WEEK 11 SCHEDULE
Saturday, November 9
Robert Morris at Duquesne……………….. 12:00 p.m.
LIU at Sacred Heart………………………….. 12:00 p.m.
Central Connecticut at Stonehill …………… 1:00 p.m.
Lincoln at Mercyhurst …………………………. 1:00 p.m
NEC OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
JaMario Clements, Duquesne
Running Back Sr. | 5-11 | 205 lbs. Lafayette, GA Lafayette
Week 10 Stats: 177 rushing yards / 15 rushes 11.8 yards per rush 2 rushing TDs
Week 10 Notables: Clements makes it back-to-back NEC Offensive Player of the Week honors for Duquesne after he turned in a clutch — and timely — performance against Mercyhurst on Saturday. The NEC’s leading rusher ran for back-to-back scores within a five-minute stretch in the fourth quarter to break open a 17-17 draw and lead the Dukes to a 31-24 win. He began his scoring spree with a go-ahead eight-yard scamper with 9:09 left in the game. Less than five minutes later, he delivered the dagger in emphatic fashion, running it 86 yards to the house to make it a 31-17 game. With the 86-yard run, which tied Duquesne’s program record, the Georgia product now owns two of the NEC’s three longest runs this year, as he previously covered 75 yards in a win over then-ranked No. 20 Youngstown State this season. Scoring at least one touchdown in three straight outings, Clements, who is the only player in the conference averaging 100-plus rushing yards, leads the circuit in rushing touchdowns (6), rushing yards (865), rushing yards per game (108.1) and average yards per carry (7.2). He ranks fourth in the FCS in rushing yards per carry, ninth in rushing yards per game and 15th in total rushing yards.
NEC DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Dan Toatley, Central Connecticut
Defensive Lineman Sr. | 6-1 | 250 lbs. Trenton, NJ Lawrence
Week 10 Stats: 5 tackles / 4.5 tackles-for-loss (37 yards) 3.5 sacks (35 yards) 2 quarterback hurrie
Week 10 Notables: Toatley delivered a stellar defensive performance on Saturday to lead Central Connecticut past Wagner by a 24-14 final. Remaining perfect at home this season (3-0), the Blue Devils also improved to 2-1 in NEC play with the win. The Trenton, NJ native racked up an NEC-leading 4.5 tackles-for-loss and in the process, he pushed the Seahawks back a total of 37 yards. In addition, Toatley registered 3.5 sacks and a pair of quarterback hurries. On the season, the defensive lineman leads all NEC players with 10.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.11 tackles-for-loss per game, 8.0 sacks and 0.89 sacks per game. This is Toatley’s first NEC Defensive Player of the Week award. He is the fourth Blue Devil to earn the distinction, joining Malachi Wright (Sept. 9), Jalen Howard (Sept. 16) and Kimal Clark (Sept. 23).
NEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jack Barnum, Central Connecticut
Kicker Jr. | 6-2 | 200 lbs. Southington, CT Southington
Week 10 Stats: 1-1 FG (30 yards) / 3-3 PATs 358 kickoff yards / 6 kickoffs 59.7 yards per kickoff / 3 touchbacks
Week 10 Notables: Barnum is named the NEC Special Teams Player of the Week for a league-leading fourth time this season. The junior kicker accounted for one-fourth of the Blue Devils’ scoring in a 24-14 win against visiting Wagner on Saturday after he converted on his lone field goal attempt — a 30-yarder — and went 3-for-3 on PATs. His field goal, which was his 11th of the season, was part of a Central Connecticut 17-0 run that brought the team out of a 7-0 hole and put them in front for good with 9:17 left to play until halftime. Barnum once again handled kickoff duties for the Blue Devils, where he averaged 59.7 yards per kickoff after totaling 358 yards and touchbacks on three of his six blasts. The local product from Southington, CT leads the NEC with a .733 field goal conversion rate, while his 1.22 field goals per game are good for first in the circuit and 19th in the FCS.
NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
#NECFB PRIME PERFORMERS (Week109)
Dan Toatley, CCSU (DL, Sr.)
Toatley racked up 4.5 tackles-for-loss and pushed Wagner back a total of 37 yards in the process on Saturday to lead the Blue Devils to a 24-14 home win on Saturday. With 3.5 of those stops being sacks, the senior defensive lineman also had a pair of quarterback hurries to pace Central Connecticut’s defense. Toatley was also pegged the NEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
Malachi Wright, CCSU (LB, Jr.)
Wright contributed nine tackles, including four solo stops, to Central Connecticut’s 24-14 home win against Wagner on Saturday. Recording 1.5 tackles-for-loss and one sack, the junior linebacker was also credited with two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble in the triumph.
JaMario Clements, DUQ (RB, R-Jr.)
Clements rushed for back-to-back scores within a five-minute stretch to break open a 17-17 draw and lead first-place Duquesne past Mercyhurst, 31-24, on Saturday. Tying the Dukes’ program record with the second-longest touchdown rush in the NEC this season, a game-sealing 86-yard scamper with 4:16 left to play, the redshirt junior racked up 177 yards on the ground behind his first career multi-score game. Clements was also named the NEC Offensive Player of the Week.
Ty Howard, DUQ (LB, Jr.)
Howard had a late fourth-quarter interception in the red zone to prevent a Mercyhurst score and help Duquesne claim its sixth-straight win by way of a 31-24 decision. Adding six tackles, the junior linebacker has registered at least one takeaway in each of his past three games.
Rylan Davison, MU (WR, Gr.)
Davison caught an NEC-best 14 balls for 152 yards, also a conference-leading mark this season, in Mercyhurst’s 31-24 defeat at first-place Duquesne on Saturday. The Buckeye State native added to his career-best day by scoring two of his team’s first three touchdowns.
Adam Urena, MU (QB, Sr.)
Urena registered his second game with 300-plus passing yards at first-place Duquesne on Saturday after he threw for 345 yards on 38 completions with three touchdowns. It was the third time this season that the veteran signal caller has thrown for three-or-more scores in a game.
Shawn Charles, RMU (WR, Gr.)
Hauling in five passes for the fifth-most yards in a game by an NEC receiver this season (139), Charles provided the lone offense of the game in the third quarter on an 82-yard touchdown catch to lead Robert Morris past former conference member Merrimack by a 6-0 final on Saturday. The grad student owns the NEC’s two-longest catches this season with an 86-yarder against LIU last month.
Keon Freeman, RMU (LB, Gr.)
Freeman delivered the second-most tackles by an NEC player in a game this season in Robert Morris’ shutout win over Merrimack. The graduate linebacker anchored a defense that has pitched three clean sheets this season, the most for the Colonials since 1996.
Jamar Shegog, RMU (LB, Gr.)
Shegog was right behind fellow linemate Keon Freeman in tackles after he registered a season-high 15 in a 6-0 shutout of Merrimack on Saturday. The graduate linebacker finished the contest with 2.0 tackles-for-loss.
Geno Calgaro, SFU (LB, Fr.)
Calgaro matched an NEC single-game mark after he recorded 4.5 tackles-for-loss in Saint Francis U’s 34-0 shutout of visiting Stonehill on Saturday. Finishing with 13 total tackles, the rookie linebacker anchored a Red Flash defense that held the Skyhawks to negative passing yards and 60 rushing yards. Calgaro was also named the NEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week and the NEC Rookie of the Week.
DeMarcus McElroy, SFU (RB, R-So.)
McElroy carried the ball 19 times for 147 yards and a touchdown in Saint Francis U’s commanding 34-0 win over visiting Stonehill on Saturday. The redshirt sophomore helped the Red Flash backfield post the most yards in a game since 2015 (309).
Rickey Spruill, WC (RB, Sr.)
