WEEK 6 SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 5
Central Connecticut at Yale ……………….12:00 p.m.
Wagner at Stonehill……………………………1:00 p.m.
Saint Francis U at Delaware State ………..1:00 p.m.
LIU at Duquesne ……………………………….1:00 p.m.
Buffalo State at Mercyhurst…………………1:00 p.m
NEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Adam Urena, Mercyhurst
Quarterback, Senior, 5-9, 175 lbs., Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills (Citrus CC)
Week 5 Stats: 18-of-23, .783 completion percentage, 228 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
Urena had another impressive outing this past weekend in Mercyhurst’s 25-24 defeat to Division II regional power Frostburg State. The veteran quarterback posted a season-best .783 completion percentage after he went 18-of-23. Throwing for 200-plus yards for the fifth time in as many games (228 yards), Urena tossed a pair of scores for his fourth multi-touchdown contest of 2024. Most impressively, the Chino Hills, CA native did not throw an interception, marking the fourth time this season that he does not get picked off in a game. With 11 touchdown throws and just one pick, his 11.00 touchdown-to-interception ratio is second in the nation among signal callers that have 10-or-more touchdowns passes. In addition, Urena, who is averaging a league-leading 229.0 yards per game, enters the week ranked fifth in the FCS in touchdown passes and 13th in completion percentage (67.6). This is his first NEC Offensive Player of the Week award.
NEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Keon Freeman, Robert Morris
Linebacker, Graduate Student, 6-1, 230 lbs., Whitehall, OH/Whitehall-Young (Youngstown State)
Week 5 Stats: 10 tackles (8 solo), 2 quarterback hurries
Freeman had a season-best outing in Robert Morris’ defeat at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday. A graduate transfer from Youngstown State, he racked up double digits in tackles for the first time in a Colonials’ uniform after he finished with 10, including eight solo stops. In addition, Freeman had a pair of quarterback hurries. With 34 total tackles this season, the Buckeye State product is averaging 7.4 per contest to rank fourth in the NEC. This is his first NEC Defensive Player of the Week honor, and the second for a Robert Morris player this season as Tyris Harvey earned the award on September 2.
NEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Joshua Brown, Wagner
Punter, Senior, 6-2, 190 lbs., Helotes, TX/O’Connor
Week 5 Stats: 367 punting yards, 8 punts, 45.9 yards per punt, 4 50+ yard punts (62 long), 4 inside 20
Brown averaged 45.9 yards per boot in Wagner’s first game against an FBS opponent on Saturday, a 41-10 defeat at FAU. The Texan sent half of his eight attempts for 50-plus yards, including a career-long boomer of 62 yards in the fourth quarter. In addition, Brown, a senior, pinned the Owls inside their own 20-yard line four times during the contest. On the season, he leads all NEC punters in yards per punt (44.6). This is Brown’s first NEC Special Teams Player of the Week award, and the first for a Seahawk since Ryan Liszner took home the honor on Sept. 18, 2023.
NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
None Awarded
#NECFB PRIME PERFORMERS (Week 5)
Brian Trobel, MU (RB, Jr.)
Trobel combined for a team-leading 76 yards with a go-ahead one-yard touchdown run and a 35-yard touchdown reception in Mercyhurst’s 25-24 defeat to Frostburg State. The junior running back has three touchdowns this season.
Adam Urena, MU (QB, Sr.)
Urena posted a .783 completion percentage after going 18-of-23 for 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns on Saturday against Frostburg State. The senior quarterback, who posted 200-plus passing yards for the fifth time in as many games, has tossed just one pick in 173 attempts this season. Urena was also named the NEC Offensive Player of the Week.
Keon Freeman, RMU (LB, Gr.)
Freeman, a transfer from Youngstown State, posted double-digit tackles for the first time in a Robert Morris uniform against Eastern Kentucky on Saturday after he racked up eight solo stops and 10 total tackles. The graduate linebacker added a pair of quarterback hurries. Freeman also took home NEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Noah Robinson, RMU (WR, R-So.)
Robinson caught for nine balls and 89 yards in Robert Morris’ non-conference tilt at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday. The redshirt sophomore wide receiver registered the Colonials’ lone score of the game on a 19-yard touchdown catch.
Zachary Ricci, WC (DB, So.)
Ricci accounted for one of Wagner’s three first-half defensive turnovers after registering a red zone interception to keep the Seahawks within arms’ reach during that stretch in Saturday’s game at FAU. It marked the sophomore defensive back’s second pick of the 2024 campaign.
AROUND THE NEC IN 8 SENTENCES
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT quarterbacks have not been sacked in each of the Blue Devils’ past three games against Fordham, Saint Francis U and UMass.
