High hopes
Bryant aiming to win first NEC title
With Chris Hindle, right, getting the starting nod at QB, the Bryant football team is thinking NEC championship.
SMITHFIELD — Plenty has changed in the Bryant football program over the last four seasons. The Bulldogs are on their third coach in the last four seasons, they are now playing on a state-of-the-art surface at Beirne Stadium and their conference expanded with the addition of Merrimack and Long Island.
What hasn’t changed is the Bulldogs’ Football Championship Subdivision trophy case is still empty. After coming within a victory of winning the Northeast Conference title in 2015 and 2016, the Bulldogs took a step back over the last two seasons. Captains Robert Brown and Vinny Nisivoccia vow to change that in 2019.
“Everyone’s buying into what coach [Chris Merritt] was saying back in the winter and the spring,” Nisivoccia said after Tuesday afternoon’s practice at Beirne. “Whatever it takes, every senior from top to bottom is buying in and doing what it takes to win. I want to bring Smithfield it’s first ring, that’s my hope. We can’t take anything for granted.”
“The biggest thing is accountability. This team can win because the mindset here has changed,” Brown said. “Something Coach Merritt has harped on is the physicality of the way we’ve played the game. We’re playing fast with physicality and putting 11 helmets on the ball.”
Bryant is coming off its second sixwin season in a row, but the Bulldogs showed glimpses of a team that could play in the FCS playoffs. Bryant went on the road and defeated eventual conference champion Duquesne, which won a playoff game, 21-20, early last season. The Bulldogs, however, suffered injuries at quarterback, which combined with tackling and defensive scheme problems, saw the squad drop four of five conference games late in the season.
One of those quarterbacks who went down with a late-season injury, redshirt sophomore Chris Hindle, beat out Ohio State transfer Kory Curtis for the starting job this season. Hindle, who missed the last three games of 2018 with a dislocated hip, won the job in fall camp because of his ability to manage the offense and limit mistakes.
“I’m just excited for the opportunity because me and Vinny and the other guys have been working hard this summer,” said Hindle, a Bishop Hendricken product. “Decision making is an important thing for me and I’m just trying to take what the defense gives me, and be smart with the ball. Now, knowing that everyone believes in me, I just want to elevate my play to be the best I can be for this team.”
Hindle, who was 4-for-10 in limited action as a redshirt freshman, is surrounded by an experienced offensive line and an explosive group of running backs. Kyle Mann, Robert Perez, Mike Andrejco, Finn Littlefield and Nolan Wilson all return after starting at least six games last season. While a couple running backs are dealing with nagging injuries, former St. Raphael star Alfred Dorbor, Middletown’s Isaac McCray and Daniel Adeboboye are capable of being lead backs.
“Knowing that the offensive line has played in a bunch of games and they know what it’s like at this level gives me more confidence,” Hindle said. “Our back play should be very good. We’re trying to run the ball more than we have in the past, so having three guys who have been through is great. We have the right group of guys and the right leaders in to do this.”
Nisivoccia is the lone preseason all-NEC offensive player after leading the team with 50 catches for 691 yards and seven touchdowns. The New Jersey native is also expected to replace All-America kick returner Jean Constant in the return game. Sophomore David Zorrilla is expected to take a big step forward after catching 16 passes for 146 yards, while Alex Rasmussen is looking to build on a 22-catch season.
“I know we have a strong starting unit, but I don’t know if the depth is there yet,” Merritt said of his entire squad. “If we stay healthy, I have a good feeling we’ll be competitive in every game we play. There isn’t an opponent on our schedule we can’t beat. Offensively, Chris’s job is to keep the chains moving. We don’t need him to win the game, we just need him to get the ball to other guys.”
Brown, the Bulldogs’ other preseason all-NEC performer, believes the defense could be very strong even after graduating a number of talented players, including Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Tom Costigan. Brown and Jesse Nemerowicz, who is on course to become the first Bulldog with 300 career tackles, anchor a talented linebacker corps.
“Defensively, we’re going to be flying to the ball and hitting everyone with a purpose,” Brown said. “There’s nothing more to say about it. I love this defense because I came in with a lot of these guys like Logi [Portugal] and Jesse Nemerowicz. I love everything these guys are about. The young guys understand the opportunity we have here and are willing to put it all on the line to help us win.”
Merritt said his goal is to lead the league in run defense, which would be quite a turn around for a defense that was gashed far too often during NEC play last season. On the defensive line, Tomas Wright, who broke the school record with 12.5 sacks, is back to anchor a veteran group. Fernando Casanova, Kodi Ujukwu and Richard Ukele all have multiple years of experience.
The goal is to force teams to pass the ball because Merritt, who was a safety at Indiana in the early 1990s, believes pass defense is the strength of the team. Portugal marshals a defensive back group featuring returners Andre Brackett and David Onyemem. Rutgers transfer Javis Hanks will also see plenty of playing time.
“We focused this spring about blocking and tackling, guys did an excellent job buying into that,” Merritt said. “We’re going to get them into a good position to make tackles and we need to do that. We want to force our opponents into throwing the football, which forces them into the teeth of our defense. We need to force teams to be one dimensional.”
While Nisivoccia is excited to play a bigger role in the return game, the Bulldogs expect to be better in special teams. Kicker Luke Samperi, who earned a scholarship with a field goal late in camp, is back after making 31-of-34 extra points. Punter Gavin Rowley, who lost the kicking job to Samperi during 2018, averaged 36.9 yards on 55 punts last season.
The Bulldogs begin the season tonight on Long Island against Stony Brook, which is ranked 27th in the STATS preseason top 25. Bryant’s first home game is Sept. 14 against Fordham, before a revenge game at Beirne against former coach James Perry and Brown. The new eight-game league season kicks off Sept. 28 when Saint Francis comes to town.
“Anything less than competing for the NEC title doesn’t match what our program goals are,” said Merritt, who coached Christopher Columbus High School to the Florida 8A title game last season. “It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to set a goal of anything other than winning. We want that conference championship.”
For Brown, winning a conference title in his final season at Bryant isn’t just about achieving a personal goal, but setting the stage for a bright future for the program.
“Winning that first championship will make us go down as one of the best teams to do it here,” Brown said. “If we win, that’s going to help with bringing in more recruits. That one championship will lead to three and five – at that point you’re building a legacy and a dynasty. There’s nothing better than that.”