WEEK 10 SCHEDULE
Mercyhurst at Duquesne…………………….12:00 p.m.
Merrimack at Robert Morris………………..12:00 p.m.
Wagner at Central Connecticut…………….12:00 p.m.
Stonehill at Saint Francis U…………………..1:00 p.m.
NEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Darius Perrantes, Duquesne
Quarterback Sr. | 6-0 | 220 lbs. Los Angeles, CA St. Francis (Rhode Island)
Week 9 Stats: 25-34 completions, 412 passing yards 5 passing TD / 1 INT / 0 sacks
Week 9 Notables:
Perrantes led the NEC’s top offense to another explosive outing on Saturday as Duquesne put up a season-high 48 points en route to scoring a 14-point win at Stonehill. The Californian hurled for a career-high 412 yards — the most by a Duke since 2020 and the seventh-most by an FCS signal caller this season — and had five touchdown throws to help Duquesne remain undefeated in NEC play (3-0) and extend its winning streak to five games. In addition, with the five scores, Perrantes is just one of two FCS quarterbacks to have five-or-more touchdown passes in multiple games this year. Perrantes has done some serious damage in the conference play. He is averaging a league-high 269.7 passing yards per game against league opponents, and with a league-leading 12 passing scores, he is also first in the conference with a 182.2 pass efficiency rating. His 15 total touchdown throws are good for 15th in the FCS. This is his second NEC Offensive Player of the Week award this season.
NEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jamar Shegog, Robert Morris
Linebacker Gr. | 6-2 | 230 lbs. Pittsburgh, PA Seton LaSalle
Linebacker Gr. | 6-2 | 230 lbs. Pittsburgh, PA Seton LaSalle
Week 9 Notables:
Shegog was a major contributor to a Robert Morris defense that shut out an opponent for the second time this season on Saturday. The graduate student recorded 10 tackles — including a pair of solo stops — and had 0.5 tackles-forloss to pilot the Colonials to a 17-0 win over Saint Francis U. Previously blanking Delaware State by a 23-0 final, Robert Morris has now shut out multiple opponents in the same season for the first time since 1999. A Preseason All-NEC selection, Shegog has put up double digits in tackles four times this season. He leads the Colonials and is ranked third in the NEC in tackles (63) and tackles per game (7.9), while his team-leading 3.0 sacks are tied for first in the league.
NEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brian Bruzdewicz, Duquesne
Kicker/Punter Gr. | 6-1 | 195 lbs. McMurray, PA Peters Township
Week 9 Stats: 2-2 FGs (24, 30 yards) / 6-6 PATs Season-high 12 points
Week 9 Notables:
Bruzdewicz racked up a season-high 12 points to help fuel a Duquesne offensive outburst at Stonehill on Saturday. Converting on each of his two field goals from 24 and 30 yards out, the Keystone State product was perfect in each of his six PATs in the 48-34 road win. With the victory — which marked Duquesne’s first against Stonehill since the Skyhawks joined the league in 2022 — the Dukes improved to 3-0 in NEC play for the second time in as many seasons with their fifth-straight triumph. Bruzdewicz, a graduate student, ranks second in the conference in field goal conversion rate, as he is 4-for-6 on the season (.667). In addition, he is also second in the circuit in made field goals per contest (0.60). This is his first weekly award of 2024.
NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Charles Battaglia, Stonehill
Linebacker So. | 6-1 | 225 lbs. Massapequa, NY Chaminade
Week 9 Stats: 6 tackles (2 solo) 1 interception (6 return yards)
Week 9 Notables:
Battaglia, who was named to the FCS Jerry Rice Award Watch List last week, had another solid defensive performance for Stonehill. Posting six tackles, the first-year linebacker also registered his first career pick which was returned for six yards against first-place Duquesne. The interception stopped the Dukes on the Stonehill 18-yard line on their opening drive of the afternoon. Battaglia ranks second among fellow Skyhawks with 39 tackles this season. This is his second NEC Rookie of the Week award.
AROUND THE NEC IN 8 SENTENCES
TWO-SENTENCE GAME SUMMARIES
LIU 24, CENTRAL CONNECTICUT 21
In a back-and-forth battle, LIU delivered the final blow by way of a quarterback-to-quarterback touchdown to score a thrilling 24-21 home win over Central Connecticut in Brookville on Saturday. Redshirt sophomore and starting signal caller Ethan Greenwood, who threw a pair of first-half touchdowns, caught a 26-yard pass from classmate Luca Stanzani to secure the Sharks’ second triumph in NEC play.
DUQUESNE 48, STONEHILL 34
Graduate students John Erby and Joey Isabella combined for 256 receiving yards and a trio of touchdown catches to extend Duquesne’s win streak and lead their team to a commanding 48-34 victory. Throwing for five touchdowns for the second time this season, senior Darius Perrantes compiled 412 yards in the air — the sixth-most by an FCS signal caller this season — to propel the Dukes past the Skyhawks for the first time in program history.
