Football Drops NEC Contest at Sacred Heart
Central Connecticut dropped its first Northeast Conference game of the season in a 27-17 setback at Sacred Heart in Saturday football action. The Blue Devils held a 10-3 lead in the third quarter before the Pioneers scored 24 unanswered points in the second half.
CCSU compiled 312 yards of offense, including a season-high 211 yards on the ground. The Blue Devils, however, lost a pair of fumbles and threw an interception in the game, while committing 12 penalties to hamstring themselves.
Defensively, the Blue Devils forced a pair of turnovers and limited SHU to 5-of-13 on third down. Central managed to get just one sack, while holding the PIoneers to 178 passing yards and 195 yards on the ground.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Central Connecticut 17, Sacred Heart 27
Records: CCSU (1-5, 1-1 NEC), SHU (4-3, 2-1 NEC)
Location: Campus Field | Fairfield, CT
KEY MOMENTS
- The teams played a scoreless first quarter before Central opened the scoring with a 16-play, 98 yard drive. The drive was set up after the Blue Devils stopped SHU on a fourth-and-goal. After nearly having a three-and-out, the Pioneers committed a roughing the passer penalty that prolonged CCSU's possession. The Blue Devils would take advantage with senior Nasir Smith finding paydirt with a five-yard run to make it 7-0 early in the second quarter.
- Sacred Heart would cut the deficit to 7-3 with a 28-yard field goal with 2:59 to go in the half. Central came back to open the second half with a 54-yard drive that was capped off by a 23-yard field goal by junior Joe Zoppi to push the CCSU lead back to 10-3.
- The Pioneers would grab control of the game from there. Sam Renzi converted his second field goal of the game on the next drive to make it 10-6, and after pinning CCCSU at their own four-yard line following a punt the Pioneer defense forced a fumble and recovered inside the five. SHU would score its first touchdown of the day on a run by Malik Grant to make it 13-10 with 3:18 to play in the third quarter.
- Sacred Heart would open the fourth quarter with touchdowns on its first two possessions. Grant capped a 6-play, 66-yard drive with a 15-yard score with 9:29 to play. On the next possession he broke off a 49-yard run to get to the CCSU one-yard line. He punched it in one play later to make it 27-10 wth 8:11 remaining.
- Central managed to come back and score a touchdown, going 67 yards in 2:30. Junior Aaron Dawson scored his first touchdown of the year on a two-yard plunge to get Central within 27-17 with 5:38 to play. After forcing a punt, CCSU came up one yard shy of a first down on fourth down and turned it over to SHU and the Pioneers would run out the clock.
NUMBER TO KNOW
211 - The Blue Devils ran for a season-high 211 yards in the game.
GAME NOTES
- Sacred Heart has gone 6-4 against CCSU in the series' last 10 games. Central had won four of the last five meetings before Saturday.
- Central topped 200 rushing yards for the first time since Nov. 23, 2019, when it ran for 223 at Duquesne.
- CCSU dropped its first NEC game since Nov. 17, 2018, snapping an eight-game streak. The Blue Devils have gone 18-3 in conference play since 2017.
- Smith ran for 88 yards on 18 carries (4.9 ypc), while Dawson added 13 yards on four carries. Each scored a touchdown.
- The Blue Devils were held to just 101 yards through the air. Freshman Isiah Williams had a team-high three catches.
- Defensively, junior Chizi Umunakwe had a team-high eight stops, including the goal line stop. Senior Tre Jones had seven tackles and 0.5 sacks.
- Sophomore Tyler Boatwright had an interception and fumble recovery for the defense as well.
UP NEXT
Central will return to Arute Field for its first home NEC game of the season against LIU on Saturday.