Football Opens the Season with a Loss on the Road at #9 New Hampshire

The Central Connecticut football team opened its 2010 campaign with a 33-3 loss on the road at #9 New Hampshire on Saturday afternoon. Central, who was 9-3 a year ago and won the Northeast Conference title, dropped its season-opener for the first time since the 2007 season and for just the second time in the five seasons under head coach Jeff McInerney. Central has its home opener next Saturday at 12 noon against Bentley.

The Wildcats wasted little time getting on the board in 2010 returning the opening kickoff 91-yards for a touchdown. Terrance Fox took the Juan Duque kick back to give New Hampshire the 6-0 lead. The two-point attempt was no good.

The Blue Devils moved the ball on their first offensive drive, but eventually had to punt. New Hampshire answered with an eight-play, 79-yard drive to take a 13-0 lead with 8:07 left in the first quarter. Dontra Peters took a fourth and one play 47-yards for the score.

Peters scored his second touchdown of the game in the second quarter, this time from 15-yards out, to up the lead to 19-0. The point after was no good. With 6:23 left before the half New Hampshire upped the lead to 26-0 after a three-yard pass from R.J. Toman to Chris Jeannot.

The Blue Devils got on the scoreboard to end the first half on a 29-yard field goal from senior kicker Joe Izzo.

Following a missed field goal attempt for the Wildcats, defensive lineman Randi Vines picked off a Gunnar Jespersen pass and went 30-yards for the Wildcat touchdown with 12:50 left in the fourth quarter. The scored made it 33-3.

"We saw some good things and we saw some not so good things," McInerney said following the game. "I saw a lot of positives out there and we need to go back to work and get ready for Bentley. We played a very good football team out there today. We had a lot of guys seeing their first action for us out there today, and I was pleased with their progression. Now we need to get back to work and prepare to defend our home turf next week."

Senior Jeff Marino led the defense for the Blue Devils with 13 tackles including one for a loss. Isaiah Boddie added 11 tackles and a sack. Senior Ricardo Gibson had a sack for Central. Jespersen finished the game 12-for-17 for 129 yards and an interception in his first start. Izzo's field goal from 29 yards makes him 10-for-12 in his career with the Blue Devils.

Central returns to action at home on Saturday, Sept. 11 hosting Bentley University at 12 noon. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 1410 in Hartford beginning at 11:45.