Football Drops Season Finale to Butler in the Gridiron Classic

The Central Connecticut football team ended its 2009 season with a 28-23 loss at Butler in the 2009 Gridiron Classic on Saturday afternoon. The Blue Devils, who finish the season with a 9-3 record, matched the school-record for victories in a single season in 2009. The Bulldogs of Butler finished the season with an 11-1 record, and won the Pioneer Football League. The game was the final one in the career of 12 seniors for the Blue Devils, who leave CCSU as the winningest senior class of all-time with 30 wins during their time in New Britain.

"I'm so proud of these guys, led by our 12 seniors," head coach Jeff McInerney said following the game. "They did some wonderful things for this program, and there are a lot of former Blue Devils out there who are proud of them too. I have heard from countless alums during the past few weeks who have told me that they have been following this team all season long. There are a lot of people out there who worked together to make this season possible. I am proud to be a part of it."

On their first drive of the game the Blue Devils drove the ball 99-yards on an amazing 19-play drive that took over 10 minutes. Following a Butler drive that took 10 plays, the Blue Devils had the ball on their own one-yardline to begin their first drive of the afternoon. Mallory rushed five times on the drive for 25 yards as the Blue Devils took the 7-0 lead with 46 seconds left in the first quarter. Junior Eric Richardson scored from one-yard out to cap the drive.

The Bulldogs answered with a nine-play, 64-yard drive to tie the score at 7-7 with 4:41 left before halftime. Scott Gray rushed from two-yards out to knot the game.

The first half took just over an hour to play, as the teams combined for only eight incomplete passes and 293 yards of total offense. Each team had just three drives in the half and the score was tied at 7-7.

In the second half junior Joe Izzo gave Central a 10-7 lead with a 32-yard field goal on the first drive of the half. The field goal was the longest of the season for Central.

Butler answered with a long scoring drive that took nine plays and 72 yards and ended with a 10-yard scoring run by Scott Gray to give Butler a 14-10 lead. Butler ran for only two yards in the first half but established the running game on their first drive of the half to take the lead.

After the Blue Devils turned the ball over on downs, the Bulldogs scored their second touchdown of the half to take a 21-10 lead with 11:46 left in the fourth quarter. Central had the ball deep in Bulldog territory but a fourth down pass from senior quarter Aubrey Norris was broken up at the last minute. Butler answered with another long scoring drive, capped by a touchdown run by quarterback Andrew Huck to up their lead to 11. Huck scrambled out of the pocket after a strong rush by Central, and went the distance for the score.

Central answered on their next drive and drove 80 yards for a James Mallory scoring run that cut the lead to 21-17 with around eight minutes to play. Mallory scored his 16th touchdown of the season to cut the lead to four.

Huck's second scoring run of the second half capped a quick drive by the Bulldogs and they took a 28-17 lead with 4:07 on the clock. Butler did not throw a pass on the drive and went the length of the field following the Central scoring drive to re-take the double figure lead.

Richardson scored his second touchdown of the day with under two minutes to play in the game to cut the Butler lead to 28-23. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful and the lead stayed at five.

An onside kick attempt by the Blue Devils was unsuccessful and the Blue Devils held the Bulldogs without a first down on their next drive. Central got the ball back with 52 seconds on the clock but an interception by Jack McKenna ended the Central threat and gave Butler the victory.

"This weekend was a great opportunity for our players, and we got a chance to treat them in a first class manner," McInerney said. "The school, starting with our president Dr. Jack Miller and our Athletics Director Paul Resetarits, has allowed us the opportunity to be successful, and for that we are grateful. We have worked very hard to put the pieces in place to make this a great program, and this season was proof that we are going about it the right way."

"Our 12 seniors deserved this season, and they worked hard to be this successful," McInerney said. "The core of this team that we brought in during our first season in 2006 has been tremendously successful. These guys worked hard, and they bought into our philosophy.. This is a special group of kids."

Earlier this week McInerney was named the 2009 NEC Coach of the Year. It marked the first such award in his four seasons.

Central claimed its third NEC title in six seasons, and its first outright title, by finishing league play 7-1 in 2009. The seven league wins are the most in school history for the Blue Devils. Central also won a share of the NEC title in 2004 and 2005.

The game was the eighth road game of the season for the Blue Devils. They finished the home season 4-0, the third unbeaten home season in the four seasons under McInerney. They finished 5-3 on the road.