ROBERT MORRIS 17, SAINT FRANCIS U 0
Limiting Saint Francis U to 61 rushing yards and 69 receiving yards, Robert Morris pitched its second shutout of 2024 and improved to 3-0 in the conference for the second straight season as an NEC member on Saturday with a 17-0 triumph inside Joe Walton Stadium. It marked the first time since 1999 that the Colonials shut out multiple opponents in the same season. Sacred Heart 31, MERCYHURST 14 Sacred Heart scored three times in the first half and never looked back as the Pioneers defeated visiting Mercyhurst by a 31-14 final on Saturday. Senior Adam Urena threw for 229 yards, a pair of touchdowns and zero interceptions as the Lakers held a 229-141 advantage in passing yards in the contest.
UMass 35, WAGNER 7
Wagner dropped a 35-7 decision in non-conference action at FBS and MAC opponent UMass on Saturday. The Seahawks enjoyed a dominant third quarter that saw them rack up 121 yards on a 75-yard touchdown drive and a 46- yard drive to the UMass seven-yard line, but the Minutemen, who opened the game with 21-straight points, closed out the afternoon with a pair of scores in the final quarter.
SLANT ROUTES
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT’s offensive line has now allowed a sack in five games this season against Fordham, Saint Francis U, UMass, Dartmouth and most recently, LIU.
DUQUESNE, which is off to a 3-0 start in NEC play for the second straight season, put up a season-high 48 points in Saturday’s win at Stonehill.
LIU took down Central Connecticut for a fourth-straight season on Saturday.
MERCYHURST looks to pick up its first win against an NEC opponent on Saturday when it heads to fellow Keystone State opponent Duquesne.
ROBERT MORRIS has shut out multiple opponents (Delaware State, 23-0; Saint Francis U, 17-0) in the same season for the first time since 1999.
SAINT FRANCIS U is the only team in the circuit that is holding opponents to 100 rushing yards or fewer this season (92.9 rushing yards per game).
STONEHILL first-year linebacker Charles Battaglia, a two-time NEC Rookie of the Week honoree, was named to the FCS Jerry Rice Award Watch List last week.
WAGNER, which enters week 10 with a 5-4 record, needs one more victory to post the program’s most fruitful season since going 6-5 in 2016.
TEAM REPORTS
CCSU BLUE DEVILS (3-5, 1-1 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• Four of Central Connecticut’s five setbacks have been decided by four points or fewer this season. • In each of their past three setbacks, the Blue Devils drove into enemy territory on their final possession, but came up empty-handed. • With 10 fumble recoveries, the Blue Devils are tied with Alcorn for first in the nation in the category. • In addition, Central Connecticut is fourth in the FCS in sacks per game (3.00) and eighth in tackles-for-loss per game (7.3). • Averaging 0.81 sack per game, Jalen Howard is tied for 17th in the FCS in the category. • The Blue Devils’ offensive line has allowed just 0.50 sacks per game to rank second in the FCS. Five times this season, Central Connecticut has not allowed a sack against Fordham, Saint Francis U, UMass, Dartmouth and LIU. • The Blue Devils have been playing without their leading rusher, Elijah Howard, who is third in the conference in rushing yards per game (73.1)
UP NEXT:
With three of its final four games slated to be played at home, Central Connecticut opens that stretch by hosting Wagner on Saturday.
DUQUESNE DUKES (5-2, 3-0 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• Darius Perrantes, who threw for the most yards in a game by a Duke since Joe Mischler had 414 in a win over LIU in 2020 (412 yards), is just one of two FCS quarterbacks to have multiple games with five-or-more touchdowns after tossing five against Stonehill. • His 412 passing yards are tied for the seventh-most in a game by an FCS signal caller. • Since falling at Toledo at at FBS opponent Boston College, the Dukes have won five-straight games. Their rally, which is the program’s longest since a five-game win streak in 2018, began with a win at then-ranked #20 Youngstown State. • The Dukes are off to a 3-0 start in NEC play for the second straight season, and the third time since 2019. • Holding NEC opponents to 20.7 points while leading the circuit with 44.3 points per game, the Dukes are outscoring conference opponents by an average of 23.6 points per game. • Coming off his third 100+ rushing yard game of the year, redshirt junior JaMario Clements leads all NEC running backs with 98.3 rushing yards per game and 688 total rushing yards.
UP NEXT:
Duquesne plays host to Mercyhurst, the NEC’s newest member, on Saturday at 12 p.m.