Spruill accounted for each of Wagner’s scores in a 24-14 defeat at Central Connecticut on Saturday. The senior running back scored on an 81-yard touchdown catch on the Seahawks’ first offensive possession of the game before he added a 13-yard touchdown rush in the fourth quarter.
AROUND THE NEC IN 8 SENTENCES
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT’s defense is nationally-ranked in a plethora of categories, including tackles-for-loss (7.6 per game; t-4th), fumble recoveries (11; 1st), rushing defense (105.1 yards per game; 9th) and sacks (3.33 per game – 2nd).
DUQUESNE running back JaMario Clements is the only player in the FCS with multiple 75-plus yard touchdown runs this season.
LIU returns from a bye week looking to string together back-to-back wins for the first time this season against Sacred Heart.
MERCYHURST senior Adam Urena, who threw for three scores in Saturday’s defeat at first-place Duquesne, leads all NEC signal callers with seven multiple touchdown games.
ROBERT MORRIS, which shut out an opponent for the second consecutive game, has now blanked three opponents this year, marking the most by the program since 1996.
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 was shut out by an NEC opponent for the first time since joining the league for the 2022 campaign.
WAGNER senior Rickey Spruill hauled in an 81-yard touchdown catch at Central Connecticut, marking the Seahawks’ longest touchdown pass since 2021.
TWO-SENTENCE GAME SUMMARIES
DUQUESNE 31, MERCYHURST 24 Redshirt junior JaMario Clements followed an eight-yard touchdown scamper at the 9:09 mark of the fourth quarter with an 86-yard touchdown run five minutes later to break open a 17-17 deadlock and lead Duquesne to its season-best sixth-straight win by way of a 31-24 victory over Mercyhurst on Saturday. Clements racked up 177 yards on the ground, while graduate student Joey Isabella caught for 177 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 15 receptions to pace the first-place Dukes.
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT 24, WAGNER 14 Central Connecticut used a 17-0 run to erase an early deficit and take a lead it would not relinquish against visiting Wagner on Saturday. Preseason All-NEC running back Elijah Howard ran for one touchdown and 75 yards in his return from injury to pace the Blue Devils, who moved to 3-0 at home and 2-1 in NEC play with the 24-14 victory.
SAINT FRANCIS U 34, STONEHILL 0 Saint Francis U scored three touchdowns in the second quarter and tacked on two more scores in the fourth to earn its first NEC victory of the season by way of a 34-0 final over visiting Stonehill on Saturday. Sophomore Markell Holman rushed for a pair of touchdowns to pace the Red Flash, who outgained the Seahawks by a 477-56 margin on the afternoon.
ROBERT MORRIS 6, Merrimack 0 An 82-yard bomb from redshirt senior quarterback Anthony Chiccitt to graduate student Shawn Charles with less than five minutes to go in the third quarter was the only offense Robert Morris needed to take down former NEC member Merrimack on Saturday. The shutout was the Colonials’ third of the season, and their second in as many outings.
SLANT ROUTES
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT’s defense is nationally-ranked in a plethora of categories, including tackles-for-loss (7.6 per game; t-4th), fumble recoveries (11; 1st), rushing defense (105.1 yards per game; 9th) and sacks (3.33 per game – 2nd).
DUQUESNE running back JaMario Clements is the only player in the FCS with multiple 75-plus yard touchdown runs this season. LIU returns from a bye week looking to string together back-to-back wins for the first time this season against Sacred Heart.
MERCYHURST senior Adam Urena, who threw for three scores in Saturday’s defeat at first-place Duquesne, leads all NEC signal callers with seven multiple touchdown games.
ROBERT MORRIS, which shut out an opponent for the second consecutive game, has now blanked three opponents this year, marking the most by the program since 1996.
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 was shut out by an NEC opponent for the first time since joining the league for the 2022 campaign.
WAGNER senior Rickey Spruill hauled in an 81-yard touchdown catch at Central Connecticut, marking the Seahawks’ longest touchdown pass since 2021.
