ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst University football team stretched its regular season winning streak to eight and won its first opening game in four years as the Lakers turned back visiting Bentley University, 35-20, on a hot and humid day at Tullio Field.  After a pair of close losses at Bentley to begin the last two seasons, Mercyhurst exacted a measure of revenge in the first-ever meeting between the teams in Erie.
 
The Lakers took the opening kickoff and went 72 yards in eight plays to take a quick 7-0 lead. Redshirt senior quarterback Brendan Boylan picked up where he left off, finding senior FJ Williams on a 42-yard pass play on the first play from scrimmage. Williams, a 1,000-yard receiver at Seton Hill a year ago, finished the day with three catches for a game-high 93 yards. Boylan capped the drive with the 30th touchdown pass of his career, a seven-yard toss to senior tight end John Matarazzo. The drive appeared to stall at the Bentley 25 but, on a fourth and five, Boylan threw a 15-yard strike to senior Jaquan Williams to reach the Falcons' ten. Junior Dylan Kondis added the point after.

Bentley went three-and-out and, following a 55-yard punt, the Lakers were back in business at their own 14-yard line. Six plays, 86 yards, and 5:29 later, the Lakers struck pay dirt again. This time, Boylan found redshirt senior T.J. Latimer from two yards out. The drive was aided by a 44-yard scamper by redshirt senior Brandon Brown-Dukes. Kondis again converted the point after.

The Falcons got back in the game late in the quarter, going 77 yards in seven plays. Junior Martin Bannerman carried it in from five yards away. The point after was good.
 
The Lakers wasted little time in recapturing the 14-point advantage. Boylan and company moved 89 yards in only six plays with Boylan and Jaquan Williams hooking up for a seven-yard score early in the second. Kondis added his third point after.
 
Bentley got momentum heading to halftime by generating a 53-yard scoring drive that ended with a three-yard run by Bannerman with 14 ticks left. The key play came on a 17-yard run to the Mercyhurst three on a third-and-ten. Bentley then took a time-out and Bannerman scored on the next play.
 
The Lakers had the better of the statistics in the first thirty minutes, outdistancing the Falcons in first downs (14-10), rushing yards (91-62), passing yards (254-119), and total yards (345-181). Boylan ended the first thirty minutes 15 of 19 for 254 yards and three touchdowns. Brown-Dukes had 64 yards rushing on just six carries – 44 on one attempt.
 
The Falcons appeared set to tie the game early in the third. A good kick-off return put Bentley in business at its 43 and ten plays later, the Falcons were looking at fourth and goal from the Mercyhurst one-yard line. But junior defensive linemen Ryan Carroll and Benji Abercrombie collaborated to stop running back George Craan short of the end zone and the Lakers had survived a five-minute Bentley possession.
 
But three plays and only three yards later, Mercyhurst was forced to punt and the Falcons started with great field position at the Mercyhurst 39. Bentley could not get the ball into the end zone again and settled for a 29-yard field goal by Michael Baron to trim the Mercyhurst lead to 21-17. With slightly better than two-and-a-half minutes to play in the third, Mercyhurst had owned the football only 1:47 in the quarter.
 
Desperate to rest its defense, Mercyhurst put together a drive for the ages. The Lakers went 83 yards in eleven plays, using nearly six minutes on the clock, to increase their lead to 28-17. During the drive, the Lakers threw caution to the wind not once, but twice. On fourth-and-nine from the Lakers' 34, head coach Marty Schaetzle called for a fake punt and redshirt junior Richie Sanders, who missed the entire 2014 season, galloped 14 yards for a first down at the 48. Later in the drive, and facing fourth-and-four from the Bentley 29, Mercyhurst disdained a field goal try and was rewarded when Boylan hit redshirt senior tight end Donny Holl for a 24-yard gain to the five. It was Holl's only catch of the game. Brown-Dukes scored on the next play and, with the point after, the Lakers were up eleven early in the fourth.

It was Brown-Dukes' 30th career rushing touchdown, tying him with Justin Gibson (1996-00) for second on the school's all-time list. Richard Stokes holds the record with 37.
 
Back came the Falcons as Bentley drove 74 yards in 13 plays (5:48), but the Mercyhurst defense stiffened again and the Falcons settled for an 18-yard field goal on fourth-and-goal from the one and the lead was whittled to 28-20. Ultimately, the Falcons' inability to score touchdowns in the red zone would come back to haunt them.
 
Bentley's "D" forced a three-and-out and the Falcons had one last try. 

The Falcons moved the ball to the Mercyhurst 22. But on fourth-and-nine, senior quarterback Matt Montalto's pass was intercepted by redshirt senior Tevin Stewart, his second of the game, and returned 90 yards for the clinching score. The interception came with only 90 seconds left in the contest and was the second-longest pass interception in school history (Colin Kimball, 100 yards, 2014).
 
Bentley made one last effort to score, but junior Dorian Stevens pilfered Montalto's pass at the Mercyhurst eleven and the Lakers ran out the clock.
 
Bentley had more first downs than Mercyhurst (22-18) and was nearly six minutes better in possession time (32:57 to 27:03). The Falcons outgained the Lakers on the ground (141-128) while Mercyhurst had the better passing statistics. Boylan was 20 of 25 for 305 yards and three touchdowns. It was his sixth 300-yard passing effort in his last seven starts dating back to last season. He used nine different receivers.

Montalto and junior C.J. Scarpa were a combined 23 of 40 for 245 yards and three picks, including a very costly one. The Lakers turned the ball over just one time, a first-half fumble. Redshirt junior linebacker Bruno Natter and Stevens led the defense with nine tackles apiece.
 
Mercyhurst will return to action next Saturday, September 12, when it entertains PSAC East-member, West Chester. The Rams have won the two prior meetings, both at West Chester, 45-13 in 2013 and 38-14 last season. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m..
 
Additional Game Notes: Mercyhurst hadn't won its first game of the season since a 24-23 overtime win against Notre Dame College of Ohio September 3, 2011, at Tullio Field…Matarazzo's TD reception was the second of his career (at Seton Hill; November 1, 2014)…Latimer's TD reception was the fifth of his career…Boylan now has 32 TD passes in his career and has thrown 14 in his last three games dating to last season…the Lakers had scored a combined 37 points in their two losses at Bentley…Mercyhurst, 12 of 22 on fourth-down attempts last season, was perfect in three tries Saturday…Mercyhurst won the turnover battle against Bentley (+2); the Lakers were a -1 last season…only the graduated Colin Kimball (7) had more than one interception of Mercyhurst's 15 last season…the victory was head coach Marty Schaetzle's 70th at Mercyhurst (70-74)