Football Completes Undefeated League Season, Wins Big on the Road at Duquesne

The Central Connecticut football team moved to 11-1 overall and finished the season a perfect 7-0 in Northeast Conference play with a 43-10 road victory at Duquesne on Saturday.  The win is the eighth straight for the Blue Devils matching the longest in-season winning streak in school history, also done during the 2017 season.  The Blue Devils clinched their sixth NEC title a week ago at home vs. Robert Morris.  The 11th win extends their school-record for victories in a season.

Central now awaits their fate in the NCAA Playoffs, and will find out their first round opponent on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

On Saturday, senior quarterback Aaron Winchester finished the game 9-of-20 for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.  He also rushed the ball 13 times for 57 yards in the win.  Junior Tyshaun James caught two passes for 80 yards and a score.  Junior Danley Exilhomme ran 13 times for 59 yards and two touchdowns.  Senior Enyce Walker ran six times for 67 yards and a score.

The Central defense intercepted two more passes, both leading to touchdowns, to push their total to 20 on the season.  Eleven different players have intercepted a pass this season for CCSU.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Central Connecticut 43, Duquesne 10
Records: Central Connecticut (11-1, 7-0 NEC), Duquesne (6-5, 4-3 NEC)
Location: Rooney Field | Pittsburgh, PA

KEY MOMENTS

• The Blue Devils took a 6-0 lead on their first offensive drive of the game.  Danley Exilhomme ran it in from four-yards out for the score.  James had a key 34-yard rush in the drive.
• Central scored on its second drive of the game, and led 12-0, after a 23-yard touchdown pass from Winchester to sophomore tight end Theo Zidor.
• Walker scored his fifth touchdown of the season to push the lead to 19-0 in the second quarter.  His scoring run came from 31-yards out.
• Sophomore kicker Joe Zoppi kicked a 36-yard field goal in the third quarter to extend the lead to 22-10.  The field goal was the third of the season for Zoppi.
• Winchester hit James for a 73-yard touchdown strike, the longest pass play of the season for the Blue Devils, to up the lead to 29-10 in the third quarter.
• Junior DJ Exilhomme returned an interception 87-yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it 36-10.
• Exilhomme's second touchdown, this time from 25-yards out, made it 43-10.

NUMBER TO KNOW

11 - Exilhomme and junior Mike Mushaw became the 10th and 11th different players this season to intercept a pass for the Blue Devils.

GAME NOTES

• The Blue Devils didn't allow a point in the first quarter, again.  They allowed only three total points in the first quarter of the last eight games.  They allowed only 23 first quarter points in 12 regular season games. 
• The road win is the sixth of the season for CCSU, the most in school-history and in the country this season, and it's only the second time in league history that an NEC team has won six or more road games (Sacred Heart, 7 in 2001).
• Exilhomme's defensive touchdown was his third of the year and the defense's sixth of the season.
• Central is now 17-2 in its last 19 NEC games and finishes undefeated in league play for the second time in the last three seasons.
• The Blue Devils are the first NEC team to win seven league games since 2012 and the first league team to finish 7-0 since Albany finished 7-0 in 2008.

UP NEXT
Blue Devils will find out their NCAA Playoff opponent on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU.