SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – The end result may not have been in the favor of the American International College football team, but the intensity of the team's 41-34 overtime setback against Bentley University in Northeast 10 Conference play on Saturday, September 27 ensured that the Homecoming crowd went away feeling entirely entertained.
AIC is now 0-4 on the season with an 0-2 NE10 mark.
The first quarter was hardly indicative of the chaos that was to come. Both teams had a key defensive stop – Bentley intercepted a pass in the end zone, and AIC put up a tackle behind the line on a fourth-and-one – but after the opening frame, the score was 0-0.
That changed two plays into the second when AIC took full advantage of the talents of both its quarterbacks. Cephas Williams found Connor Dietz open on a sideline route, and the reigning NE10 Rookie of the Year sidestepped a defender on his way to his first career touchdown catch.
The Falcons answered quickly, nearly taking the kickoff the distance and stopped from doing so only by a shoestring tackle by kicker Santana Fonseca. They needed just 33 yards to tie the game with a seven-yard rushing touchdown on the fourth play of the drive.
Two possessions later, they started in even more favorable field position, taking advantage of a fumble that they recovered at the AIC seven-yard line. Two plays put six more points on the board, but the Falcons failed to tack on the extra point as the kick missed to the right.
That bit of daylight – and a personal foul penalty on the kickoff – gave AIC the chance to grab momentum. Williams helped make it happen, finding rookie Andres Perez on a 27-yard route that put the Yellow Jackets just outside the end zone. Two plays later, Williams hit Fatir Bell with a pass to finish the drive. Bentley then blocked the point-after try to keep the game tied.
The Falcons had a chance to get the lead back before the break, but that was snuffed out quickly thanks to a diving interception by Jaree Jones at the Bentley 34. AIC took a shot at the end zone, but ultimately had to settle for a field goal attempt that came up short, and both teams went to the locker room with 13 points.
Bentley began the second half with possession, and quickly capitalized, with a six-play, 65-yard drive for a score that featured back-to-back 23-yard plays to put it home.
Two drives later, a sequence of special teams plays saw both teams score. It began with AIC's punt unit, which started in a bad situation with a delay-of-game and a false start penalty that pinned them at the five, and got worse when the snap was muffed and Bentley recovered the loose ball in the end zone for a touchdown.
Just as quickly, Bentley was betrayed by their specialists. On the ensuing kickoff, Brian Lafrance mishandled the initial play, but picked the ball back up at the 18 and broke free of the defense, speeding 82 yards into the end zone to stun the Falcons and bring AIC back within seven following the Fonseca extra point.
Bentley attempted to restore order, and on its next drive went down the field for 70 yards and a touchdown, putting the Yellow Jackets back down 14, 34-20, as the teams headed toward the fourth quarter.
AIC's next drive, which carried into the final regulation frame, was a successful one. Deven Arthur picked up a key 21-yard catch before Bo Catherwood dashed off a 22-yard run and finished the push with a five-yard touchdown on the next play. AIC failed on the point after, however, ending the drive down by eight.
Both teams came up empty on their next drives, and the Falcons had a chance to put the game away late in the fourth, pushing into AIC territory and lining up a field goal. However, Ahsin Jacobs came up big, swatting away the kick, recovering the ball, and dashing to the Bentley 24. What might have ended the game instead gave AIC hope.
The Yellow Jackets took advantage. Despite taking a sack, the team moved downfield, converting a fourth-and-four, and Ronjai Francis willed his way into the end zone on a five-yard rush with just 59 seconds left in regulation.
AIC needed two more to tie, and dialed up the quarterback-to-quarterback connection again. Williams found Dietz wide open on the right side of the end zone to draw the game level.
In the overtime, Bentley scored on its first possession, and the Yellow Jackets could not replicate the result, giving the Falcons the 41-34 win.
Williams threw for 233 yards in the contest, with Lafrance leading the receiving corps with five catches and 71 yards. Catherwood netted 50 yards on the ground. Nevin Earl led the defense with eight stops and three hurries.
AIC next heads to Franklin Pierce University on Saturday, October 4 at 1:00 p.m, for the first of three straight road contests.