LIU SHARKS (2-7, 2-2 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• LIU defeated Central Connecticut for the fourth consecutive season on Saturday. • Ethan Greenwood is ranked sixth among FCS signal callers in rushing yards with 63.8 per game. • Of that group, he is just one of six FCS quarterbacks to have two 100-plus rushing yard games to his name after running for a career-high 184 yards vs. Stonehill and 147 againt 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 and is tied for 12th int he FCS with seven touchdown catches, while his 65.4 receiving yards per game are good for fourth in the conference.
UP NEXT:
LIU enjoys its first — and only — bye week of the 2024 season on Saturday.
MERCYHURST LAKERS (2-6 OVERALL)
FIRST DOWNS:
• With 20 touchdown passes, including eight to graduate student Cameron Barmore, senior Adam Urena is tied for fourth in the FCS in the category. • Barmore’s eight touchdown catches are tied for fourth-most in the FCS. • In Mercyhurst’s 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. • Urena leads the NEC with 246.6 passing yards per game, 193 completions and 1,973 total yards in the air. His 65.0 percent completion rate is good for second among fellow conference signal callers.
UP NEXT:
Mercyhurst remains on the road to face fellow Keystone State opponent Mercyhurst on Saturday at noon.
ROBERT MORRIS COLONIALS (5-3, 3-0 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• In conference play, the Colonials rank second in the league in both scoring offense (34.5 ppg) and scoring defense (18.3 ppg). • Noah Robinson leads the NEC in receiving yards per game (78.9), while Tyvon Edmonds Jr. is second in rushing yards per game (79.3) • Robert Morris shut out an NEC opponent on Saturday for the first time since a 38-0 blanking of UAlbany on Oct. 16, 2010. • Also holding Delaware State scoreless this season (23-0), Robert Morris has multiple shutouts in the same season for the first time since 1999. • The Colonials look to extend their winning streak to four games against Merrimack, 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 3-0 in conference play for the second straight season as an NEC member. • 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 eight straight games against NEC opponents at home, dating back to 2019.
UP NEXT:
The Colonials conclude a four-game homestand on Saturday when they host Merrimack in their nonconference finale.
SAINT FRANCIS U RED FLASH (2-6, 0-4 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• Getting shut out by an NEC opponent for the first time since falling to UAlbany by a 48-0 final on Oct. 9, 2010 earlier this month at Wagner (14-0), the Red Flash have been blanked twice by an NEC squad for the first time since 2008 after falling at Robert Morris, 17-0. • Despite the back-to-back shutout setbacks, Saint Francis U’s defense has been solid, conceding 15.5 points per contest in that stretch. • On the season, Saint Francis U is the only NEC squad holding opponents to less than 100 rushing yards per game (92.9). • The Red Flash have produced just 113 rushing yards in their past three contests, including a season-low 23 against the Seahawks. • DaMario Crawford leads Saint Francis U and the NEC in kick return yards per game (31.6). • Saint Francis U is 0-4 in league play for the first time since 2011.
UP NEXT:
Saint Francis U plays host to Stonehill on Saturday at noon looking to pick up its first win in NEC play.
STONEHILL SKYHAWKS (1-6, 0-3 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• First-year linebacker Charles Battaglia was named to the 2024 Jerry Rice Award Watch List last week by Stats Perform. He is the lone NEC player to appear on the organization’s midseason watch list. • Stonehill’s rushing game ranks fourth in the NEC at 144.3 yards per contest. • Leading the Skyhawks is Jarel Washington, who averages 67.1 rushing yards per game (fourth in the NEC) with four touchdowns. • Stonehill dipped to 0-32 for the first time since joining the NEC for the 2022 campaign after falling to first-place Duquesne on Saturday. • The defeat marked the Skyhawks’ first to the Dukes. • Stonehill has been playing without starting quarterback Ashur Carraha for the past three games. In the Skyhawks’ first five games, he averaged 94.2 passing yards and 28.2 rushing yards per game.
UP NEXT:
Stonehill treks to Loretto, PA looking to end a four-game slide in a 1:00 p.m. matchup at Saint Francis U on Saturday.
WAGNER SEAHAWKS (4-5, 2-1 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS:
• With a 4-4 overall record, Wagner has matched last season’s win total. One more triumph would mark the Seahawks’ most fruitful season since going 6-5 in 2016. • The Seahawks 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 in conference play, holding NEC opponents to 9.3 points per game. Overall, Wagner ranks second in the NEC in scoring defense (21.2 ppg). • Wagner has not allowed a score in conference play in more than six quarters of play. • Defense has been the team’s calling card, as the Seahawks are tied for 10th in the FCS in picks (10), 10th in passing yards allowed (156.0) and 20th in sacks (2.67 per game).
UP NEXT:
Wagner looks to make it three league wins in a row on Saturday when it heads to Central Connecticut.
