Football Opens at #17 Stony Brook
The Central Connecticut football team will open the 2012 season at #17 Stony Brook.
The Central Connecticut football team will open the 2012 season tonight at #17 Stony Brook. The Blue Devils and Seawolves have not played since the 2007 season, but are no strangers having played yearly when Stony Brook was a member of the Northeast Conference for football.
The Blue Devils (4-7, 3-5 NEC in 2011) are looking to rebound in 2012 with the hope of capturing the programs fifth NEC title. The Seawolves (9-4, 6-0 Big South in 2011) enter 2012 with three straight conference titles and a strong case for a fourth. Last season, Stony Brook topped NEC Champion Albany in the opening round of the FCS Playoffs.
Fans can listen to all the action on Fox Sports Radio 1410 AM with Bruce Biel and Marc Robbins calling all the action. Coverage will begin at 5:45 p.m.
Listen Live: Fox Sports Radio 1410 "Home of the Blue Devils" & iHeart Radio
Here are a few notes on the Blue Devils heading into Week 1:
NEC Preseason Poll - The Blue Devils were picked fourth in the 2012 Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Defending champion Albany was selected to repeat as the best team in the Northeast Conference this season, followed by Duquesne and Bryant. After CCSU were Monmouth,Robert Morris and Wagner. Sacred Heart and Saint Francis (PA) filled the final two spots in the poll.
Preseason All-NEC - Senior linebacker Lorenzo Baker was named a preseason All-Northeast Conference selection for the 2012 season. Baker was Central's leading tackler last season and will serve as a team captain in 2012. In 2011, he posted an impressive 80 tackles, 42 solo-stops, 8.0 tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles. For his performance as a junior, Baker earned second team All-NEC honors.
QB Battle - One of the main stories in Blue Devil camp was the competition for the starting QB job. Juniors Andrew Clements and Jake White both saw action under center last season as a back-up and redshirt reshman Nick SanGiacomo joins the Blue Devils after spending last season at Tulane. The three layers entered camp in an open compettition, Clements and SanGiacomo separated themselves and both will see time in today's game, but Clements will be the starter. According to head coach Jeff McInerney, " Then we'll go with the one that's hot. I want to get their feet wet and to be fair to everybody, they have to get in games."
Coach Mac Climbing the List - Head Coach Jeff McInerney is 42-25 in his six seasons at the helm of the Blue Devil football program. His 42 wins make him the second-winningest coach in school history. Former head coach Bill Loika is first on the list with 94 career wins. Coach Mac's .627 winning percentage is third to Tom Massella's .714 (15-6) and Harrison J. Kaiser's .632 (31-17-5). Massella led the Blue Devils between 2004-05 and Kaiser led the team from 1935-47, but the school did not field a team in four of those years because of World War II.
2012 Captains - Central will be led by six captain this season: seniors D.J. Radich, Lorenzo Baker, Nate Pagan, Juan Duque and juniors Denzell Jones and Jake White.
