Blue Devils Roll to First Victory With Home Win Over Walsh

The Central Connecticut football team posted its first victory of the season with a big 57-6 win at home over Walsh University on Saturday.  Senior Cameron Nash rushed for a season-high 109 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Blue Devils, who played one of the toughest schedules in the country to open the season, improve to 1-3 overall on the season.  Walsh is now 0-4.

The Blue Devils will open Northeast Conference play next Saturday on the road at Sacred Heart at 5 p.m. on ESPN3.

The 57 points are the most for the Blue Devils in the four seasons under head coach Pete Rossomando.  It also marked the most points in a single game since they put up 62 in a home victory over St. Francis U in the 2006 season.  

Walsh kicked a field goal to open the scoring, but then it was all CCSU.  Nash's four-yard run opened the scoring and capped a 75-yard drive to make it 7-3 in favor of the Blue Devils.  The drive took 11 plays and the scoring run was the third of the season for Nash.

The lead quickly reached 14-3 as senior Seth Manzanares intercepted a Walsh pass and went 30-yards for the defensive touchdown.  

With 7:52 to play in the second quarter Central pushed the lead to 21-3.  Sophomore Drew Jean-Guillaume ran it in from one-yard out to cap a six-play, 56-yard drive.  The highlight of the drive came on a 41-yard pass and catch from junior Jacob Dolegala to junior Courtney Rush on the drive's first play.

Following a Walsh punt, the Blue Devils needed only one play to push the lead to 28-3.  Dolegala hit Rush, this time for 62-yards, for the touchdown and the 25 point lead.  The receiving touchdown was the first of the season for Rush.

The lead reached 35-3 with under three minutes to play in the second quarter.  Dolegala ran it in from the one for his first rushing touchdown of the season.  The drive was highlighted by a 46-yard punt return from senior Najae Brown that placed the ball at the four yardline to start the drive.

Nash's second touchdown of the game, this time from 13-yards out, pushed the CCSU lead to 42-6 with 5:43 left in the third quarter.  Nash went over 100 yards rushing in the game with the score.   

Jean-Guillaume rushed for his second touchdown of the game, again from one-yard out, to push the lead to 50-6 at the end of the third quarter.  The rush capped a drive that went nine plays for 52-yards.  A bad snap on the PAT led to a two-point conversion.  

The first career touchdown run from Danley Exilhomme capped the scoring for the Blue Devils in the fourth quarter.  Freshman kicker Joseph Zoppi kicked his first career PAT to finish the scoring.

Central rushed for 254 yards and six touchdowns in the win.  Nash finished the game with 109 yards and his two touchdowns.  Jean-Guillaume had 61 yards and his two scores.  Rush finished the game with 103 yards on two catches.  Brown led the defense with seven tackles.  Manzanares and Grant Ibeh each had an interception. 

The Blue Devils are back in action and open league play at Sacred Heart on Sept. 30, at 5 p.m. on ESPN3.