WEEK 9 SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 26
Central Connecticut at LIU …………………12:00 p.m.
Mercyhurst at Sacred Heart ……………….12:00 p.m.
Duquesne at Stonehill …………………………1:00 p.m.
Saint Francis U at Robert Morris…………..2:00 p.m.
Wagner at UMass……………………………….3:30 p.m.
NEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Anthony Chiccitt, Robert Morris
Week 8 Stats: 19-of-25 completions / 351 passing yards 3 passing TD / 0 INT 1 sack
Week 8 Notables: Robert Morris is off to a 2-0 start in NEC play for the second consecutive time in 2024 thanks to the arm of Chiccitt. The redshirt senior had an efficient outing against LIU on Saturday, completing 19-of-25 passes for a career-high 351 yards, three touchdown throws and zero interceptions. Chiccitt became the second NEC signal caller to eclipse 300-plus passing yards in a game, and the first to do so against a Division I opponent. In addition, Chiccitt racked up the most passing yards by a Robert Morris player against a Division I opponent since 2003, when Rich Demaio had 444 at Duquesne. His first touchdown throw — a 75-yarder to redshirt junior Noah Robinson — gave the Colonials their first lead of the game at 10-7 in the opening quarter. Chiccitt then topped that then season-best toss and fueled a game-ending 15-0 run with a late 86-yard bomb to grad student Shawn Charles. The 86-yard completion is tied for the 10th-longest in the FCS this season.
NEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Keon Freeman, Robert Morris
Week 8 Stats: 14 tackles (6 solo) 2 tackles-for-loss (3 yards) 37-yard fumble recovery for TD
Week 8 Notables: Freeman, a graduate linebacker, recorded a career-high 14 tackles on Saturday for Robert Morris, which improved to 2-0 in NEC play with a 45-31 win over LIU. The Buckeye State native had six solo stops and 2.0 tackles-for-loss in the victory. In addition, Freeman put Robert Morris ahead by a 23-7 count early in the second half after he capitalized on a forced fumble by senior defensive back William Barber with a 45-yard scoop and score. He leads the Colonials with 56.0 tackles, which are good for third in the NEC. Freeman is the first player this season to repeat as NEC Defensive Player of the Week, having previously earned the honor for Robert Morris on Sept. 30.
NEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Aidan Clark, Central Connecticut
Week 8 Stats: 4 punts / 203 yards (50.8 yards per punt) 2 50+ yard punts (59-yard long) 1 inside 20
Week 8 Notables: Clark led all NEC punters with an average of 50.8 yards per boot in Central Connecticut’s 24-20 defeat at No. 22 Dartmouth on Saturday. Sending half of his four attempts for 50-plus yards, including a 59-yarder, he pinned the Big Green inside their own 20-yard line one time in the setback. Pacing the NEC with eight punts of 50-yards or further, Clark is also the NEC’s leader in yards per punt (44.2). The local product from Tolland, CT has garnered NEC Special Teams Player of the Week recognition twice this season, as he previously earned the honor on Sept. 16. With Clark’s award, Central Connecticut has taken home the distinction five times in eight weeks this year
NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Geno Calgaro, Saint Francis U
Week 8 Stats: 7 tackles (4 solo)
Week 8 Notables: Calgaro became the second Red Flash rookie this year to claim NEC Rookie of the Week honors, as he joins fellow classmate and two-time winner Jeff Hoenstine. The first-year linebacker had a solid outing against Wagner, a 14-0 defeat to Saint Francis U. Registering four solo tackles, Calgaro finished the contest with a team-high seven stops. The Canonsburg, PA product has 28 tackles in seven appearances this season (4.0 per game), but in his past two contests, he has averaged 8.0 stops per game.
TWO-SENTENCE GAME SUMMARIES
WAGNER 14, SAINT FRANCIS U 0
A stifling defensive performance led Wagner to a 14-0 win over visiting Saint Francis U and the Seahawks’ second consecutive NEC victory on Saturday. The Seahawks delivered eight sacks — the fifth-most by an FCS squad in a game this season — to earn their first shutout against a conference foe since defeating UAlbany by a 30-0 final on Nov. 3, 2012.
ROBERT MORRIS 45, LIU 31
Robert Morris used two late touchdowns — including an 86-yard catch by graduate student Shawn Charles with 2:10 left to play — to put away a lingering LIU squad and improve to 2-0 in NEC play with a 45-31 win inside Joe Walton Stadium on Saturday. Redshirt senior Anthony Chiccitt had one of his finest outings of the season, throwing for 351 yards and three touchdowns after completing 19-of-25 passes.
