SMITHFIELD — Tropical Storm Hanna delayed its arrival long enough for Bryant to beat Southern Connecticut, 39-36, at Bulldog Stadium yesterday, but the ominous forecast of rain and wind dampened what should have been a festive atmosphere for Bryant’s first home game as a Division-I program.

Only 2,417 spectators showed up on a humid, overcast, 82-degree afternoon, but they saw a battle between former Northeast-10 Conference foes — Bryant won the title last year in its final D-II season, and Southern is favored this year — and they didn’t have to pop their umbrellas until four minutes remained in the game. Bryant won for the 15th time in 16 home games since the start of the 2005 season.

Bryant (1-1) received a career performance from junior Jerell Smith, a shifty 5-foot-9, 175-pound running back from Brooklyn who carried 34 times for 221 yards, career highs, and two touchdowns. He moved up to fifth in the Bryant record book for carries in a game and tied Lorenzo Perry, the former La Salle star, for seventh place for rushing yards in a game.

Smith did the bulk of the running because fellow junior Lindsey Gamble was suspended Friday for violating a team rule. Head coach Marty Fine said he would meet with Bryant officials and Gamble to discuss the length of the suspension.

“I knew I had to step up. … I knew I had to run the ball,” Smith said. “Lindsey and I play off each other. He was on the sideline telling me things I can’t see on the field.”

Sophomore Mike Canfora rushed for two touchdowns, and tight end Jarrett Solimando caught three passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Jay Graber completed 13-of-25 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns.

Bryant’s defense allowed Southern Connecticut 534 yards, but it forced seven turnovers, four fumbles and three interceptions. Bryant’s offense converted four of those turnovers into touchdowns.

The Bulldogs defense held star running back Jarom Freeman to 70 yards. Freeman shredded the ’Dogs for 418 yards in their regular-season game last year and ran for 242 yards in Southern’s 26-21 season-opening victory at West Virginia Wesleyan on Aug. 30.

“We thought about last year,” said defensive lineman Pat Gauthier, a junior from Woonsocket. “We put in a few new fronts, but we knew we just had to gut it out. We’re better up front this year.”

Pat made six tackles yesterday. Twin brother Pete, playing again after two ankle surgeries during the summer, made one.

“Our main approach was to find ourselves and what kind of team we’re going to be,” Pete said. “After today we know we’re a team that never gives up, is tough, and has to play for 60 minutes, not a quarter or a half. And for Freeman we knew what we had to do: dominate up front.”

Southern Connecticut suffered a crippling blow on its second possession of the third quarter, when quarterback Steve Armstrong, an All-America and Harlan Hill Award candidate as the best player in Division II, went down with a possible fractured tibia, the larger of the two bones in the lower leg. On first down at the Bryant 48, he dropped the ball as he dropped back to pass.

He tried to pick it up, but Bryant’s Zach Wilson got to it first at the SC 42, and Armstrong got hit as Wilson ran the ball to the 33.

Athletic trainers and emergency medical personnel placed Armstrong’s right lower leg in an air cast and removed him from the field on a gurney. He was transported to Miriam Hospital in Providence for x-rays. They were still being taken immediately after the game.

Armstrong was 17 for 23 for 282 yards and 3 touchdowns.

“It didn’t faze us at all. We knew he left the game last week in the second half (dehydration), and we knew his backup can throw the ball. We knew he would pass,” Pat Gauthier said.

Kevin Lynch, a redshirt freshman, completed five of his 12 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

Bryant’s offensive line blocked much better than it did at Central Connecticut in the season opener. Guard Alex Grande was devastating in leading sweeps for Smith, and he and the rest of the crew protected Graber as well.

“All those guys did good. The O line deserves credit for the win,” Graber said.

Bryant took the opening kickoff and drove 41 yards for its first TD, a 15-yard Graber-to-Solimando pass. Southern scored on consecutive possessions in the second quarter for a 14-7 lead, but Bryant tied the score on Canfora’s one-yard run with 10.4 seconds to play in the half. Graber’s scramble and 47-yard strike to Vinton South set up the TD run.

SC opened the third quarter with an 86-yard, 9-play scoring drive for a 21-14 lead, but Steven Branch caught a 5-yard TD pass after Armstrong’s fumble, tying the score.

Tyron Marshall’s 75-yard catch and run for a TD put Southern ahead, but Samad Wagstaff intercepted a pass at the end of the third quarter, Smith ran 31 yards to the 13 and on the second play of the fourth quarter scored from the 10.

Bryant’s Frank Tebou forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Addison Lynch recovered, and three plays later Smith scored from the 4-yard line for a 33-28 Bryant lead.

Southern fumbled the next kickoff, Manny Frangiadakis recovered at the 23, and Canfora scored from the one for a 39-28 advantage. Southern came back with a 9-play, 75-yard scoring drive, cutting Bryant’s lead to 39-36 with 7:53 to play, but Paul Polomski’s interception at the Bryant 46 ended the Owls’ last possession.

Polomski returned the pick to the end zone, but a blocking-in-the-back penalty on Ryan Callahan of Barrington nullified the score. Bryant ran out the clock.

“I’m glad for the kids,” Fine said. “They played really hard and competed at a really high level and get to enjoy the victory.”

Bryant

39

Southern Conn.

36

mszostak@projo.com