BOX SCORE GAME HIGHLIGHTS
POST GAME INTERVIEWS
 
LORETTO, Pa. (Sept.  8, 2012) – The Saint Francis University Football team picked up its third consecutive home opening win Saturday knocking off Northeast Conference rival Bryant, 39-28, at DeGol Field.
 
John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) and Khairi Dickson (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) combined for 286 rushing yards and SFU held the Bulldogs (0-2, 0-1) to just seven points in the second half while racking up 24. Kelly went 9-for17 on the rainy afternoon but did throw a pair of touchdowns while also rushing for 138 yards on the ground. Dickson, a freshman, posted 148 yards on the ground while also picking 22 receiving yards and the first score of his college career. The Red Flash (1-1, 1-0) defense posted a strong effort picking up three interceptions and racking up eight points on its own.   
 
The Red Flash offense started with the ball and started quickly marched down of the field using a large variety of plays including a wide receiver pass in which AJ Alexander threw to John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) for a 30 yard gain. Alexander finished off the drive with a 23 yard run off the left side on a read option to give SFU the early 7-0.
 
Saint Francis forced Bryant into a fumble on its first possession and looked set to go in for another score until Keion Wade (East Orange, N.J./East Orange) fumbled inside the 10-yard line and defensive back Jeremy Woodson picked up the ball and ran it back 95-yards to even the score at seven. Bryant used the turn in momentum to slow the SFU offense and after getting the ball back the Bulldogs used their power running game led by Jordan Brown to set up the Red Flash defense for play action. Mike Westerhause connected with Jordan Harris for a 32-yard touchdown to open up a seven point lead for the Bulldogs.
 
Saint Francis responded by going back to the freshman Dickson who this time put SFU in prime scoring position with a 17 yard catch from Kelly. The Flash finished off the drive on a play action of their own and Kelly found freshman Valshawn Wallace (Potomac, Md./Potomac) in the back of the end zone to bring the Flash back within one but the extra point by Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) was blocked and Bryant clung to a 14-13 advantage.
 
On the next Bryant possession, Asalemo Freuean picked up a 10-yard sack on second down forcing the Bulldogs into third down and long on their own four. Westerhaus tried to throw a short dump off pass to Brown on third down but the senior running back was caught in the end zone by Bishop Neal (Clairton, Pa./Clairton) and the Red Flash picked up two points off a safety.
 
The Bulldogs capitalized on a SFU turnover just before the half to take the lead into the locker room. Kelly threw a deep ball up for grabs that went through the hands of Alexander and ended up in Woodson's hands. Bryant's Woodson returned the interception 57-yard setting up a short field for the Bulldogs. Westerhaus used the short field to complete a 20-yard pass to Matt Roncaioli to give Bryant a 21-15 advantage heading into the intermission.
 
Saint Francis got back on the move with their first drive of the second half but stalled on the Bryant 28 and settled for a 46-yard field goal by Thiel to make the score 21-18 in favor of the Bulldogs. Following another stop by the SFU defense, the offense for the Flash went back to work. Dickson broke a 29-yard run and finished off the six play 51-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run to give the Flash a 25-21 advantage.
 
The Red Flash defense started the fourth quarter by forcing a Bryant three-and-out and after a short punt, SFU stood in prime position for another score. On an excellently designed play, Kelly rolled right and then threw back left to a wide open Alexander, who got into the end zone to make it 32-21 in favor of SFU.
 
After the teams traded possession, Bryant tried a deep pass and got burned by sophomore Mike Dennis (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck), who picked off Westerhaus and used some great cuts to go 58-yard for the touchdown to extend the SFU lead to 39-21. Bryant picked up a Jordan Brown touchdown to make it close but on the Bulldogs final possession, Neal picked off Westerhaus to seal the win for the Flash.
 
Neal, a sophomore, finished the day as SFU's leading tackler with 13 total stops, one tackle for loss, a safety and an interception. Fifth-year senior Ryan Revtai (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) also recorded double-digit tackles for the Flash defense and Patrick Paul (Port Charlotte, Fla./Port Charlotte ) joined the interception party with one of his own.
 
Saint Francis returns to action next week with a road trip to Morehead, Ky. to take on the Eagles of Morehead State University.    
 
GAME NOTES
- The win for the Flash is the first for the program against Bryant.
 
- In their three home openers under Villarrial the Flash are undefeated and have averaged 43.3 points per game.
 
- Dickson and Kelly become the first pair of SFU players to post 100-yards rushing or more in a the same game since Jude Yearwood and Kyle Harbridge (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) did it on Oct. 24, 2010 against Duquesne
 
- The three INTs are the most for Saint Francis since the 2011 opener against Morehead State.  
 
- Mike Dennis (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck)' interception returned for touchdown was the first INT return for a score for SFU since Matt Parker pulled it off against Sacred Heart in the 2010 season opener against Sacred Heart.