DUQUESNE head coach Jerry Schmitt, who led the Dukes to their 17-straight home-opening victory on Sept. 21, registered the 150th win of his career in that contest against West Virginia Wesleyan.
LIU has faced two nationally-ranked teams this season in #16 UAlbany and #6 Villanova.
MERCYHURST quarterback Adam Urena, who has thrown 11 touchdowns and just one interception, is tied for fifth in the nation in touchdown passes.
ROBERT MORRIS boasts the league’s top receiver in Noah Robinson, who has hauled in three touchdowns and an NEC-leading 78.4 yards per game.
SAINT FRANCIS U has held each of its four opponents to 124 rushing yards and is conceding a league-leading 89.3 yards per game on the ground.
STONEHILL begins league play on Saturday against Wagner looking to go 3-0 in NEC openers since joining the conference in 2022.
WAGNER’s defense has come away with six picks in five games this season to lead the NEC and rank 11th in the FCS.
TWO-SENTENCE GAME SUMMARIES
Frostburg State 25, MERCYHURST 25
A fumble recovered by Frostburg State at midfield with 2:55 remaining spoiled Mercyhurst’s chance at scoring a home-opening win against regional Division II power on Saturday. Senior quarterback Adam Urena threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Lakers, who took an 18-17 lead in the third quarter after facing an early 14-point deficit.
Eastern Kentucky 31, ROBERT MORRIS 7
Redshirt junior Noah Robinson tied up the game with 9:59 left to play in the second quarter on his third touchdown catch of the season, but Eastern Kentucky responded with 24-unanswered points to secure a 31-7 victory on Saturday. Robinson racked up 89 receiving yards for the Colonials, who had their two-game win streak snapped.
#6 Villanova 24, LIU 10
Sixth-ranked Villanova jumped out to a 24-0 lead and never looked back on Saturday, as the Wildcats scored a 24-10 victory over LIU inside Villanova Stadium. Senior Pat Bowen put the Sharks on the board with a 25-yard touchdown run with 12:12 left in the fourth before graduate student Michael Coney rounded out the scoring with a season-long 42-yard field goal.
FAU 41, WAGNER 10
Wagner kept pace at FBS opponent FAU on Saturday until a second-half surge propelled the Owls to a 41-10 victory. Behind the strength of three first-half turnovers, the Seahawks cut their deficit to one possession at 17-10 before halftime but were unable to claim the lead after the break.
SLANT ROUTES
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT quarterbacks have not been sacked in each of the Blue Devils’ past three games against Fordham, Saint Francis U and UMass.
DUQUESNE Head coach Jerry Schmitt, who led the Dukes to their 17-straight home-opening victory on Sept. 21, registered the 150th win of his career in that contest against West Virginia Wesleyan. LIU has faced two nationally-ranked teams this season in #16 UAlbany and #6 Villanova.
MERCYHURST quarterback Adam Urena, who has thrown 11 touchdowns and just one interception, is tied for fifth in the nation in touchdown passes.
ROBERT MORRIS boasts the league’s top receiver in Noah Robinson, who has hauled in three touchdowns and an NEC-leading 78.4 yards per game.
SAINT FRANCIS U has held each of its four opponents to 124 rushing yards and is conceding a league-leading 89.3 yards per game on the ground.
STONEHILL begins league play on Saturday against Wagner looking to go 3-0 in NEC openers since joining the conference in 2022.
WAGNER’s defense has come away with six picks in five games this season to lead the NEC and rank 11th in the FCS.
TEAM REPORTS
CCSU BLUE DEVILS (2-2, 1-0 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• The Blue Devils have four players ranked inside the NEC’s top eight in sacks, led by Jalen Howard’s 1.25 per game. That figure ranks him fifth in the FCS. • Central Connecticut leads the FCS in fumble recoveries (8) while ranking fourth in sacks per game (4.00) and fifth in tackles-for-loss per game (8.3). • The Blue Devils’ offensive line has allowed just 0.50 sacks per game to rank fourth in the FCS. Last time out, quarterback Brady Olson was not sacked at UMass. Three times this season, Central Connecticut has not allowed a sack. • Junior Kimal Clark registered 18 tackles against the Minutemen, marking the second-most delivered by an FCS player this season. He ranks fourth in the nation with 11.5 tackles per contest.
UP NEXT: An out-of-league in-state battle is on the docket for Central Connecticut as the Blue Devils head down I-91 to face Yale on Saturday.
DUQUESNE DUKES (2-2, 0-0 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• Prior to its bye week, Duquesne pitched a shutout for the first time since defeating Sacred Heart by a 27-0 final on Oct. 28, 2023 with a 35-0 victory against visiting West Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday. • The win marked the 150th of head coach Jerry Schmitt’s career. The winningest coach in Duquense program history (122 wins) tallied 28 in five seasons at Westminster (2000-05) and is now one of seven FCS coaches with 150 career victories. • With the win, the Dukes have won each of their past 17 home openers. Under Schmitt, they are 19-1 when making debut on the Bluff.
