Mallory Surpasses 1,000-Yard Mark, CCSU Falls at Monmouth

Central Connecticut (5-3, 2-2) junior James Mallory ran for 134 yards, pushing him past the 1,000-yard mark on the season, to lead the Blue Devils in a 30-20 Northeast Conference loss at Monmouth (5-3, 4-0). He is the seventh player in team history to post a 1,000-yard rushing season. Mallory also had three touchdowns for the second straight week. Junior Ray Saunders led the Blue Devil defense with five tackles, including 1.5 for loss.

The CCSU defense stopped the Hawks, three and out, on the first possession of the game and capitalized on the ensuing drive. The Blue Devils went 73 yards in 13 plays, burning 6:10 off the clock, to take a 6-0 lead. Mallory, who carried the ball six times for 20 yards on the drive, scored from four yards out for his ninth touchdown of the season. Sophomore Joe Izzo missed the extra point, snapping his string of 28 makes in a row to start the season.

Monmouth was quick to answer the Blue Devil score. The Hawks took over at the 50 yard line after a 47-yard return by senior Ayo Falae and scored seven plays later. Senior David Sinisi had 29 yards rushing, including a three-yard score, on the drive. A 21-yard pass from senior Brett Burke to classmate John Nalbone on third down and nine put the Hawks inside the Blue Devil 10 yard line, setting up the Sinisi score in the process. The Hawks added to their lead with two more Sinisi touchdown runs.

The Blue Devils did not get out of their own territory and gave Monmouth the ball back at the Hawk 46 yard line. Burke found Nalbone for 16 and 21-yard receptions to get into the red zone. Sinisi capped the three-play drive with a 17-yard touchdown run. CCSU punted again on its next drive, but senior Ernie Greywacz recovered a Burke fumble on the following Hawk drive to give the Blue Devils good field position. However, a one-yard Mallory run and back-to-back incompletions brought freshman punter Chris Scifo back onto the field. Two Blue Devil personal fouls, including a roughing the kicker on a field goal attempt, aided Monmouth's final scoring drive of the half. Following the roughing the kicker penalty, Sinisi carried for seven yards, the last three resulting in a touchdown. The point after gave the Hawks a 21-6 lead with 3:34 left in the half.

Monmouth missed a field on the next-to-last possession of the half. Central responded with a drive into Hawk territory, but a hail mary throw by junior Aubrey Norris from the 42 yard line fell to the ground.

Mallory had 39 yards on 13 carries to lead the Blue Devil offense in the first half. Senior captain Josh Vargas added 23 yards on a pair of carries. The two Blue Devil quarterbacks, Norris and junior Hunter Wanket, combined to go just 3-of-13 for 25 yards. Sinisi had 79 yards on 11 carries. Junior Bobby Giles ran the ball for one series, carrying three times for 53 yards. Burke was 6-of-12 for 84 yards. Nalbone had three catches for 58 yards. Saunders led the Blue Devil defense with four tackles, including one for loss. Sophomore Joe Valenti had six stops for the Monmouth defense.

Central Connecticut received the ball to start the second half, but the Blue Devils went three and out. Monmouth took control at the CCSU 48 yard line, and Sinisi posted his fourth and final touchdown of the afternoon three plays later. A missed extra point after the 30-yard scoring run gave the Hawks a 27-6 advantage.

The Blue Devils narrowed the margin with a seven-play, 56-yard drive. Mallory registered his second touchdown, this one from three yards out, after a 16-yard run and two Norris completions moved CCSU inside the Hawk 10 yard line. Izzo's point after cut the Monmouth lead to 27-13 with 3:02 remaining in the third quarter. The Blue Devil defense forced another punting situation on Monmouth's next drive, but the Hawks ran a fake with Sinisi. He went 51 yards down to the CCSU three yard line. From there, CCSU stopped Sinisi twice for no gain and once for a loss of four yards to force a field goal. Sophomore Eric McCutchen was true from 24 yards to make it a 30-13 game early in the fourth quarter. Wanket threw the first interception by a Blue Devil quarterback since the season-opener on the ensuing possession.

After a fourth down stop by the Central Connecticut defense, Mallory capped an eight-play, 84-yard drive with another three-yard touchdown score. The Blue Devil defense put the ball back in its offense's hands at the CCSU 36 yard line with 2:20 to play; however, Central Connecticut was stopped on a fourth down and nine, and the Hawks ran out the clock behind 24 more Sinisi yards.

In addition to Mallory's efforts, Norris had 49 yards rushing and was 6-of-18 for 61 yards through the air. Senior Jermaine Roberts had four catches for 61 yards. Sinisi finished the game with 194 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries. Giles ran for 76 yards, and Burke was 8-of-17 for 93 yards. Nalbone finished with his first half numbers. Sophomore Alondre Rush added four tackles and a pass break-up for the Blue Devil defense. Sophomore Nick Delgado, meanwhile, blocked two Monmouth punts and had a pass break-up. Valenti led Monmouth with seven tackles.

Central Connecticut will be on the road again next weekend. The Blue Devils travel to Robert Morris for a 1 p.m. league game on Saturday, Nov. 1.