Football Travels to Merrimack on Saturday
Central Connecticut hosts LIU at Arute Field for its first home Northeast Conference game of the season. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. CCSU will be looking to bounce back from its first NEC loss since 2018, while LIU is in search of its first win of the season.
Fans will be permitted at Arute Field and are asked to review the Fan Attendance Policy for fall/winter sports at CCSU. Tailgating will not be allowed on the campus of CCSU.
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TODAY'S GAME • Central plays Merrimack on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in North Andover. After playing LIU last week, the Blue Devils are playing the Northeast Conference's newest members in back-to-back weeks. CCSU will host Bryant next Saturday.
COVID-19 HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS • Consistent with Merrimack's vaccination requirement, all spectators must verify that they are fully vaccinated in order to gain access to campus and attend athletic events. Fully vaccinated is defined as completing the full course of a vaccine – one dose of Johnson & Johnson, two doses of Moderna or Pfizer or WHO-approved international vaccines – and completing the necessary post-vaccination waiting period. All fans who wish to attend Merrimack athletic events on campus must visit this link (https://merrimackathletics.
TIME OF POSSESSION • The Blue Devils control the ball for an average of 34:17 per game, which leads the Northeast Conference and is 3rd in the NCAA FCS football subdivision. CCSU held the ball for a season-high 53:51 in the opener against Southern Connecticut. Central had the ball for just 26:19 in its win at Wagner - a season-low.
BOOMING BLUE DEVIL • Freshman Aidan Clark has been strong in the punting game for CCSU. He ranks fifth in the Northeast Conference, averaging 37.2 yards per punt, while putting nine kicks inside the 20. He has a long of 60 yards that he boomed at Wagner. Against Miami, he put four punts inside the 20 and ripped off three kicks of at least 50 yards, including a long of 58 yards.
APPLYING PRESSURE • Senior Kelvin Apari is among the CCSU and NEC defensive leaders. He is second on the team with 38.0 tackles, while also leading CCSU with 3.5 sacks, which ranks 2nd in the NEC, and has a league-best 10 tackles for loss. He ranks 15th nationally in the FCS in TFL per game. Apari had a season-best 14.0 tackles against Columbia, which included 1.5 sacks and 4.0 TFL.
CONFERENCE PLAY • CCSU has posted a league-best 18-4 record in Northeast Conference play since 2017. The Blue Devils finished 7-0 in Northeast Conference play in 2019 after posting a 6-0 mark in 2017 and a 4-2 record in 2018. CCSU became the first NEC team to win seven league games in 2019 since both Wagner and Albany finished 7-1 in 2012.
PICKING IT OFF • Central Connecticut has picked off a pass in three straight games and has six interceptions on the season. The Blue Devils ranks fourth in the NEC in interceptions and are fifth in turnover margin at +0.0. Jonathan Cabral-Martin and Dexter Lawson each have a team-leading two interceptions on the season. CCSU's pass defense has held each of its past three opponents under 200 passing yards.
UP NEXT • Central hosts Bryant at 12 p.m. next Saturday. The game will be available on ESPN3.