Why Bryant football's fast start could signal a major turnaround
· Yahoo Sports
SMITHFIELD – Bryant football has an immediate chance in its home opener to match its win total from the 2025 season.
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That could be taken as both a sign of progress and how difficult last fall was for the Bulldogs. They went just 3-9 overall and won a lone game in their second season battling the iron of the Coastal Athletic Association.
Bryant coach Chris Merritt said this summer he felt like this group was better equipped to match up with future opponents. That’s played out to date aside from a guarantee game loss to Army – and truthfully, such results rarely go in favor of teams at the FCS level.
Last week’s trip to Hampton started slowly and finished impressively. The Bulldogs rolled to a 31-3 victory over the Pirates, with receiver Shamar Fowles breaking out and Bryant avoiding the mistakes that can hurt any football team. No turnovers in a clean performance helped put the Bulldogs back in the win column.
“I think that’s been one of the reasons why we’re 2-1 at this point,” Merritt said. “In both our victories we did a good job protecting the football. Self-inflicted wounds are the toughest things for any team to overcome.”
Princeton visits for a 1 p.m. kick Saturday, Sept. 19, carrying a blank slate. The Tigers – as is typical with an Ivy League schedule – have yet to take the field this season and will do so for the first time at Beirne Stadium. They were picked in a tie for fifth with Cornell during the conference’s media day, a place in the bottom half after a 3-7 finish last season.
“They’ve got all three of our game films,” Merritt said. “We don’t even know who their starting quarterback is right now. They have a new defensive coordinator. It’s kind of like a season opener for us.
“We don’t quite know exactly how they’re going to line up and what they’re going to come out in and who’s going to be in those spots.”
Mike Weick counts previous time at Salve Regina at enters his eighth year at Princeton (0-0) – he moves to the top defensive role after coaching inside linebackers in 2025. Josh Robinson is a dangerous receiver and punt returner while the offensive line features multiple veteran starters. Ty Ciongoli is listed as the starter under center, but freshman Wyatt Becker starred at California power Sierra Canyon and could push for immediate playing time.
Fowles waited his turn as a redshirt before making a quick impact in his second year with Bryant (2-1). He totaled 112 receiving yards against Hampton, including a 60-yard touchdown pass from Brennan Myer. Sean Wilson Jr. also found the end zone on the outside as the Bulldogs closed the contest with 31 unanswered points.
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Why Bryant football's fast start could signal a major turnaround