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WALTHAM, Mass. – Graduate quarterback Mark Waid (Cortland, Ohio/Girard HS) rushed for 137 yards and threw two touchdown passes, and senior running back Nate Larkins (Huntington, N.Y./John Glenn HS) scored three times, as Bentley University defeated Pace University, 41-20, in non-conference college football late Saturday afternoon on the Bentley Football Field.

On a day that the Falcons were celebrating "50 Years of Bentley Football", first-year head coach Alvin Reynolds earned his first career victory. Bentley (1-1) also extended its home winning streak to eight games.

Two first-quarter field goals (30 and 24 yards) by junior Mason Campbell (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) gave Bentley a 6-0 lead.

With just over five minutes left in the second quarter, a 28-yard screen pass from Waid to Larkins extended the lead to 13-0. The six-play, 59-yard drive began with a 17-yard run by Waid, who carried the ball 15 times and averaged 9.1 yards per attempt.

Senior corner Jailen Branch (Randolph/Milton Academy) came up with a third-quarter interception and the Falcons capitalized with a four-play, 75-yard drive to stretch the lead to 20. Waid, who had more rushing yards than Pace had total yards midway through the third, had runs of 12 and 45 yards and Larkins muscled his way into the end zone from the five.

Down 20-7, Pace opened the fourth quarter by trying to convert a fourth-and-one from its own ten. The Setters were denied by senior linebacker Christian Lanzalotto (Rumson, N.J./Rumson-Fairhaven HS). Larkins ran the ball in on the very next play, returning Bentley's lead to 20 (27-7).

That was the first of five touchdowns in the final stanza with Bentley scoring three of those. Waid teamed up with senior wide receiver Noah Neville (Boston/Newton North HS) on an eight-yard TD pass and freshman QB Billy Osborn (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee HS), on his very first play as a collegian, threw a 42-yard TD pass to sophomore Jack Ford (Medford/Lynnfield HS).

Waid, in addition to his big day on the ground, completed 11 of 20 passes for 120 yards. Larkins had 109 all-purpose yards, including 72 on 14 carries.

The Bentley defense was impressive all afternoon, limiting the Setters (1-1) to 276 total yards, 2.7 yards per rush and 12 first downs. Junior linebacker Salvatore Lupoli Jr. (Chelmsford/Chelmsford HS) had 11 tackles, including two for losses, and senior d-end Cedie Dashiell II (Buena Park, Calif./Buena Park HS) recovered a fumble after a strip sack by junior defensive tackle Joe Rivers (Lunenburg/Lunenburg HS).

Bentley totaled 403 yards of offense with no turnovers and had the ball for 32:59.

Bentley's first three-game homestand since 1995 will continue Friday night with a first-ever encounter with Post University.