WORCESTER, Mass. – The Assumption University football team takes the field at Brian Kelly '83 Stadium on Saturday as they welcome No. 13. Kutztown University to town. The Greyhounds are looking to start their season with a bang against a ranked team.
 
ASSUMPTION GREYHOUNDS (0-0, 0-0 NE10)
Roster | 2022 Schedule | 2021 Statistics | News
 
KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY (0-0, 0-0 PSAC)
Roster | 2022 Schedule | 2021 Statistics | News
 
Assumption University is trying to get back into the NCAA Division II National Tournament for the first time since 2017. Under the guidance of Head Coach Andy McKenzie, they look to get stronger after a 5-5 season in 2021.
 
This is the seventh straight year that the Greyhounds and the Golden Bears of Kutztown will be opening up their season against each other. On September 4th, 2021, the Golden Bears defeated the Greyhounds in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, by a score of 19-0. The record between the two is deadlocked at 3-3, with the Greyhound currently on the wrong side of a three-game losing streak going back to 2018. The largest margin of victory came in 2016 with a score of 45-21.
 
Kutztown's fairytale 2021 season came to a shattering halt in the NCAA DII Quarterfinals, as No. 8 Shepherd pulled off a hail mary touchdown as time expired to win the game 30-28. Despite the abrupt ending, it was a fantastic season for the Golden Bears. It formed another record-tying 11-win season while winning the PSAC championship and a first-ever trip to the NCAA quarterfinals. During the regular season, they were 7-0 in conference play, with their only loss coming to Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
 
Fans attending the game at Assumption must be aware of the policies of the Assumption University campus. Live Stats and Live Stream will also be available to those watching from another location.
 
NE10 Preseason Poll

• The Greyhounds were predicted to come in second in the Northeast-10 Conference, according to the league's preseason coaches' poll released on August 15th
• Assumption looks to improve off of their 2021 campaign, which saw them finish tenth with a 5-5 overall record and a 5-3 record in conference action
• New Haven was ranked first in the poll with 49 points
• Assumption was 12 points behind them and four points ahead of third, which was Bentley

 
A Look at the Matchups Ahead

• The Greyhounds are on track to play ten games this fall, opening up the season on September 3rd vs. No. 13 Kutztown University, a team they've opened up against every year for seven years running
• Another highlight on the schedule is the Homecoming Game on October 15th vs. Bentley University, who are currently receiving votes
• Reigning champions No 16. University of New Haven come to Brian Kelly '83 Stadium on October 29th, rounding out the last home game of the year for the Greyhounds
• On October 9^th, the Greyhounds will play at Polar Park against Franklin Pierce University, home of the Worcester Red Sox, the Triple AAA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox
• Before conference play begins, Assumption will travel to North Andover, Massachusetts, to take on Division I Merrimack
• The NE10 schedule will begin on September 24th vs. Pace and continue through with opponents such as Southern Connecticut State, Franklin Pierce, Bentley, American International College, New Haven, and Saint Anselm
• Assumption closes their season on the road vs. Post University

 
New Faces in Town

• Assumption is led by Head Coach Andy McKenzie, who will be in charge for his fifth season. The coach and his staff welcome 34 new Greyhounds to the roster, including 31 freshmen and three transfers.
• There are 34 combined seniors and graduate students on the team this year as well.

 
Reflecting on Last Season

• To open up the 2021 season, the Greyhounds went 0-2. As previously mentioned, they were defeated by Kutztown University on the road by a score of 19-0. Kutztown went on to only drop one game all season and win their conference championship
• Assumption's first home game was a 40-28 loss to Bentley University. Easton Turner threw 3 touchdowns and 1 interception on the afternoon with 227 yards and a longest completion of 32 yards
• The Greyhounds then went on to win four of their next five, taking down Pace University, Franklin Pierce University, Southern Connecticut State University, and American International College in the process. It was very close to a five-game sweep, but the Greyhounds were bested by the Skyhawks of Stonehill by one point on September 25th, losing 27-26
• Assumption lost to the eventual champions in the University of New Haven on the road 16-10, a defensive battle that saw New Haven emerge victorious. Following that, the Greyhounds split contests with Saint Anselm and Bentley, beating the former but ending 0-2 against the Falcons on the season
• The Greyhounds scored 26.60 points per game, on top of accumulating 3,508 yards on the season and 36 touchdowns
• A lot of damage was done on the ground last season, with the Greyhounds rushing for 2,304 yards on the year. They averaged 211.9 yards per game and 19 touchdowns on the ground. Khaleed Exum-Strong led the squad with 933 net yards rushing on 127 carries

 
Stand Out Stars From 2021

• Isaiah Huff (Windsor, Connecticut/Milford Academy) was a standout on the defensive side of the ball, as well as in special teams. also earned spots on the D2CCA All-Super Region Second Team, the Northeast-10 First Team Offense as a return specialist, the All-Conference First Team Defense, and the All-New England Team
• Huff had 21 kick returns for 757 yards, averaging 36 per return and scoring a 99-yard touchdown against American International. Huff also had four punt returns for 34 yards, averaging 8.5 yards per return. On the defensive side of the ball, Huff had 18 tackles, three interceptions, and six breakups.
• Lastly, then freshman punter Gabriel Bertolazzo (Winter Garden, Fla./Windermere) was named to the All-Rookie Team. Bertolazzo had 38 punts on the year, punting for 1,431 years averaging 37.7 yards per punt. His longest punt of the year was 50 yards, and he landed 9 punts within the 20-yard line and created seven fair catches.

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