BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Sept. 12, 2015) - On Saturday afternoon, the LIU Post football team earned a nailbiting 40-31 win against Assumption College in its 2015 home and Northeast-10 Conference opener at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium.

Tied 3-3 after Zach Kolodny's (Farmingdale, N.Y.) first collegiate field goal late in the opening quarter, the Pioneers (2-0, 1-0 NE-10) forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Junior running back David White (Bronx, N.Y.) delivered a hit on Assumption (1-1, 0-1 NE-10) defensive back Charles Reid (Westampton, N.J.) that jarred the ball loose. Red-shirt junior defensive back Kareem Folkes (Brooklyn, N.Y.) then scooped up the fumble and ran it in for the go-ahead touchdown.

Though it was a mistake-filled (four turnovers) first half, LIU Post led at the break. In the final minute of the second quarter, junior quarterback Jeff Kidd (Salem, Ore.) completed four straight passes of 10 yards or more, capped by a 40-yard touchdown heave to red-shirt sophomore wide receiver Kyle Ward (Elizabeth, N.J.). That sent the Pioneers into halftime with a 20-16 cushion.

During the latter half, the Greyhounds scored nine unanswered points, on the heels of three Cole Tracy (Camarillo, Calif.) field goals, to go in front 25-20 with 10:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. Tracy was an impressive 6-of-6 on field-goal tries on the day, which included a 52-yard kick in the final minute of the second quarter.

From there, the Pioneers staged their comeback. On the next drive, the green and gold utilized their ground game, rushing for 42 yards on four plays, to get in striking distance. Shortly thereafter, Kidd converted a crucial 4th-and-1 by taking a 10-yard keeper into the end zone, putting his team ahead by one point (26-25) in the process.

Three series later, LIU Post forced another pivotal turnover. This time, red-shirt junior linebacker Wayne Harris (Jamaica, N.Y.) got the strip sack of sophomore quarterback Quinn Fleeting (Windsor, Conn.) to set the Pioneers up with first-and-goal.

Following the fumble, it only took one play for the hosts to add to their lead. Red-shirt junior running back Mike Williams (Westbury, N.Y.) crossed the plane from four yards out to give LIU Post a 33-25 advantage at the 1:16 mark.

The Greyhounds, however, would set up an exciting finish. A 36-yard hook-up from Marc Monks (Annandale, N.J.) to Deonte Harris (Baltimore, Md.) with 37 seconds left closed the gap to 33-31.

Despite a subsequent failed two-point conversion, Assumption managed to recover the onside kick. The Pioneers were not going to be denied of victory though, as Harris completed his day with a 46-yard pick-six of Monks to secure the victory.

Kidd finished 23-of-36 passing for 230 yards and one touchdown. White carried the ball five times for 66 net yards. Ward hauled in six passes for a game-high 102 yards and a TD. 

In addition to his forced fumble and interception, Harris added nine tackles and 2.5 sacks. Senior linebacker Brandon Cheney (Hewlett, N.Y.) recorded a team-best 11 tackles. Sophomore defensive lineman Kevin Petit-Frere (Amityville, N.Y.) had 10 tackles, along with 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and a pass break-up. Red-shirt freshman linebacker Patrick Williams (Westbury, N.Y.) pitched in eight tackles and one sack.

Head Coach Bryan Collins and his LIU Post squad are back in action next Saturday (Sept. 19), when they travel to Manchester, N.H. for a date against NE-10 rival Saint Anselm College. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.