Football Opens NEC Play Under The Lights Saturday
The Blue Devils begin NEC play when Sacred Heart visits Arute Field for a 6pm contest
The Central Connecticut football team plays its home opener Saturday night at Arute Field, welcoming Northeast Conference foe Sacred Heart University. The 6:00 pm game will air on ESPN3 with Dave Popkin and Kevin Gilbride calling the action.
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Football tailgating is back for 2022. Please take a moment to read the CCSU Tailgating Policy so that all of our fans can have a safe and enjoyable time at the game. Tailgating is avialable beginning THREE hours before kickoff, 3:00pm.
CCSU Athletics and ConnectiCare are partnering to support Maria's Place. Please consider bringing a non-perishable food item to donate.
Gates to Arute Field open at 5:00 pm on Saturday.
- The two squads have won or shared a league-title in each of the last five seasons. The Blue Devils won the 2017 and 2019 championship.
- Isaiah Green earned NEC Prime Perfomer honors on September 5 in recognition of his 8.0 tackles, 1.5 sacks and forced fumble at UConn.
- The Blue Devils are 16-19 in home openers since moving to Division I for the 1986-87 season. Since joining the NEC, for the 1997 season, CCSU is 12-12. SHU has been the opponent in a home opener three previous times, with Central winning the past two, 2004 and 2009.
- Three of the top five tacklers in NEC play are on the CCSU roster. Artest Banks and Anthony Wynn are averaging a league-best 12 tackles per game, while Chizi Umunakwe is third with 11.
- Malik Thomas had a career-best 63 yards rushing in the season opener. That total equaled his career total and his 12.6 yards per carry is tops in the NEC entering the second week.
- Kyren Petteway totalled 100 all-purpose yards in the season opener. He had seven catches for 61 yards, carried the ball once for 17 and had 22 return yards.
- Central is one of 13 FCS teams to have a blocked kick in the opening weekend. LuQuay Washington blocked a UConn field goal in the second quarter of the season opener.
- CCSU is the only NEC team entering week two with a positive turnover margin. The Blue Devils are +2, after recovering two fumbles and intercepting a pass at UConn.
