DUDLEY, Mass. – Graduate student Joshua Pierre-Charles rushed for a pair of first-half touchdowns in Nichols College's season-opening 21-6 win over Westfield State University Friday night in non-conference football action at Vendetti Field.

 The Millis, Mass. native finished the night with 86 yards on the ground (3.9 ypc), scoring on runs of one and five yards, respectively, as the Bison (1-0) have now won two of the last three meetings with the Owls to close the all-time series gap to 12-18.

Senior Hunter Ferreira led the Bison in both receptions (five) and receiving yards (68) while graduate student Alpha Barry hauled in his first catch at Nichols, a 14-yard TD grab to cap a 10-play, 58-yard drive that opened the scoring. Making his first collegiate start, junior signal-caller Logan Sawyer completed 13-of-27 pass attempts for 149 yards and one score.

Defensively, the Bison held the Owls to a shade over 200 yards forced a pair of turnovers as senior Derek Rousso and sophomore Mark James, Jr. each recorded an interception. Senior Joe Cox led all NC student-athletes with 11 tackles (four solo) while freshman Shane Provost notched his first two collegiate sacks. Nichols racked up eight QB hurries and tallied 10 tackles for loss, led by three student-athletes with two.