Football Opens League Play at Bryant on Saturday on ESPN3
Blue Devils looking for two straight in the series against the Bulldogs
The Central Connecticut football team opens Northeast Conference play on Saturday at Bryant at 1 p.m. on ESPN3. The Blue Devils and Bulldogs are each 1-2 on the season. Both are playing their first league game.
Today's Game • The Blue Devils open Northeast Conference play on the road at Bryant this afternoon. The game is being shown live on ESPN3. Central is looking to snap a string of two straight NEC opening game losses. Their last win in a conference opener came in 2013 when they beat St. Francis U at home, 38-29. The Blue Devils and Bulldogs both have identical 1-2 records entering today's game.
Rossomando Reaches 50 • Head Coach Pete Rossomando recorded career win #50 in the 44-35 win over Bowie State last weekend. Rossomando is in his eighth overall season as a head coach, and his third with the Blue Devils. He posted 42 wins as the head coach at New Haven, and Saturday marked his eighth victory leading the Blue Devils. He now has a career record of 50-31.
Last Year • These two teams played a memorable NEC game in New Britain a year ago, with each team answering each score throughout the second half. Bryant led 13-7 at halftime before the teams combined to score 48 second half points, capped by a four-yard rushing touchdown from CCSU's Devon Lofton with 2:15 to play that sealed the Blue Devil win. The win snapped a string of three straight Bryant wins in the series. The lead changed five times in the second half of last year's game before Central came away with the 35-33 victory.
Last Week • 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 last week. 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.
Rushing Defense • CCSU held Bowie State to 13 rushing yards in the 44-35 home victory. It marked the sixth time in the 26 games under Rossomando that the Blue Devils have held an opponent under 100 rushing yards in a game. CCSU is 5-1 in those six games (Lafayette, 2016). It also marked the fourth time in the last 12 games that the Blue Devils have held an opponent under 25 yards rushing in a game. CCSU is 3-1 in those games (Lafayette, 2016).
Big Returns Last Week • The Blue Devils posted an impressive 330 return yards last week in the win over Bowie State, including 147 kick return yard from freshman Tajik Bagley. Senior Dan Hebert also had 85 punt return yards in the win.
CCSU vs. the Bulldogs, Again • For the third straight week the Blue Devils are facing a team with a Bulldog mascot. Two weeks ago CCSU traveled to James Madison to play the Dukes, who have a Bulldog as their mascot. Last week CCSU hosted the Bowie State Bulldogs and this week they play at Bryant. In the last two seasons the Blue Devils hold a 3-1 record against teams with a Bulldogs mascot.
Dolegala Rushing vs. the Bulldogs • Sophomore quarterback Jacob Dolegala rushed for a pair of touchdowns in last week's win over Bowie State. The signal caller now has five career rushing touchdowns, all coming in his two career games vs. Bowie State. He rushed for three touchdowns in a 21-14 win over Bowie last season.
Receiving Core • Senior Dan Hebert leads the team in receptions this season with 12, good for a team-high 126 yards. Sophomore tight end K.J. Smith, who led the team in receiving yardage a year ago, is third in yardage this season with 87 yards. Running back Cam Nash has 10 catches for 67 yards while sophomore wideout Alex Jamele has seven catches for 101 yards and a touchdown this year.
