Central Connecticut State doubled up Nutmeg State rival Sacred Heart, 24-12, behind a second consecutive second-half comeback. Duquesne held off Robert Morris’ valiant attempt at a come-from-behind victory and hung on for a 34-20 win in the latest installment of the NEC’s Steel City Showdown.
Defending league champion UAlbany held Saint Francis (PA) out of the end zone in a 27-6 victory, the Danes’ 15 straight against an NEC opponent. Bryant kept Wagner’s offense off the board in a 6-2 triumph that placed the Bulldogs into a first-place tie with Albany at 2-0 In NEC play.
Monmouth was idle this weekend.
Central Connecticut State 24, Sacred Heart 12
Central Connecticut State scored 24 unanswered points to notch a come-from-behind victory, 24-12, over Sacred Heart on Saturday afternoon at Arute Field in a NEC-TV game. The Blue Devils have not allowed a point after halftime in each of their past two games, both victories. CCSU had a 17-12 lead in the fourth quarter when senior defensive back Marcus Dorsey sealed the victory. With the Pioneers inside the Blue Devils’ 10-yard line, Dorsey intercepted a pass in the end zone and traveled a school-record 100 yards for the touchdown to up the home team’s advantage to 24-12. Sacred Heart took its 12-0 lead on a pair of first-half touchdown passes from junior quarterback Dale Fink, one of which went to Steve Tedesco on a Hail Mary play to end the second quarter. (highlights)
Albany 27, Saint Francis (PA) 6
UAlbany extended its Northeast Conference win streak to 15 games, the longest in all of Division I FCS, by defeating Saint Francis (PA) at DeGol Field Saturday afternoon. Great Danes’ senior tailback David McCarty rushed for a season-high 170 yards and two touchdowns to move within four yards of tthird place of the NEC’s all-time rushing list. Albany held the host Red Flash to 255 total yards, including 79 on the ground, and forced three turnovers. The Great Danes have held their opponents without a touchdown for 10 straight quarters. Saint Francis received its scoring from a pair of field goals from rookie Josh Thiel.
Duquesne 34, Robert Morris 20
Duquesne saw a 27-0 third quarter lead cut to seven, but held on to defeat Steel City rival Robert Morris, 34-20, in a Northeast Conference contest at Rooney Field. The win, the Dukes’ first in NEC play, ended Duquesne’s three-game slide. Junior quarterback Connor Dixon completed 19-of-31 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns for the Dukes who outgained the Colonials, 408-312. Duquesne rookie running back Larry McCoy posted his second consecutive 100-yard game, totaling 107 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman signal caller Jeff Sinclair threw for 219 yards and two scores for RMU.
Bryant 6, Wagner 2
Bryant outlasted Wagner, 6-2, to pick up its second Northeast Conference victory of the season before a Homecoming crowd of 3,262 at a rain-soaked Bulldog Stadium Saturday afternoon. Bulldogs’ senior tailback Jerell Smith rushed for 179 yards on 31 carries and scored the game’s only touchdown on a 17-yard scamper with 10:29 remaining in the fourth quarter. The lone Wagner points of the game came on a special teams’ safety which broke scoreless tie late in the third period.