Seniors Benjamin and Izzo Earn Northeast Conference Football Honors on Monday

The Central Connecticut football team opened Northeast Conference play with a 41-24 home victory over Bryant on Saturday afternoon. On Monday, seniors Everette Benjamin and Joe Izzo earned weekly NEC honors. Benjamin was named the league's offensive player of the week, while Izzo earned special teams player of the week honors. The Blue Devils return to action on the road on Saturday at Sacred Heart beginning at 1 p.m.

Benjamin did a bit of everything in his first-ever Northeast Conference contest. The senior running back rushed for three touchdowns, made two receptions, and completed a key pass attempt in Central's 41-24 win over Bryant. Benjamin ran 29 times for a career-high 188 yards and three touchdowns to help hand the Bulldogs' their first loss of the season.

After Bryant scored the game's first 10 points, Benjamin put together a pair of touchdown runs (2, 42) that gave CCSU a 14-10 lead with 10:35 remaining in the first half. Contributing from all angles as the defending NEC champions opened their league schedule, he converted a 4th-and-10 by completing a 22-yard pass that led to an eventual field goal in the waning minutes of the second quarter.

Izzo accounted for 11 points in Saturday's victory. Helping the defending NEC champions to victory in their league opener, the senior placekicker converted all seven of his attempts. Izzo went 2-for-2 on field goal tries and 5-for-5 on PATs. His 33-yard field goal extended CCSU's lead to 17-10 only seconds before halftime. Izzo opened the second-half scoring by nailing a career-long 40-yarder that gave Central a 10-point lead midway through the third.

The 40-yard field goal for Izzo is the longest for the Blue Devils since Derek Pearson kicked a 48-yarder against Colgate on Sept. 3, 2005.

The Blue Devils return to action on the road on Saturday at Sacred Heart beginning at 1 p.m.