Rossomando, Mignone Among Major Award Winners as CCSU Places 11 on All-NEC Teams
CCSU won its fifth Northeast Conference title with a perfect 6-0 league record
Head Coach Pete Rossomando and redshirt freshman offensive lineman Connor Mignone earned a pair of major Northeast Conference awards on Wednesday and 11 Blue Devils earned All-Conference honors as the league announced its annual all-league teams.
Rossomando was named the league's Coach of the Year after leading the Blue Devils to a 6-0 league record and an eight-game winning streak heading into this weekend's FCS Playoff game at New Hampshire. The Blue Devils have won eight straight games entering this weekend, and have outscored their opponents 315-152 during those games. Central has scored 26 or more points in eight straight games for the first time in school history.
Rossomando is in his fourth season with the Blue Devils. The eight-game winning streak is the longest in-season streak in school history. The unbeaten league record led to CCSU's fifth NEC title, but it was their first undefeated league record in school history.
CCSU GAME NOTES vs. NEW HAMPSHIRE
Redshirt freshman Connor Mignone was named the league's Offensive Rookie of the Year, becoming the first lineman to win the award in its 22-year history. He was also named to the All-NEC First Team. Mignone led an offensive line that produced the school's first 1,000 yard rusher since the 2014 season, and gave up just five sacks in six league games this season. The Blue Devils are tied for ninth in the country having allowed just nine sacks through 11 games this season.
Joining Mignone on the First Team were sophomore tight end Arthur Gilmore, sophomore offensive lineman J'Von Brown, senior defensive lineman Seth Manzanares, senior lineback Randall Laguerre and senior defensive back Jarrod Cann.
Gilmore enters this weekend with nine catches for 136 yards on the season. He has played in all 11 games. Brown also helped anchor the solid offensive line for the Blue Devils that has averaged 189.8 rushing yards per game this season. Manzanares had 52 tackles on the year, including a team-high 8.5 for a loss and 3.5 sacks. He also has an interception and returned it for a touchdown earlier in the season.
Laguerre leads the team in tackles for the second straight season. He has totalled 84 tackles in 10 games, including 6.5 for a loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Cann is third on the team in tackles with 68 and leads the team in interceptions with four on the year. He picked off a pair of passes in a win at Sacred Heart earlier this year and returned one for a touchdown.
On the Second Team were senior running back Cameron Nash, junior defensive lineman Chris Tinkham, junior linebacker Kenneth Keen, senior defensive back Najae Brown and senior punter Frankie Palmer.
Nash has 1,003 rushing yards through 11 games and has run for 13 touchdowns on the year. He is averaging 91.2 yards per game and 5.1 yards per rush on the season. Tinkham has 37 tackles on the year, including five for a loss. He also has three sacks.
Keen is second on the team in tackles with 74 on the season, including eight for a loss and three pass break-ups. Palmer, who also serves as the place kicker for the Blue Devils, punted 30 times for an average of 38.7 yards including eight inside the 20 yardline and seven punts of over 50 yards.
