MANCHESTER, New Hampshire-The American International College football team had a strong all around game as they topped the Saint Anselm Hawks 30-10 in Northeast-10 Conference play.

AIC improves to 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the NE-10.

On their second offensive drive of the game, the Yellow Jackets opened the scoring, with freshman quarterback Joseph Czelusniak (Staten Island, N.Y.) firing a 29-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Marcel DePina (New Bedford, Mass.) 5:10 into the quarter.

Saint Anselm turned in their first points of the game by taking advantage of an interception deep in AIC territory to kick a 22-yard field goal, but the Yellow Jackets responded with a seven-play, 77 yard drive capped by a 48-yard touchdown reception by freshman wide receiver Christian Dargan (Elliot City, Md.) and had a 14-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.

AIC started off the second quarter with the ball and scored quickly, as senior kicker Christopher Boteler (Manassas, Va.) booted a 22-yard field goal. The teams then traded interceptions on the following drives, with junior defensive back Devonte Dillion (Windsor, Conn.) taking the ball away from the Hawks.

After AIC's defense made a goal line stand to force a turnover on downs, the Yellow Jackets marched up from the Saint Anselm 3, getting again within field goal range and setting up Boteler for another 22-yard boot that put AIC up 20-3 before the half. Dillion had a second interception on Saint Anselm's last drive of the frame.

AIC opened the third quarter with possession and made the most of it, driving the field on 12 plays for 84 yards, closing with a 10-yard touchdown catch by graduate wide receiver Evan Graham (Springfield, Mass.). Boteler's PAT put the Jackets up 27-3.

Two drives later, Boteler added to his point total, hitting a 20-yard field goal.

On the very next play from scrimmage, graduate defensive back Daquan Holmes (Troy, N.Y.) intercepted a pass and returned it 13 yards. The pick was his eighteenth career interception, tying him with Bentley's Gregg Albano '02 for second most in Northeast-10 history. LIU Post's Woody Aime '06 holds the conference record with 19.

Saint Anselm scored the lone points of the final frame, a 3-yard touchdown pass with just under ten minutes to play, but that was as close as they would get; senior defensive back Elijah Johnson (Hackensack, N.J.) intercepted a pass on the goal line for AIC to put the game away.

Czelusniak ended the game 15-of-25 for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Dargan was the leading receiver in yardage with 107, while freshman Ju'an Williams (Springfield, Mass.) had a game-best seven catches for 94 yards. Sophomore running back Willie Brown IV (Mt. Dora, Fla.) picked up 94 yards along the ground for AIC.

Holmes led AIC tacklers with eight, while redshirt junior Anthony Appleton (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had two tackles-for-loss.

The Yellow Jackets next play the Stonehill Skyhawks at Abdow Field on Saturday, October 8. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m.