Football Falls on the Road at #21 New Hampshire on Saturday

The Central Connecticut football team dropped a 57-14 decision on the road at #21 New Hampshire on Saturday night.  The loss drops the Blue Devils to 1-3 on the season.  With the victory the Wildcats are now 2-2 overall on the year.

Central, who still has one non-conference game this season at home vs. Dartmouth, will travel to Duquesne next Saturday to open league play on Saturday at 12 noon.

Sophomore running back Cameron Nash rushed 16 times for a career-high 161 yards for the Blue Devils in the loss.  He had a scoring run of 73 yards in the loss.  The Blue Devils finished with 229 yards on the ground in the loss, including 56 from redshirt freshman Tavion Pauldo.

New Hampshire got on the board first on a 24-yard field goal from Christian Breda with 9:57 left in the first quarter.   UNH took advantage of a turnover by the Blue Devils, a fumble deep in their own territory, and took the early lead.

Following a Blue Devil punt, the Wildcats put together a scoring drive of 70 yards on seven plays to take an 11-0 lead with 5:11 left in the first quarter.  They went for two and it was successful.  The drive was capped with a 37-yard pass from Adam Riese to Amechie Walker.

Following another Blue Devil punt the Wildcats put together a four-play, 53-yard scoring drive to build the lead to 18-0 with 2:30 left in the first quarter.  A 33-yard scoring run from Dalton Crossan was the second touchdown of the quarter for the Wildcats.

On the next possession Pauldo was hit as he attempted a pass, fumbled, and the ball was picked up by the Wildcats and returned for the touchdown with 1:03 left in the first.  The score was 25-0 following the turnover and the score.  UNH's Trevor Knight ran it in from nine yards out to push the Wildcat lead to 32-0 with 12:06 left in the second quarter.  

Central got on the board on a 73-yard touchdown run from Nash with 5:14 left in the second quarter.  The run was the longest of Nash's brief career with the Blue Devils. 

UNH answered right back with a quick scoring strike from Riese to Crossan from 48 yards to take a 39-7 lead.  The Wildcats scored again just before halftime to push the lead to 46-7.  Riese hit Jordan Powell from 10-yards out for his third scoring strike of the game.  

Neither team would put points on the scoreboard in the third quarter until New Hampshire blocked a CCSU punt in the final minute and then Knight hit Walker from 19-yards out on the first play after the block with 34 seconds left in the quarter.  The snap on the extra point was high, but Knight ran it in for two and the lead was 54-7.  

On the second play from scrimmage following the UNH score, Pauldo ran for a career-long 70-yard touchdown run to make it 54-14 with seven seconds left in the third quarter.  The run was the second of 70+ in the game for the Blue Devils.  

Freshman quarterback Jacob Dolegala finished the game 16-of-25 for 111 yards.  Pauldo completed one pass in the game, and rushed three times for 56 yards.  UNH had 487 yards of total offense in the win, including 252 through the air.  

The Blue Devils return to action next Saturday in their NEC opener at Duquesne beginning at 12 noon.