Central Connecticut football opens Northeast Conference play on Saturday, when it hosts Stonehill at 12:00 pm on Arute Field. It marks the second-ever meeting between the two teams on the gridiron, with the Blue Devils earning a 39-13 victory in the 2022 season finale.
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The Blue Devils opened the campaign a week ago, with a 44-0 win over visiting AIC. It was the Blue Devils first shutout, since blanking LIU 28-0 on October 26, 2019
Jack Barnum was named NEC Special Teams Player of the Week and earned FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week honorable mention for his 3-3 field goal and 5-5 PAT effort in the win. He made a 48-yard field goal, the fifth longest in FCS in week one and is the first Blue Devil kicker since 2006 to connect on two field goals of 40+ yards in a season opener and the only since at least 2001 to do so in his CCSU debut. He also made 45-yard and 31-yard field goals.
CJ Duell made his first career start and his 173.4 passing efficiency in week one is 10th best in FCS. .Duell went 17-25 or 235 yards and two TD passes. Newcomer Davian Johnson earned NEC Prime Performer after catching six passes for 103 yards and carrying the ball three times for 53 more yards.
CCSU Director of Athletics Tom Pincince, a more than 20-year veteran at CCSU, is a Stonehill football graduate. He is fifth all-time in Skyhawks history with 2,311 passing yards and through 24 TD passes from 1994-96.
Malachai Wright led the Blue Devils defensive effort with eight tackles, five of them solo stops. He also combined for a sack in the game.
NOTES
• The 65 yards passing allowed by the defense in week one ranked third in FCS.
• The Blue Devils season opening win was the first since 26-23 win over Fordham in 2019 in the Bronx, NY and defeated Fordham 26-23. Coach Lechtenberg is now 2-1 in opening games while with CCSU, 1-1 as an assistant, in 2010-11.
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Ahmad Craig is one of 12 FCS players with two or more sacks in week one.
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Isiah Williams also made six catches, totalling 61 yards receiving. That includes a 19-yard touchdown catch, which was the Blue Devils first TD of the 2023 campaign.
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Tavian Montgomery averaged 24 yards per return on three punt returns, with a long of 48 yards. He also had a tackle and a PBU.
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Malik Thomas led the Blue Devils ground effort, carrying 13 times for a game-high 80 yards. He had a long of 26 and scored his first TD of the year, a two-yard scamper in the fourth quarter. Thomas has 66 career carries for 364 yards and three career touchdowns.