#22 Dartmouth 20, CENTRAL CONNECTICUT 16
Central Connecticut dropped another heartbreaker to an Ivy League squad on Saturday, as the Blue Devils fell to No. 22 Dartmouth, 20-16, in the Green Mountain State. The Blue Devils led three times and held a 16- 13 edge with 12:34 left to play, but the Big Green put the game-winning score on the board with a one-yard scamper into the end zone with 5:13 remaining.
Merrimack 48, STONEHILL 28
Stonehill bounced back from a scoreless first half and put four touchdowns on the scoreboard in the second, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a 27-point deficit at Merrimack on Saturday. Three different running backs registered a score for the Skyhawks in the 48-28 defeat.
SLANT ROUTES
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT’s offensive line has now allowed a sack in four games this season against Fordham, Saint Francis U, UMass and most recently, Dartmouth.
DUQUESNE, which is off to a 2-0 start in NEC play for the second straight season and the fifth time in the past six seasons, owns a four-game winning streak for the second consecutive year. LIU quarterback Ethan Greenwood is one of three FCS signal callers to have two 100- plus rushing yard games to his name after running for 184 yards against Stonehill and 147 this past Saturday at Robert Morris.
MERCYHURST quarterback Adam Urena, who has thrown 18 touchdowns to rank fifth in the FCS, went 233-straight minutes without throwing a pick in a streak that ended at Central Connecticut earlier this month.
ROBERT MORRIS quarterback Anthony Chiccitt recorded the most passing yards by a Colonial in nearly 21 years after throwing for 351 yards in Saturday’s win over LIU.
SAINT FRANCIS U redshirt junior Aidan Cirulli is just one of three players in the FCS this season to have two punts go for 68-ormore yards this season.
STONEHILL looks to remain perfect against defending NEC champion Duquesne since joining the league in 2022 on Saturday.
WAGNER is off to a 2-1 start in NEC play for the second year in a row after scoring its first shutout against a conference foe since 2012 in Saturday’s 14-0 final against Saint Francis U.
TEAM REPORTS
CCSU BLUE DEVILS (3-4, 1-0 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• For the second time this season, Central Connecticut took an Ivy League team down to the wire this past weekend. Falling at Yale by three earlier this month, the Blue Devils dropped a four-point decision at #22 Dartmouth. • With 10 fumble recoveries, the Blue Devils lead the nation in the category. In addition, Central Connecticut is third in the FCS in sacks per game (3.00) and eighth in tackles-for-loss per game (7.4). • Averaging 0.93 sack per game, Jalen Howard is tied for ninth in the FCS in the category. • The Blue Devils’ offensive line has allowed just 0.57 sacks per game to rank third in the FCS. Four times this season, Central Connecticut has not allowed a sack against Fordham, Saint Francis U, UMass and Dartmouth.
UP NEXT:
Central Connecticut heads to LIU for an ESPN+ matchup. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m.
DUQUESNE DUKES (4-2, 2-0 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• With consecutive wins over #20 Youngstown State, West Virginia Wesleyan, LIU and Saint Francis U, Duquesne has strung together a four-game winning streak for the second time in as many years. • The Dukes are off to a 2-0 start in NEC play for the fifth time in the past six seasons. • Holding NEC opponents to 14.0 points and 84.5 rushing yards per game, the Dukes are outscoring conference opponents by an average of 28.5 points per game. • Tying the NEC record for most scores accounted for in a game (6) earlier this month against LIU, senior Darius Perrantes threw for five touchdowns against the Sharks. He is just one of 11 signal callers in the nation to have five-or-more touchdown passes in a single game. • Redshirt junior JaMario Clements leads all NEC running backs with 96.7 rushing yards per game and 580 total rushing yards.
UP NEXT:
Duquesne looks to make it five wins in a row and a 3-0 start to NEC play when it heads to Stonehill.
LIU SHARKS (1-7, 1-2 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• Ethan Greenwood is one of 12 quarterbacks averaging 50.0 rushing yards or more per game is ranked fourth among that list with 63.4 yards per game. • Of that group, Greenwood is just one of three FCS signal callers to have two 100-plus rushing yard games to his name after running for a career-high 184 yards vs. Stonehill and 147 yards this past Saturday against Robert Morris. • His 184 yards on the ground against the Skyhawks were the third-most by an FCS quarterback this season. • Senior Michael Love is ranked second among conference leaders with seven touchdown catches, while his 63.1 receiving yards per game are good for fourth overall. • 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 Central Connecticut on Saturday for a 12 p.m. tilt on ESPN+.
