Football Drops Conference Opener at Duquesne on Saturday

The Central Connecticut football team dropped its Northeast Conference opener on the road at Duquesne on Saturday afternoon, falling 27-10 to the Dukes.  The loss drops the Blue Devils to 1-4 overall on the season and 0-1 in the NEC.  Duquesne is now 3-2 overall and 1-0 in league play.

The Blue Devils will be back in action next Saturday at home vs. Bryant beginning at 1 p.m. in New Britain.  The Blue Devils will celebrate Homecoming vs. the Bulldogs on Arute Field.

BUY TICKETS TO HOMECOMING

The Dukes took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter by taking advantage of some penalties and miscues from the Blue Devils.  Klartel Claridy rushed in from two yards out for the first score of the game to cap an 11-play, 54-yard drive with 5:25 left to give the home team a 7-0 lead.

The Blue Devils fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Dukes took advantage as Claridy ran it in from one yard out to push the lead to 14-0 with with 4:17 left in the quarter.  The drive took only three plays and went for 31 yards.

Central answered with a three play drive that took less than a minute and make it 14-7 just before the end of the first quarter.  Freshman quarterback Jacob Dolegala hit classmate Courtney Rush from 58-yards out on a reverse flea-flicker to cut the Duquesne lead in half.  Dolegala was 3-of-3 on the drive for 73 yards and the touchdown.

The Blue Devils cut the lead to 14-10 with under two minutes to play before halftime on a 19-yard field gaol from Ed Groth.  Groth, who had missed an earlier attempts, hit his second field goal of the game to cut the lead to four at the half.

The Dukes built the lead to 21-10 on their first drive of the second half driving 71-yards on 11 plays and taking 4:30 off the clock.  Rafiq Douglas ran it in from four yards out for the score and the 11 point lead.  

Central drove inside the five yardline of the Dukes on their next drive but redshirt freshman Tavion Pauldo fumbled and the Dukes took over at their own five.  Austin Crimmins kicked a 30-yard field goal with 2:18 left in the third quarter to make it 24-10.

Crimmins kicked his second field goal of the game, this time from 23-yards out, to push the lead to 27-10 with 11:34 left in the fourth quarter.

Dolegala finished the game 8-of-13 for 148 yards and a touchdown.  He threw one interception.  Pauldo was 5-of-11 for 79 yards and one interception.  

Duquesne ran 87 plays for 524 total offensive yards, including over 300 in the air and over 200 on the ground.  Claridy rushed 25 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns.  Quarterback Dilon Buechel was 23-of-38 for 323 yards in the win.

The Blue Devils will return home next week and host Bryant at 1 p.m. on Homecoming at Arute Field.