Blue Devils Run Over Duquesne in 35-23 Homecoming Win

Central Connecticut (5-2, 2-1) totaled 286 yards on the ground in a 35-23 homecoming win over Duquesne (2-4, 1-3). Junior James Mallory went over 100 yards for the sixth time in seven games, posting 126 yards on a career-high 37 carries. The Buffalo, NY native also scored a career-best three touchdowns. Junior quarterbacks Aubrey Norris and Hunter Wanket combined for 129 more yards on the ground. Norris hit the 1,000-yard mark for his career with 53 yards, while Wanket ran for 76 yards. A 72-yard fourth quarter touchdown run highlighted Wanket's performance. Senior Ernie Greywacz and sophomore Dominique Rose led the Blue Devil defense with seven tackles each. Rose added a fumble recovery.

The Blue Devils scored on their first three possessions en route to a 21-3 lead.

CCSU came out running the ball on its first drive. The Blue Devils ran on all 12 plays, covering 69 yards in 5:50. Mallory, who ended the drive with a three-yard touchdown run, had 37 yards on nine carries to spark the Blue Devil offense. A point after by sophomore Joe Izzo made it 7-0. Duquesne answered with an 11-play scoring drive. The Dukes went 62 yards in 4:40 but had to settle for a field goal from senior Mark Troyan. The Blue Devils took over from their own nine yard line on the ensuing possession and marched down the field in 7:28. A five-yard Mallory run and the Izzo point after gave Central Connecticut a 14-3 lead with 11:35 left in the first half.

The Duquense offense stalled on its next drive. Thanks in part to a sack by senior captain Mike Cooke, the Blue Devils forced Duquesne into a third and 26. Sophomore Connor Smith's pass went incomplete on the long third down play, and the Dukes sent out the punt unit. CCSU took over on its own 38 yard line and went the 62 yards in 3:48. Senior captain Josh Vargas capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown, his fifth on the season. Izzo's point after made it 21-3 with 5:23 left in the half. The Dukes scored a touchdown on the ensuing possession, as Dixon connected with senior Alex Roberson on a five-yard strike. Dixon hit junior Sean Bunevich for plays of 19 and 41 yards to get Duquesne into Blue Devil territory. A Troyan point after ended the first half scoring.

Led by Mallory, Central Connecticut rushed for 150 first half yards. Mallory carried the ball 21 times for 82 yard over the first 30 minutes. Junior Cleodis Williams had 65 yards on the ground for Duquesne. Dixon was 8-of-14 for 95 yards. Wanket led the Blue Devil aerial attack, going 4-of-5 for 47 yards.

Duquesne got the ball to start the second half, but Williams was stripped by sophomore Tim Pratt, who also recovered for the Blue Devils, on the fourth play. The two teams traded punts on the following drives. Central Connecticut took over again with 7:05 left in the quarter and went 41 yards in eight plays to take a 28-10 lead. A one-yard Mallory run put CCSU in the end zone, and Izzo made the point after.

Neither offense got out of its own territory on its next respective drive. Duquesne then had the ball at the start of the fourth quarter and got down to the Blue Devil nine yard line. However, Greywacz stopped Williams for a five-yard loss on second and goal from the four yard line, and Dixon threw two incompletions to turn the ball over on downs.

Central Connecticut went three and out following the big stop, and Duquesne capitalized on a short punt. The Dukes had to go just 25 yards in four plays to cut their deficit to 28-17. Dixon found junior Michael Rasky for a 14-yard touchdown catch. Duquesne got the ball back in Central Connecticut territory after sophomore Nathan Totino forced a Mallory fumble. Sophomore Taimu Bangura recovered for the Dukes at the CCSU 44.

Dixon's passes fell incomplete on first and second down of the ensuing drive, but he found Roberson for a 43-yard strike on third down. Roberson, however, lost the ball at the CCSU one yard line. Senior Ralph McKenley forced the fumble, and Rose recovered in the end zone for a touchback. Three plays later, the Blue Devils were in the Duquesne end zone.

Wanket raced down the left sideline for a 72-yard score with 3:08 remaining in the game. Duquesne added another score, as Dixon found Roberson, but a failed two-point conversion and onsides kick allowed the Blue Devils to kneel on the ball for the win.

The CCSU quarterbacks added 106 passing yards to the 286-yard ground performance. Wanket went 7-of-10 for 65 yards, while Norris was 4-of-6 for 41 yards. Norris's 53 yards rushing put him at 1,015 yards rushing in his career. He became the 18th player in CCSU history to reach that mark. He joined Mallory, who joined the ranks earlier this season. Sophomore Josue Paul and junior Tyler Rossnagle each had three receptions to lead the Central Connecticut receiving corps. Izzo, who went 5-of-5 on PATs, is now a perfect 28-of-28 on the season. In addition to the efforts of Greywacz and Rose, Cooke and Marino led a group of five players with five tackles.

Williams finished the game with 139 yards rushing for the Dukes. Dixon added 198 yards on 19-of-31 passing and 32 yards on the ground. Roberson caught six balls for 76 yards and two touchdowns. Totino had a game-high 16 tackles, including nine solo, to lead the Duquesne defense.

Central Connecticut will be on the road for the next two weekends. The Blue Devils start the road trips with a 1 p.m. match-up against Monmouth on Saturday, Oct. 25.