23rd-ranked Football Shuts Out LIU, 28-0

The 23rd-ranked Central Connecticut football team posted its first shutout of the season, defeating LIU, 28-0 on Saturday afternoon.  The Blue Devils improved to 7-1 overall and 3-0 in Northeast Conference play with the victory.  Senior quarterback Aaron Winchester threw for a pair of scores and senior Enyce Walker ran for two more.  The Blue Devils have allowed 14 or fewer points in a game five times this season.

The Central defense held an opponent below 300 total yards for the fourth straight game, surrendering just 84 yards.  The Sharks were limited to just nine yards on the ground, the sixth time the Blue Devils have allowed under 100 rushing yards in a game this season.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

POSTGAME COMMENTS

GAME INFORMATION
Score: #23 Central Connecticut 28, LIU 0
Records: CCSU (7-1, 3-0 NEC), LIU (0-7, 0-6 NEC)
Location: Arute Field | New Britain, CT

COACH QUOTE

"Our defense was lights out. I don't care who you're playing, holding an offense under 100 yards, they dug in and they don't stop playing. They're playing with a lot of confidence right now," said head coach Ryan McCarthy.

KEY MOMENTS

• Sophomore Dexter Lawson, Jr. picked off an LIU pass on the first play of the second quarter. It was Lawson's third interception of the season and the 12th by the Blue Devils defense.
• Senior Aaron Winchester connected with freshman Kyren Petteway for 32 yards on third down to set up CCSU's opening score. Senior Enyce Walker scored from one-yard out to make it 7-0 midway through the second quarter.
• Central stopped the LIU offense on a 4th-and-one with 6:00 left in the opening half. The Blue Devils would cover 56 yards in 4:18 and go ahead 14-0 after Winchester connected with senior Arthur Gilmore, Jr., for four yards.
• CCSU scored on the opening drive of the second half to go ahead, 21-0. Winchester hit a wide-open sophomore Theo Zidor for 51 yards.
• A 23-yard punt return by sophomore Dexter Lawson into LIU territory was followed by a 31-yard catch by junior Tyshaun James and a one-yard score by Walker.

NUMBER TO KNOW

+11 - Central forced two turnovers and has a +11 turnover margin for the season.  

NOTES

• The team's were meeting for the first time since 1995 when LIU was playing as C.W. Post. 
• The Blue Devils are now 13-2 in their last 15 NEC games.
• It was the first CCSU shutout since a 55-0 win over Lincoln on Sept. 7, 2018. The Blue Devils' last shutout against a Division I opponent was Oct. 31, 2015 (Robert Morris, 34-0).
• Winchester finished the game 13-of-20 for 213 yards and two touchdowns. He added 57 yards on 10 carries.
• Junior Tyshaun James had four catches for 69 yards. Gilmore finished with three catches for 29 yards and a score.
• Junior Tre Jones had seven tackles, along with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He had two tackles for loss.
• CCSU's 84 yards allowed to LIU, was the fewest since limiting Merrimack to 38 yards on Sept. 8, 2007.

UP NEXT
Central travels to Wagner next Saturday at 12 p.m.