LORETTO, Pa. – After a wild two-overtime loss at Wagner to open the Northeast Conference schedule last weekend, the Saint Francis football team returns home to face Bryant at noon Saturday.
 
Quarterback Zack Drayer (Hershey, Pa./Hershey ) had a breakthrough game, throwing for a career-high 286 yards while tying the school record with four touchdown passes. Anthony Doria threw four touchdowns twice in 2005, and John Kelly tied the record against Wagner in 2009.
 
"It was definitely a proud accomplishment, but I can't take all the credit," Drayer said. "The receivers made great plays, the linemen blocked for me and coach Long called good plays."
 
Drayer accounted for all five Red Flash touchdowns, including his second quarter rushing score to put the Flash on the board. The Flash converted the two-point conversion to make the score 21-8 as it looked to erase the early three-score deficit. Saint Francis came back to take leads of 22-21 and 25-24 before the game went to overtime at 32-32.
 
With a 4-1 Bryant squad coming in to Loretto, the margin for error figures to be even thinner this weekend. The Bulldogs' wins include a 13-10 victory over then-No. 20 Maine. The Flash has defeated Bryant two years in a row, including SFU's first-ever win at Bryant last season. How can the Flash make it three straight against the Bulldogs?
 
"Honestly, it's to try to not give the other team a 21-point lead," offensive coordinator Eric Long said. "We need to get it together quick and hopefully jump out on them. They're a good football team -  a good defensive football team – and we're going to need to score points to win the game."
 
The Flash has been scoring points all season. The team leads the Northeast Conference and is 21st in the country with its 35.7 points per game average. The Flash extended its consecutive game streak of scoring at least 21 points to seven against Wagner. That tied the longest streak in school history, set during the 2004-05 seasons. Saint Francis has never scored 21-plus points in eight consecutive games. It has that chance Saturday against Bryant.
 
On the other side of the ball, Bryant lost the NEC's all-time leading receiver in Jordan Harris to graduation, but the Bulldogs still have plenty of weapons on the offensive side of the ball.
 
Quarterback Dalton Easton has thrown for seven touchdowns to just two interceptions. Junior Ricardo McCray averages 149.5 all-purpose yards per game between his rushing, receiving and kick returning responsibilities.
 
"Bryant is the best I've seen them on film, ever," defensive coordinator Michael Craig said. "They do a great job of getting you on different levels in the run game and they have great skill. But this year I think they're a more complete team. Everybody's catching the ball, they've got three or four guys who can make plays down the field."
 
Junior receiver Chad Ward leads the team with 21 receptions for 315 yards and three touchdowns. McCray had 13 catches for 154 yards and two scores, while junior Jose Depadua has 11 catches for 119 yards and a touchdown.
 
If there was a defense prepared to stop a versatile pass attack, it's the Red Flash. SFU leads the NEC and is 15th in the country in pass yards allowed. Teams are averaging just 167.8 pass yards per game against the Red Flash. Defensive back Lorenzo Jerome (Sunrise, Fla./J.P. Taravella) intercepted his second pass in as many games at Wagner on Saturday. He's also the leader in the NEC in solo tackles, averaging 5.2 solo stops per game. Jerome is also third in the NEC and 11th in the country in passes defended, breaking up 1.7 passes per game.
 
It all figures to lead to an interesting matchup Saturday afternoon at DeGol Field. Kickoff is set for high noon.