November 14, 2024
Football Hosts Robert Morris Saturday
The Blue Devils are 3-1 in league play and control their own destiny in the hunt for the NEC Football Championship
The Central Connecticut State football team returns home to host Northeast Conference foe Robert Morris, Saturday, November 16th at noon. The Blue Devils are 5-5 overall and 3-1 in league play, while the Colonials are 6-4 on the season and also 3-1 in league play.
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The Blue Devils, who play their final two games at home, can capture the NEC Football Championship by defeating Robert Morris and Duquesne in the final two weeks of the season. The Dukes are are 4-0 in league play, and play Wagner this week. If they win that game and beat CCSU they are the league champions. Robert Morris, who hosts Stonehill next week can win the league by winning its last two games and Duquesne losing the last two weekends of the year.
The Blue Devils are celebrating Military Appreciation at Saturday's game. The US Army's Hartford Recruiting Company is providing the color guard this afternoon. Sergeant's First Class Steven Dunn and Caleb Miller and Staff Sergeant's Nicholas Foster and Tyler Yurkew will present the colors during today's National Anthem. Following the first quarter, CCSU will recognize two alumnus of the University that are US military veterans. Master Sergeant Pablo Ravizzoli of the Air National Guard, who served 21 years, and U.S. Army Captain, Evelyn Roman, retired, will be recognized on the field.
NOTES
• CCSU is outscoring its FCS foes 202-141, or +7.7 points per game. CCSU averages 339.6 yards of offense in FCS games, while allowing 268.9 and holding opponents to 93.1 yards/game rushing in eight FCS games.
• The Blue Devils are 3-0 at home this season, after the 24-14 win over Wagner
• CCSU is first in the nation in sacks allowed, giving up only 0.4 sacks per game this season, The Blue Devils have not allowed a sack since the Mercyhurst game, four straight, and have not allowed a sack on seven occasions this season.
• The Blue Devils are averaging 3.20 sacks per game, which is 5th in FCS, and have 7.2 TFL per game, which is 10th in FCS. Both of those numbers lead the NEC, moving up to second in the nation, and are 4th in FCS with 7.6 TFL per game, both are tops in the NEC.
• The Blue Devils are +1 in scoring overall this season, with a 243-242 point total.
• Jadon Turner picked up NEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after averaging 28.3 yards per KOR, with a long of 35 yards at Stonehill. It is the seventh special teams award that the Blue Devils have earned this year, led by four from Jack Barnum.
• The Blue Devils are top in league in NEC games, allowing just 251.1 yards of offense in NEC action this season, best in the league. Robert Morris is third in total offense in NEC action, at 383 yards per game, while the Blue Devils are fifth at 308.3. RMU ranks fifth in team defense, giving up 322.8 yards an outing to league opponents.
• For the third time this season the Blue Devils held a team under 100 yards rushing, keeping Stonehill to just 75 ground yards. The Blue Devils allowed just 24 yards on the ground to Wagner, on 27 carries. The Blue Devils held Mercyhurst to just 17 yards rushing, on 21 attempts. That is the best rushing defensive effort since the Blue Devils held Brown to 17 yards on 32 carries in 2022. CCSU held Fordham to 47 yards on the ground in the home opener and have now held seven opponents south of the century mark in the past two seasons.
• Kimal Clark is ninth in the NCAA with a league-leading 5.3 solo tackles per game. He is 14th nationally in total tackles, with 9.5 a game - also tops in the NEC this season.
• Dan Toatley and Jalen Howard are tied for second in the NEC, 20th in the nation, by averaging .75 sacks per game. Howard ranks second in the NEC and 56th nationally with 1.0 TFL an outing.
• The Blue Devils have had a total offense advantage in eight games this season, and in each of the last six games
• The Blue Devils lead the NEC with a .60 turnover margin, which is 23rd best in the nation. The Blue Devils have committed just 12 turnovers this season,, while gaining 18 - which is tops in the NEC and 18th best number in FCS.
• Brady Olson was good on 62 percent of his passes, accumulating 110 passing yards in the win at Stonehill. On the year he is 147-271, 54 percent. Olson is averaging 14.7 completions per game this season, with a season-best 21 at Saint Francis. Olson has thrown 14 touchdown passes this fall, which is 39th in the FCS and third in the NEC. In the win over Mercyhurst 1/3 of his completions (3-for-9) were touchdowns.
• Kimal Clark has made 95 tackles this season, a career-high and enters today's game with 53 solo tackles (tied with his career-best from last season). Clark has 199 career tackles in 32 games at CCSU. Clark made a career-high 18 stops at UMass, recorded 13 tackles versus Fordham and has four games with double-digit tackle totals. Clark has broken up three passes this fall as well.
• The Blue Devils defense has 28 TFL in the past four games, including a third double-digit effort (10) versus Wagner, The Blue Devils lead the league in the category with 72 TFL on the season. The Blue Devils recorded 16 TFL in the win at SFU, the third most in a single-game this season. They also had 13, 11th most in a game, versus Fordham.
• CCSU held an edge in TOP in eight games this season, with a season-high +11:06 in the win at Stonehill. CCSU enters the week 26th in FCS with 31:24 of TOP per game.
• Elijah Howard missed the Dartmouth and LIU game and is averaging 72.5 yards per game on the ground since his return. Howard has a touchdown in both of those outings. He is second in the NEC at 82.1 yards per game on the ground and in APY at 105.50 yards per game. Versus Mercyhurst he has his third 100+ yard rushing game of the year, with a season-best 169 yards. Howard has moved into 14th all-time at CCSU with 1,640 yards. At Yale Howard put up 215 APY, which was second in the league through that weekend. Howard is second on the roster with 17 catches for 148 yards and a touchdown.
