Football Hosts LIU in First Home NEC Game of 2021
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 • The Blue Devils return to Arute Field on Saturday and are playing their first conference home game of the year with a 12 p.m. kickoff against LIU. CCSU will look to snap a four-game slide on the season, while LIU is in search of its first win overall.
COVID-19 HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS • All outside visitors attending games at Arute Field this season are asked to follow the health & safety protocols put in place at CCSU. Vaccinated individuals are not required to wear a mask outdoors. Non-vaccinated individuals are required to wear a mask. The wearing of face masks is required indoors at all CCSU athletics facilities. Masks must cover the nose and mouth and have tension that reasonably seals both the top and bottom of the mask. Individuals are required to follow the state's 3 feet physical distancing guideline both indoors and outdoors. Visitors to campus who are not registered CCSU faculty, staff or students, are required to complete the campus visitor symptom tracker (bit.ly/3lbtYjr) prior to coming to campus. Verification of completion of the symptom tracker may be required before entrance to the stadium. This can be done directly from your mobile device
TIME OF POSSESSION • The Blue Devils control the ball for an average of 35:23 per game, which leads the Northeast Conference and the nation 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.
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.
BLUE DEVIL BACKS BREAK FREE • Central Connecticut managed to get its run game going at Sacred Heart, rushing for a season-high 211 yards at Sacred Heart. CCSU hadn't topped 150 yards in a game previously and just twice had surpassed 100 yards, while entering the game with just one rushing score. Nasir Smith led the rushing attack with 88 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown, while Aaron Dawson added 32 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown. All-told, CCSU had four athletes top 20 rushing yards in the game and a total of eight record at least one carry in the contest.
CONFERENCE PLAY • CCSU has posted a league-best 18-3 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.
UP NEXT • Central will travel to Merrimack on Oct. 30 for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.
