Offense Comes Alive As Blue Devils Top Bowie State on Saturday

The Central Connecticut offense came alive as the Blue Devils scored the most points in a single game in the Pete Rossomando era with a 44-35 win at home vs. Bowie State University.  The win is the first of the season for the Blue Devils who are now 1-2 overall on the season.  Bowie State is also 1-2.

Senior Brenden Lytton rushed for 99 yards three touchdowns and Central rushed for 248 yards as a team in the home victory.  Lytton's backfield mate junior Cameron Nash rushed for a game-high 118 yards in the victory, to go along with a touchdown.  The Blue Devil defense held Bowie State to just 13 yards on the ground, on 21 total carries.

The 44 points are the most in a game for the Blue Devils since they scored 52 in a win over Wagner in the 2013 season.  The Blue Devils finished the game with 430 total offensive yards.

Bowie took the lead after an early interception for the Blue Devils.  Following the turnover the Bulldogs needed just one play to take a 7-0 lead.  Amir Hall hit Brandon Britton from 13-yards for the early lead for the visitors.  

The Blue Devils answered with 2:37 left in the first quarter, capitalizing on a long punt return from senior Dan Hebert.  Following the 64-yard return, the Blue Devils needed just five plays to move 26 yards for the tying scoring.  Sophomore quarterback Jacob Dolegala rushed it in from four yards out to tie the game.

The Bulldogs wasted little time retaking the lead, driving 77 yards in nine plays to take a 14-7 lead.  Brandon Abrams ran it in from one yard out for his first score of the game.

The Blue Devils took advantage of the first miscue of the game from the Bulldogs on their next scoring driving.  Forced to punt, the punt hit the back of a Bulldog player and was recovered by the Blue Devils deep in Bulldog territory.  Lytton ran it in from five yards out to tie the game 14-14.

Central took a 17-14 lead on a 37-yard field goal from senior Ed Groth with 43 seconds to play before the half.

The Blue Devils forced the second turnover of the game to open the third quarter, and Lytton rushed for his second touchdown of the game to push the lead to 23-14.  The Blue Devils went for two but were unsuccessful.  

Following an interception from sophomore Tymir Hinton, Dolegala rushed for his second touchdown of the game to push the lead to 30-14.  The rushing score was the fifth career rushing touchdown for the sophomore, all coming again Bowie State.  The touchdown marked 23 straight points for the Blue Devils after trailing 14-7.

Hall ran it in from six-yards out to put an end to the Blue Devil run and cut the lead to 30-21 with one minute left in the third quarter.

Nash scored his first touchdown of the season from 16-yards out to push the Blue Devil lead to 37-21 with 13:33 left in the fourth quarter.  The key play in the drive was a 3rd-and-14 pass completion to Hebert that went for 22-yards and a first down.  

Bowie State answered again with a 75-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown pass from Hall to Nyme Manns cut the lead to 37-29 with 10:06 left to play.  The two-point conversion attempt for the Bulldogs was good, making it an eight point game.

Lytton's third touchdown of the game came from 31-yards out and capped a quick three-play drive that went 65 yards for the score.  Central led 44-29 after the extra-point.  

Bowie scored one final time as they drove 81-yards in five plays to cut the lead to 44-35 with 5:19 left in the fourth.  The Bulldogs had a delay of game penalty and then a bad snap as they attempted the extra point and the lead remained nine after the failed try.

The Blue Devils return to action next Saturday on the road at Bryant beginning at 1 p.m.  The game will air live on ESPN3.