HIGHLIGHT VIDEO | SENIOR DAY PHOTO GALLERY

WEST HAVEN, Conn. - Senior Mike DeCaro (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay ) led the University of New Haven football team with 333 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in a 54-10 Senior Day victory over Bentley University Saturday at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium.

With the win, New Haven concluded the regular season with a 7-3 overall record and a 7-2 record in the Northeast-10 Conference. Bentley dropped to 5-5 overall and 4-5 in conference play.

The first player with 300-plus all-purpose yards since 1999, DeCaro enjoyed a career game on Senior Day. He totaled 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, 45 yards receiving on one catch and 137 return yards on four attempts. In the middle of the second quarter, he returned his first career punt for a touchdown, totaling 71 yards on the one return. The punt return was also the first taken to the house since 2003.

Fellow running back Anthony Tillman (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) added 105 rushing yards on 12 carries, while Ronnie Nelson (Stuart, Fla./South Fork ) chipped in with 50 yards and freshman Andre Anderson (New Haven, Conn./James Hillhouse) added 45 yards on six carries.

Nelson also went 10-of-15 through the air with 151 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, the Chargers played one of the best all-around games of the season, holding Bentley to 34 yards on 30 carries and a total of 296 yards on 74 plays. Tyler Condit (Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) led the team with 10 total tackles, while rookie defensive end Dave Calderon (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) recorded two sacks, a forced fumble, a quarterback hurry and a blocked kick. Sean Berglund (Wolcott, Conn./Wolcott) also recorded two tackles-for-loss with one sack and a quarterback hurry. Brent MacLeod (Winchester, Mass./Winchester), Jacob Weaver (Wilmington, Del./Archmere Academy), Sherwood Jonathas (Everett, Mass./Everett) and Michael Intrieri (Westerly, R.I./Westerly / Dean College) also recorded sacks in the win.

The Chargers opened scoring on their first possession as Nelson and DeCaro guided the offense from its own 9-yard line. DeCaro highlighted the drive with a 61-yard carry which setup a first-and-goal at Bentley's 8-yard line. On third-and-goal, the Weston, Fla. native finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown carry.

Bentley answered right back, taking its next drive 79 yards on 12 plays for a Falcon touchdown. Quarterback Danny Guadagnoli led the drive through the air, but capped it with a 7-yard touchdown run with 4:27 left in the first quarter.

After exchanging offensive series, UNH took over at Bentley's 46-yard line when Calderon broke through the Falcons' linemen and blocked a punt attempt. Senior Matt Stevko (Shelton, Conn./Shelton ) recovered and the Chargers began the offensive series in Falcon territory. Three plays later, New Haven broke the tie as Nelson scrambled out of the pocket, got blocks down field and crossed the goal line. UNH took a 14-7 lead after a Brian Roberts (Amherst, N.Y./Amherst Central) extra point with six seconds left in the first quarter.

Bentley's next offensive series was long once again, eating 3:06 off the clock and going 48 yards on 11 plays. The Falcons lined up for a field goal, but Jacob Weaver (Wilmington, Del./Archmere Academy) came off the edge and blocked the second kick of the day for UNH. New Haven's ensuing drive went nine plays and 67 yards when Nelson capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Michael Flacco (Audobon, N.J./Gateway Regional / The Community College of Baltimore County - Catonsville) to put the Chargers ahead by 14 points, 21-7.

After a three-and-out, Bentley punted the ball to DeCaro who took the return 71 yards for his first career punt return touchdown. The extra point was blocked and New Haven maintained a 27-7 lead with 7:25 left in the first half.

DeCaro's score was the last of the first half as the Chargers headed to the locker room ahead by 20.

The Falcons opened the second half with their only other scoring drive of the half. Bentley went 25 yards on eight plays to New Haven's 14-yard line. Michael Baron then stepped into the game and split the uprights on a 31-yard field goal attempt to bring the score to 27-10 with 12:35 left in the third quarter.

DeCaro took the ensuing kickoff 32 yards to UNH's 47-yard line and one play later the senior when 53-yards to the house. Roberts split the uprights again and the Chargers took a 34-10 lead with 12:16 on the clock.

The UNH defense stopped Bentley on fourth-and-four on its own 7-yard line on the next series, while Anderson took over in the backfield on UNH's next offensive series. Anderson carried the ball six times until crossing the goal line from three yards out with 2:22 left in the third.

Herbens Antenor (Malden, Mass./Malden) intercepted a Guardagnoli on Bentley's next series and Nelson found Chris Higgins (Cumberland, Maine/Bridgton Academy ) in the endzone just three plays later to put the Chargers ahead 47-10.

The final score on the afternoon came from Kendall Marks (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) who returned a Bentley fumble 31-yards for a UNH touchdown with 2:24 left in the fourth quarter. Drew Ortone (Grafton, Mass./St. John's) made the hit and ripped the ball out, which was recovered by Marks.

New Haven returns to action for the Northeast-10 Conference Championship Weekend action on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium. The Chargers finished the season as the No. 3 seed and will host the No. 4 seed Assumption for a 12 p.m. kickoff.