October 10, 2024
Football Returns Home Saturday To Host Mercyhurst
Kids in team jersey admitted free to Saturday's game
The Central Connecticut State football team returns home from a three-game roadtrip on Saturday to host Mercyhurst. Game time at Arute Field is set for 12:00 pm.
Saturday's game, the only home game in October is Youth Day. Free admission is available to all kids, 8th grade and below, that are wearing a team jersey. Guests of those kids will receive $5.00 tickets to the contest. This offer is valid only at the ticket booth, which opens at 11:00 am. All other fans can avoid the lines and purchase their tickets online in advance at the Online CCSU Ticket Store. Powered by Hometown Tickets, you can utilize your mobile device as your ticket to the game - and share tickets with friends!
CCSU Game Notes | Watch on NEC Front Row | Livestats
The Blue Devils enter the game at 2-3 overall, coming off of two close losses at UMass and Yale. Central is atop the Northeast Conference standings with a 1-0 record. Mercyhurst comes into the contest with a 2-4 mark. The Lakers are in their first year of transitioning to Division I and are a member of the NEC. However they are not scheduled to play every NEC football team this season, so games versus Mercyhurst to not count in the NEC standings.
NOTES
• Jack Barnum had his second career three field goal day in the game at Yale, and was named the NEC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second game in a row as a result
• The CCSU offense is fourth in the nation, allowing just 0.60 sacks per game this season
• The Blue Devil defense is third nationally, averaging 3.2 sacks per game
• Kimal Clark, who had a career-high 18 tackles at UMass, is 5th in FCS at 10.6 tackles per game and is 10th with 5.4 solo tackles per game
• Elijah Howard is 92 yard shy of 20th all-time in rushing at CCSU, with 1,333 in his time with the Blue Devils
NOTABLES
• CCSU is averaging 7.2 TFL per game tops in the NEC and 10th in FCS. The Blue Devils recorded 16 TFL in the win at SFU, the second-most in a single-game this season.
• Elijah Howard had his second 100+ yard rushing game of the year at Yale, with 108 yards, and accumulated 215 APY - the second highest total in the NEC this season. He enters the week with 343 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the ground, as well as 13 catches for 113 yards and a score. Howard ran for 102 yards in the win at SFU and is averaging 68.6 yards rushing per game this fall. Last season he ran for 990 yards. He know leads the team in APY, averaging 99 yards per game, which is 56th in FCS.
• Kimal Clark continues to lead the NEC in tackles (53) and solo tackles (26) through the first five games of the season. He is averaging 10.6 tackles an outing, with two games of double-digit tackles this season. Clark has 157 career tackles and six double digit tackle games in his career, with 13 versus Fordham and 18 at UMass. Clark returned a fumble 10-yards for the game-winning touchdown at Saint Francis.
• Brady Olson threw for 288 yards at Yale, the most he as accumulated in a game as a Blue Devil. He completed 17 passes on Saturday, and has at least a dozen completions in each game this season. Olson has thrown for seven touchdowns, to seven different receivers. He completed a season-best 21 passes at SFU and his 15.4 completions per game ranks second in the league. Olson averaged 192.2 yards of total offense per game, second in the league. He was 21-42 at SFU, with the 42 pass attempts the most by a CCSU QB since Kyle Zajack threw 36 times at Merrimack 11/12/22.
• CCSU has two defensive touchdowns, scored by Kimal Clark (at SFU) and Vince Thomas (vs. Fordham). That number is tops in the NEC and fourth in FCS. The Blue Devils eight fumble recoveries are tops in the FCS.
• The Blue Devils 9.0 sacks versus Fordham remains the most in a single-game this season in FCS. Eight Blue Devils have recorded at least one sack this fall and four of them are ranked in the top-9 in the NEC in that category.
• Jalen Howard remained the league leader in sacks, with five, which is eight in the FCS. He is also the league leader in TFL's at 1.3 per game, 26th nationally. Howard was named NEC Defensive Player of the Week after recording 4 TFL, 3 sacks and 7 tackles in the win at SFU. He has 21 tackles this season, with the seven at SFU a season-high, and ranks fourth on the squad.
• Malachi Wright is second on the roster with 32 tackles, highlighted by a career-high dozen at UMass. His 6.4 stops per game is good for sixth in the NEC. Wright has a sack and three QBH's this fall as well. He was the NEC Defensive Player of the Week following the Fordham game, made 3.5 TFL and had a sack and QBH in the win over the Rams.
• CCSU held an edge in TOP in four of five games this season. The Blue Devils are +9:02 at Yale and were +9:54 in the opener at CMU. All told, CCSU has had the ball for 152:45, 5:30 more than its foes, an average of 66 seconds more per game.
• The Blue Devils have had 15 different players make a catch this fall. Seven different players have a receiving touchdown.
• Jack Barnum earned his third NEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors this week, after recording his second career three field goal game at Yale. He took home the first honor following a program-record tying 50-yard field goal at CMU. That kick matched the 2018 mark of Cole Francis, and it was the 24th 50+ yard field goal in NEC history. Barnum leads the league with a 80 percent field goal make average and a 1.6 field goals per game average. He is responsible for 7.4 points per game, with eight field goals and 13-13 PAT. Barnum has made 21 field goals in 16 games as a Blue Devil. The school record is 32 by Paul Flynn (1987-89).
• Mike Plaskon continues to be the top receiving option for the CCSU offense, with at least three catches in every game. He has 21 total receptions for a team-best 277 yards. His 4.2 receptions per game is fourth in the NEC. He caught his first TD of the year in the win at SFU, a game in which he had a season-high six receptions. Plaskon has also returned nine punts this fall, for 48 yards.
