, 25-17. The Hounds capitalized on an AIC fumble on their own five-yard line, setting up Alex Shain for a quick, two run scoring series and a comfortable and final 32-7 margin.
Moore led the AIC offense with 45 receiving yards and the lone score.
The Yellow Jackets defense, which entered Saturday's game ranked fifth in the nation in total defense, allowed just 295 yards, holding the NE-10's top offense to just 28 points.
AIC senior corner back Mike Ford (Sammamish, Wash.) made his team-leading fifth interception of the season to go along with five tackles and three pass breakups. Senior linebacker Tyrone Mans (Newark, N.J.) led the team with 14 tackles. AIC had three total sacks led by Manhertz one complete sack.
AIC returns to action Saturday, Oct. 31 when the Warriors of Merrimack invade Abdow Field on Senior Day. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. with a senior ceremony prior to game-time.
