Football Wins First NEC Game Over Conference Favorite Bryant

The Central Connecticut football team scored 28 second half points and topped Northeast Conference preseason favorite Bryant, 35-33, on Homecoming on Saturday in New Britain.  The Blue Devils trailed 20-7 at the beginning of the third quarter, but put up four second half touchdowns to secure their first league win of the year.

With the win the Blue Devils are now 2-4 overall on the season and 1-1 in NEC play.  Bryant is now 2-3 overall and 0-1 in the league.

Sophomore running back Cameron Nash rushed for 90 yards and had 104 receiving yards on the day, including an 84-yard screen pass in the fourth quarter as the Blue Devils put up 553 yards of total offense in the win.  Redshirt freshman quarterback Tavion Pauldo finished the game 15-of-21 for 245 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the air.  He also rushed for 38 yards and a score.

Nash finished the game with 296 all-purpose yards, the most for a Blue Devil in a game since Rob Hollomon had 303 in a win over Rhode Island last season.

The Blue Devils scored 28 points, ran 38 plays and put up 371 yards of total offense in the second half alone.  Senior Dan Hebert caught six passes for 59 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win.  Central had 346 yards through the air.  Freshman quarter Jacob Dolegala was 5-of-9 for 69 yards and a touchdown.

Bryant led 20-7 after a touchdown catch from Hunter Taute with 9:11 to play in the third quarter.  But the Blue Devils would answer in a big way, taking a 21-20 lead with 2:19 left in the quarter after a pair of long drives, both ending the same way, with a Hebert touchdown catch.

The first drive went six plays and 76-yards and ended with a five yard pass from Dolegala to Hebert.  The drive took only 2:46 off the clock and cut the score to 20-14.

Hebert caught his second touchdown of the day, this time from Pauldo, from 31-yards out to cap a seven play, 64-yard drive just minutes later as the Blue Devils took their first lead of the game, 21-20.

Bryant answered and Ricardo McCray, who ended the game with 174 rushing yards, ran in his first score of the game from 49-yards out with 7:22 left in the fourth quarter.  McCray's score gave the Bulldogs a 26-21 lead.

Nash and the Blue Devils answered on an 84-yard screen pass from Pauldo to cap a quick 90-yard drive that took only 1:16 off the clock.  On a third down Pauldo was flushed from the pocket and found Nash on the screen, and the sophomore put up the longest play of the season for the Blue Devils to give the home team a 33-29 lead.

McCray and the Bulldogs answered again, this time on a 45-yard scoring run to make it 33-29.

Pauldo and the Blue Devils came right back and put together a seven play, 73-yard drive that ended with a four-yard run from sophomore Devon Lofton with 2:15 on the clock.  Pauldo rushed for 10 yards and threw for another 45 on the drive, as the Blue Devils secured their second straight home victory.

Defensively the Blue Devils were led by junior Jevon Elmore who posted an interception, one pass break up and three tackles.  Sophomore safety Najae Brown had a game-high 12 tackles and classmate Randell Laguerre added 11 in the win.  Central had six tackles for a loss and caused one turnover.

The Blue Devils are back in action at home next week hosting Dartmouth at Arute Field beginning at 12 p.m.