The Archway

Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: Sports

Jerrell Smith ran for a career best 239 yards on the Bulldogs senior day, with over 100 of those coming in the first quarter alone. (Courtesy of Bryant Athletics)

Senior tailback Jerell Smith (Brooklyn, NY) rushed for a career-best 239 yards and three touchdowns as Bryant University snapped its five-game losing skid with a 35-12 win over visiting Saint Francis (PA) at a rain-soaked Bulldog Stadium Saturday.

Bryant (4-6, 3-4 NEC) scored on its first three possessions: two coming on a pair of long touchdown runs by Smith, the first coming on a 23-yard run on the sixth play of the Bulldogs' opening drive. Following a fumble by Red Flash running back Jude Yearwood after taking a hard hit by Bulldog safety Andre Whyte (Bennington, Vt.), Smith broke free for a 20-yard run to put the Bulldogs up 14-0 just 3:26 into the game.

Saint Francis (2-7, 1-5) would quickly answer as freshman running back Kyle Harbridge scored on a 62-yard run down the middle, but the point after failed and the Bulldogs led 14-6.

From there, it was all Bryant. Freshman standout Jordan Brown (Glastonbury, Conn.) did his part, giving the Bulldogs good field position with a 49 yard kick return down to the Saint Francis 33 yard line. On fourth-and-two, quarterback Mike Croce (Waterbury, Conn.) connected with wide-open tight end Matt Tracey (Bow Mar, Colo.) for a 25-yard touchdown, making it 21-6 with still more than six minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Smith was already over 100 yards rushing as the first quarter came to a close, and the senior wasn't through yet. Midway through the second, Smith broke through the defense and out-raced the Red Flash secondary for a 77-yard touchdown run, his third of the game, to put the Bulldogs up 35-12.

With the rain making the conditions on the field difficult, neither team could find the end zone in the second half as both teams combined for a total of 12 fumbles in the game - mostly on quarterback snaps.

Smith's previous career-best was a 221-yard performance against Southern Connecticut last year. His 239 yards on Saturday is the fifth-best single-game rushing performance in school history and gives him 2,975 career rushing yards in three seasons. Former standout Lorenzo Perry holds the school record of 313 yards in a game back in 2005.

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