MERCYHURST LAKERS (2-5 OVERALL)
FIRST DOWNS:
• With 18 touchdown passes, including eight to graduate student Cameron Barmore, senior Adam Urena is tied for fifth in the FCS in the category. • Barmore’s eight touchdown catches are tied for fourth-most in the FCS. • In Mercyhurst’s last game at Central Connecticut on Oct. 12, Urena threw a pick at for the first time since tossing an interception in Mercyhurst’s defeat at Robert Morris on his team’s opening drive. He had gone nearly 233 minutes without an interception. • Despite putting just 20 points on the scoreboard — the team’s lowest offensive output against an FCS opponent this season — Mercyhurst continues to lead the NEC in points per game (28.4) and total touchdowns (28).
UP NEXT:
Mercyhurst comes back from a bye week with another trip to the Nutmeg State to face Sacred Heart on Saturday at 12 p.m.
ROBERT MORRIS COLONIALS (4-3, 2-0 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• Shawn Charles and Noah Robinson became the first NEC wide receiver tandem this season to catch for 100+ yards in the same game on Saturday against LIU. Charles caught for 141 yards, the second-most by an NEC receiver this season, while Robinson hauled in 126 yards to surpass the century mark for the second time this year. • The Colonials look to extend their winning streak to three games against Saint Francis U, which would be the program’s longest since 2019, their most recent season in the NEC. • Robert Morris, which returned to the NEC this season after a five-year hiatus, is 2-0 in NEC play for the first time since 2011. • Robert Morris is second in the NEC in scoring offense (26.6 ppg), while its 371.0 yards of offense per game is tops in the league. • The Colonials have now won seven straight wins against NEC opponents at home, dating back to 2019.
UP NEXT:
A Keystone State battle is up next for Robert Morris as the Colonials host Saint Francis U in the penultimate date of a four-game homestand.
SAINT FRANCIS U RED FLASH (2-5, 0-3 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• Saint Francis U was shut out by an NEC opponent for the first time since falling to UAlbany by a 48-0 final on Oct. 9, 2010 on Saturday at Wagner (14-0). • The Red Flash have produced just 52 rushing yards in their past two contests, including a season-low 23 against the Seahawks. • DaMario Crawford leads Saint Francis U and the NEC in kick return yards per game with 33.7. • Saint Francis U is 0-2 in league play for the first time since 2011. • Allowing 23.9 points per game (3rd in the NEC), the Red Flash are limiting opponents to 293.1 yards per game, including a league-best 94.0 rushing yards per contest. • Blasting a 68-yard punt — the third longest in the NEC this season — redshirt junior Aidan Cirulli is just one of three players in the FCS to have two 68-plus yard punts this season.
UP NEXT:
Saint Francis U looks to pick up its first win in conference play on Saturday when it heads to Robert Morris.
STONEHILL SKYHAWKS (1-5, 0-2 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• Stonehill’s rushing game ranks third in the NEC at 150.8 yards per contest. Leading the Skyhawks is Jarel Washington, who averages 64.5 rushing yards per game with three touchdowns. • Stonehill dipped to 0-2 for the first time since joining the NEC for the 2022 campaign after falling at LIU earlier this month. • Stonehill has been playing without starting quarterback Ashur Carraha for the past two games. In the Skyhawks’ first five games, he averaged 94.2 passing yards and 28.2 rushing yards per game.
UP NEXT:
A date with first-place Duquesne in Easton is up next for Stonehill. The Skyhawks look to remain undefeated against the Dukes
WAGNER SEAHAWKS (4-4, 2-1 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• Wagner improved to 4-4 on the season with Saturday’s victory over Saint Francis U and has now matched last season’s win total. They are 2-1 in conference play for the second consecutive year. • Wagner held Saint Francis U scoreless on Saturday for its first shutout since Sept. 10, 2016 (Concordia, 38-0) and its first against an NEC opponent since Nov. 3, 2012 (UAlbany, 30-0). • In the win, Wagner recorded eight sacks, which are the fifth-most in a single game by an FCS squad this season. • The Seahawks’ defense has been stifling as of late, holding their opponents scoreless for each of the past six quarters of action. • Wagner is conceding a league-low 19.5 points per game — the fewest by the program since 2014 (18.0 ppg) — including just 9.3 ppg against three league foes. • Defense has been the team’s calling card, as the Seahawks are tied for 10th in the FCS with nine picks, 10th in passing yards allowed (159.4), 16th in scoring defense and tied for third in sacks (3.0 per game).
