2023 Bryant Bulldogs football team

2023 Bryant Bulldogs football
Conference	Big South–OVC Football Association
Record	6–5 (4–2 Big South–OVC)
Head coach	Chris Merritt (5th season)
Defensive coordinator	Anthony Barese (4th season)
Home stadium	Beirne Stadium

2023 Big South–OVC football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Gardner–Webb +^		5	–	1					7	–	5
No. 25 UT Martin +		5	–	1					8	–	3
Eastern Illinois		4	–	2					8	–	3
Bryant		4	–	2					6	–	5
Southeast Missouri State		3	–	3					4	–	7
Tennessee Tech		2	–	4					4	–	7
Robert Morris		2	–	4					4	–	7
Charleston Southern		2	–	4					4	–	7
Tennessee State		2	–	4					6	–	5
Lindenwood *		1	–	5					3	–	7
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – FCS playoff participant Note: Lindenwood ineligible for Big South–OVC title and FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II. Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2023 Bryant Bulldogs football team represented Bryant University as a member of the Big South–OVC Football Association during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Chris Merritt, the Bulldogs played games at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	4:00 p.m.	at UNLV*	Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, NV		L 14–44	20,347
September 9	6:00 p.m.	LIU*	Beirne Stadium Smithfield, RI	ESPN+	W 21–10	N/A
September 16	4:00 p.m.	Brown*	Beirne Stadium Smithfield, RI	ESPN+	L 25–29	N/A
September 23	3:00 p.m.	at Princeton*	Powers Field at Princeton Stadium Princeton, NJ	ESPN+	W 16–13 OT	4,004
September 30	1:00 p.m.	at No. 24 Rhode Island*	Meade Stadium Kingston, RI	FloSports	L 26–49	5,676
October 14	4:00 p.m.	Robert Morris	Beirne Stadium Smithfield, RI	ESPN+	W 43–24	2,286
October 21	3:00 p.m.	at Eastern Illinois	O'Brien Field Charleston, IL	ESPN+	L 24–25 OT	3,690
October 28	4:00 p.m.	at Charleston Southern	Buccaneer Field Charleston, SC	ESPN+	W 47–24	3,012
November 4	1:00 p.m.	Gardner–Webb	Beirne Stadium Smithfield, RI	ESPN+	L 44–45 OT	3,357
November 11	2:00 p.m.	at Lindenwood	Harlen C. Hunter Stadium St. Charles, MO	ESPN+	W 38–3	2,347
November 18	1:00 p.m.	Southeast Missouri State	Beirne Stadium Smithfield, RI	ESPN+	W 45–21	768
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Game summaries

at UNLV

See also: 2023 UNLV Rebels football team

Bryant Bulldogs (0–0) vs UNLV Rebels (0–0) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	0	7	7	14
Rebels	17	7	17	3	44

at Allegiant Stadium • Paradise, NV

• Date: September 2, 2023
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (Indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 20,347
• Referee: Kenneth Ray
• TV announcers (KVVU): Steve Cofield, Matt Neverett

Game information

First quarter (14:16) UNLV – Vincent Davis 69-yard run, Jose Pizano kick (Drive: 1 play, 69 yards, 0:38; UNLV 7–0) (8:49) UNLV – Jai'Den Thomas 18-yard run, Jose Pizano kick (Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 2:38; UNLV 14–0) (1:06) UNLV – Jose Pizano 48-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 2:16; UNLV 17–0) Second quarter (0:00) UNLV – Doug Brumfield 19-yard run, Jose Pizano kick (Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 1:22; UNLV 24–0) Third quarter (7:30) UNLV – Jose Pizano 37-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 2:34; UNLV 27–0) (3:52) BRY – Ryan Clark 1-yard run, Ethan Gettman kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:38; UNLV 27–7) (3:26) UNLV – Donavyn Lester 2-yard run, Jose Pizano kick (Drive: 1 play, 2 yards, 0:03; UNLV 34–7) (0:08) UNLV – Jai'Den Thomas 8-yard run, Jose Pizano kick (Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 1:44; UNLV 41–7) Fourth quarter (12:40) BRY – Ryan Clark 1-yard run, Ethan Gettman kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 4:33; UNLV 41–14) (6:39) UNLV – Jose Pizano 35-yard field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 5:43; UNLV 44–14)

Statistics	BRY	UNLV
First downs	19	20
Total yards	409	394
Rushing yards	40–179	40–268
Passing yards	230	126
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	19–31–1	15–24–1
Time of possession	39:04	20:56

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Bryant	Passing	Zevi Eckhaus	19/29, 230 yards, INT
	Rushing	Zevi Eckhaus	9 carries, 89 yards
	Receiving	Landon Ruggieri	11 receptions, 109 yards
UNLV	Passing	Doug Brumfield	11/18, 86 yards, INT
	Rushing	Vincent Davis	3 carries, 79 yards, TD
	Receiving	Jacob De Jesus	4 receptions, 50 yards

Brown

See also: 2023 Brown Bears football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	7	9	0	13	29
Bulldogs	0	10	7	8	25

Statistics	BRWN	BRY
First downs	27	23
Total yards	428	435
Rushing yards	73	173
Passing yards	355	262
Turnovers	0	4
Time of possession	34:57	25:03

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Brown	Passing	Jake Wilcox	36/49, 355 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Stockton Owen	14 rushes, 54 yards, TD
	Receiving	Wes Rockett	8 receptions, 121 yards, 2 TD
Bryant	Passing	Zevi Eckhaus	20/37, 262 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Fabrice Mukendi	14 rushes, 109 yards
	Receiving	Matthew Prochaska	6 receptions, 112 yards, TD