UP NEXT: Duquesne begins the defense of its 2023 NEC title on Saturday when the Dukes play host to LIU at 1 p.m. The past two meetings between the squads have been decided by three points or fewer, with the Sharks taking a 40-48 overtime decision in 2022 and the Dukes winning the 2023 meeting by a 31-28 final.
LIU SHARKS (0-5, 0-0 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• LIU allowed just one Villanova touchdown after halftime and outscored the sixthranked Wildcats by a 10-7 margin during that stretch in Saturday’s 24-10 defeat. • The contest concluded a challenging non-conference slate for LIU that featured matchups against a pair of nationallyranked opponents and a FBS program. • LIU’s six-point loss at No. 16 UAlbany back in August marked the program’s slimmest margin of defeat to a nationally-ranked FCS opponent in program history.
UP NEXT: LIU heads to defending NEC champion Duquesne for its league opener on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
MERCYHURST LAKERS (1-4 OVERALL)
FIRST DOWNS:
• With 11 touchdown passes, including six to graduate student Cameron Barmore, senior Adam Urena is tied for fifth in the FCS in the category. • Throwing just one pick through the first five games of the season, Urena’s 11.00 touchdown/interception ratio is second in the nation among signal callers with 10-ormore touchdowns. • The NEC’s leader in passing yards has thrown for 200-or-more yards in each of his five games this season and has multiple touchdowns in four of five contests in 2024. • Mercyhurst’s offense ranks second in the NEC at 24.8 points per game.
UP NEXT: Mercyhurst wraps up its brief two-game homestand on Saturday by hosting Buffalo State at 1:00 p.m.
ROBERT MORRIS COLONIALS (2-3, 1-0 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• Robert Morris’ passing offense is just one of two in the NEC to put up 200-more yards in the air per game this season. • With a league-leading four rushing scores, Tyvon Edmonds Jr. ranks third in the conference with 83.2 rushing yards per game. • The Colonials’ roster boasts one of the league’s top receivers in Noah Robinson. He has three touchdown catches and is averaging a league-high 78.4 receiving yards per game on 25 catches.
UP NEXT: Robert Morris has a bye week before it returns home to host Delaware State on Oct. 12 at 3:00 p.m.
SAINT FRANCIS U RED FLASH (1-3, 0-1 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• Saint Francis U has held opponents to 124 rushing yards or fewer in each of its four games this season. The Red Flash’s rushing defense leads the NEC and is tied for eighth in the FCS at 89.3 yards per game. • Paul Tangelo is one of just nine FCS players to force multiple fumbles in a game this season, turning the trick in Saint Francis U’s season opener at Dayton. He ranks ninth in the nation with 0.50 forced fumbles per game. • Saint Francis U’s 11 touchdowns allowed are the fewest in the NEC this season, while its 24.5 points allowed per contest also rank first in the circuit.
UP NEXT: The Red Flash’s final non-conference game lands them at Delaware State on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. matchup.
STONEHILL SKYHAWKS (1-2, 0-0 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• Stonehill looks to make it 3-0 in NEC openers since joining the conference in 2022 when it hosts Wagner. The Skyhawks defeated Duquesne in their inaugural NEC game before taking down Sacred Heart in 2023. • Senior Jarel Washington (184 yards) and junior Zavion Woodard (110) became the first Stonehill tandem to rush for 100-plus yards in the same game since the Skyhawks made the jump to Division I against Sacred Heart. • With three players ranked inside the conference’s top eight in rushing yards per game, Stonehill’s rushing offense has been one of the best in the circuit this season, as the Skyhawks are averaging a league-best 225.0 yards per game. That number ranks 10th among all FCS squads. • Senior quarterback Ashur Carraha has established his running game this season, as he leads all NEC signal callers and is ranked sixth overall in the league with 63.7 rushing yards per game.
UP NEXT: The Skyhawks are on hiatus once again on Saturday before they open the NEC portion of their 2024 schedule against Wagner on Oct. 5.
WAGNER SEAHAWKS (2-3, 0-1 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• The Seahawks have six interceptions this season to lead the NEC and rank 11th in the NEC. • Christian Davis and Zachary Ricci are tied for first in the conference in interceptions with 0.40 per game. • The Seahawks’ defense is ranked second in the NEC, conceding 25.0 points per game. • Sophomore Jaylen Bonelli has four touchdown rushes to rank second in the NEC, while his 69.4 rushing yards per game are good for third in the conference.
UP NEXT: Wagner heads to Stonehill on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.
