2018 Bryant Bulldogs football team

The 2018 Bryant Bulldogs football team represented Bryant University during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach James Perry and played their home games at Beirne Stadium. They were a member of the Northeast Conference. They finished the season 6–5, 2–4 in NEC play to finish in a tie for fifth place.

2018 Bryant Bulldogs football
Conference	Northeast Conference
2018 record	6–5 (2–4 NEC)
Head coach	James Perry (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Vinny Marino (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Kevin Kelly (2nd season)
Home stadium	Beirne Stadium (Capacity: 4,400)

2018 Northeast Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 21 Duquesne +^		5	–	1					8	–	3
Sacred Heart +		5	–	1					7	–	4
Central Connecticut		4	–	2					6	–	5
Wagner		3	–	3					4	–	7
Saint Francis (PA)		2	–	4					4	–	7
Bryant		2	–	4					6	–	5
Robert Morris		0	–	6					2	–	9
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

On December 3, head coach James Perry resigned to become the head coach at Brown.[1] He finished at Bryant with a two-year record of 12–10.

Previous season

The Bulldogs finished the 2017 season 6–5, 4–2 in NEC play to finish in a tie for second place.

Preseason

Award watch lists

Award	Player	Position	Year
Buck Buchanan Award[2]	Thomas Costigan	LB	SR

NEC coaches poll

The NEC released their preseason coaches poll on July 24, 2018, with the Bulldogs predicted to finish in third place.[3]

Predicted finish	Team
1	Central Connecticu7ut
2	Duquesne
3	Bryant
4	Saint Francis
5	Wagner
6	Sacred Heart
7	Robert Morris

Preseason All-NEC team

The Bulldogs placed six players on the preseason all-NEC team.[4]

Offense Tom Kennedy – WR

Defense Dillon Guthro – DL Kevin Lazo – DL Thomas Gostigan – LB

Special teams Gavin Rowley – K Jean Constant – RS

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	3:00 p.m.	New Haven*	Beirne Stadium Smithfield, RI	NECFR	W 41–31	4,969
September 8	6:00 p.m.	at No. 24 Stony Brook*	Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium Stony Brook, NY	Wolfievision	L 21–50	5,708
September 15	6:00 p.m.	Marist*	Beirne Stadium Smithfield, RI	NECFR	W 37–27	3,673
September 22	1:00 p.m.	Robert Morris	Beirne Stadium Smithfield, RI	ESPN3	W 49–46	3,792
October 6	1:00 p.m.	at Duquesne	Arthur J. Rooney Athletic Field Pittsburgh, PA	NECFR	W 21–20	2,145
October 13	1:00 p.m.	Central Connectiut	Beirne Stadium Smithfield, RI	NECFR	L 14–48	3,745
October 20	1:00 p.m.	at Fordham*	Coffey Field Bronx, NY	Stadium	W 42–41	1,906
October 27	1:00 p.m.	at Sacred Heart	Campus Field Fairfield, CT	ESPN3	L 26–49	1,678
November 3	Noon	at Saint Francis (PA)	DeGol Field Loretto, PA	NECFR	L 14–27	1,489
November 10	1:00 p.m.	Wagner	Beirne Stadium Smithfield, RI	NECFR	L 36–52	1,652
November 17	1:00 p.m.	at Howard*	William H. Greene Stadium Washington, D.C.	ESPN3	W 56–55	3,974
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

[5]

Game summaries

New Haven

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	7	6	3	15	31
Bulldogs	14	13	7	7	41

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
First meeting

at Stony Brook

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	7	14	0	21
No. 24 Seawolves	13	7	14	16	50

See also: 2018 Stony Brook Seawolves football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
1–2	2014	BRY, 13–7

Marist

	1	2	3	4	Total
Red Foxes	7	6	7	7	27
Bulldogs	7	10	6	14	37

See also: 2018 Marist Red Foxes football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
0–2	2012	MAR, 35–10

Robert Morris

	1	2	3	4	Total
Colonials	0	10	21	15	46
Bulldogs	14	14	14	7	49

See also: 2018 Robert Morris Colonials football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
8–2	2017	BRY, 42–17

at Duquesne

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	7	7	7	0	21
Dukes	7	6	7	0	20

See also: 2018 Duquesne Dukes football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
5–5	2017	BRY, 38–29

Central Connecticut

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blue Devils	6	14	8	20	48
Bulldogs	14	0	0	0	14

See also: 2018 Central Connecticut Blue Devils football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
4–6	2017	CCSU, 31–14

at Fordham

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	21	0	12	9	42
Rams	3	17	14	7	41

See also: 2018 Fordham Rams football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
2–1	2017	BRY, 45–40

at Sacred Heart

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	14	6	0	6	26
Pioneers	14	13	13	9	49

See also: 2018 Sacred Heart Pioneers football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
5–6	2017	BRY, 48–45

at Saint Francis (PA)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	14	0	0	14
Red Flash	17	7	0	3	27

See also: 2018 Saint Francis Red Flash football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
6–4	2017	SFU, 30–14

Wagner

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	10	21	14	7	52
Bulldogs	0	14	14	8	36

See also: 2018 Wagner Seahawks football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
7–3	2017	BRY, 31–16

at Howard

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	14	21	7	14	56
Bison	14	21	0	20	55

See also: 2018 Howard Bison football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
First meeting

References

1. https://www.bryantbulldogs.com/sports/fball/2018-19/releases/20181203mt4233
2. "FCS football: 2018 Buck Buchanan Award watch list announced". August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
3. http://www.northeastconference.org/news/2018/7/24/football-defending-champ-ccsu-tops-preseason-coaches-poll-places-league-high-seven-on-all-nec-team.aspx
4. http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/northeastconference.org/documents/2018/7/24/FB_18_All_NEC_preseason_list.pdf?id=18285
5. "2018 Bryant Bulldogs Football Schedule". Bryant University Department of Athletics. Retrieved May 17, 2018.