WEEK 7 SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 12
Mercyhurst at Central Connecticut……… 12:00 p.m.
Duquesne at Saint Francis U……………… 12:00 p.m.
Columbia at Wagner…………………………. 12:00 p.m.
Stonehill at LIU ……………………………….. 12:00 p.m.
Delaware State at Robert Morris ………….. 3:00 p.m.
NEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Darius Perrantes, Duquesne
Week 6 Stats:
15-of-23 / .652 completion percentage 211 passing yards / 5 TD throws / 0 INT 5 rushes / 24 rushing yards / 1 rushing TD
Week 6 Notables:
Duquesne’s defense of its 2023 NEC football title got off to an impressive start on Saturday thanks to the arm of senior Darius Perrantes. The veteran signal caller had himself a career day against LIU, accounting for all but one of the Dukes’ seven touchdowns in the convincing 47-21 win over their league foes. Going 15- of-23 for 211 passing yards, five touchdown throws and one pick, Perrantes also carried the ball five times to the tune of 24 yards and one touchdown. The six scores tied the NEC’s record for most touchdowns accounted for in a single game, while his five touchdown passes were tied for the most by an NEC quarterback against a Division I opponent this season. He got off to a hot start in the contest, completing 7-of-9 passes with a pair of touchdown throws and a rushing score to put Duquesne out in front, 19-0, after the first quarter. This is his fourth career NEC Offensive Player of the Week award, and the first for the Duke this season.
NEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Justin Reilly, Wagner
Week 6 Stats:
12 tackles / 10 solo tackles 1.0 tackle-for-loss (10 yards) 1.0 sack (10 yards)
Week 6 Notables:
Reilly was the catalyst of a Wagner defense that held Stonehill to one touchdown and a season-low 192 yards on Saturday. The veteran from Manalapan, NJ totaled a season-high 12 tackles, including a career-best 10 solo stops, and had one sack for a loss of 10 yards in the convincing 28-7 road win. Most impressively, Reilly and the Seahawks held the NEC’s top rushing team well below their season average of 225.0 yards per game after limiting the Skyhawks to a season-low 52 yards on the ground in the triumph. The 6-foot-1 defensive back enters the week ranked eighth in the NEC in tackles per game (6.7), while his 2.0 sacks this season are good for 13th overall. He is the first Seahawk to garner NEC Defensive Player of the Week honors in2024.
NEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jack Barnum, Central Connecticut
Week 6 Stats:
3-3 FGs (32, 38, 42 yards) / 1-1 PAT 6 kickoffs / 343 KO yards (57.0 yards per kick) 3 touchbacks
Week 6 Notables:
Barnum’s right foot kept Central Connecticut in the game in the Blue Devils’ first-ever meeting with the in-state foe Yale. The senior drilled each of his three field goals and converted on his lone PAT to finish with a season-best 10-point outing on Saturday. Tying up the game with an early 32-yarder, Barnum sparked a 12-0 run that put the Blue Devils up, 22-17, with field goals on consecutive Central Connecticut possessions from 38 and 42 yards inside the final four minutes of the third quarter. In addition, he handled his team’s kickoff duties and averaged 57.0 yards per kick with touchbacks on three of his six attempts. This season, Barnum has drained 8-of-10 field goals to rank 24th in the nation with a .800 conversion rate. He also leads the conference in points by a wide margin, averaging 3.4 more than the next closest competitor with 7.4 per game. This is Barnum’s third weekly award.
NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Jeff Hoenstine
Week 6 Stats:
10-of-18 / .556 completion percentage 117 passing yards 2 TD throws / 0 INT 3 rushes / 25 rushing yards
Week 6 Notables:
Hoenstine returned from an injury that he suffered during Saint Francis U’s NEC opener against Central Connecticut and he did not skip a beat on Saturday at Delaware State. The first-year signal caller completed 10-of-18 passes and threw for 117 passing yards, a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions to propel the Red Flash to a triumphant come-from-behind win against the Hornets. Breaking open a scoreless deadlock with a seven-yard throw late in the first quarter, Hoenstine orchestrated a dramatic comeback that saw Saint Francis U erase an 11-point deficit over the final 5:38 and seal the win. The Keystone State product hit redshirt senior Gavin Thomson with a one-yard touchdown pass and a two-point conversion to spark a game-ending 22-0 run that was capped by back-to-back touchdown rushes by sophomore Markell Holman. He became the first player to repeat as NEC Rookie of the Week this season.
AROUND THE NEC IN 8 SENTENCES
TWO-SENTENCE GAME SUMMARIES
WAGNER 28, STONEHILL 7
Behind a smothering defensive effort that limited Stonehill to just 52 rushing yards, Wagner leveled up in NEC play with a decisive 28-7 road win on Saturday. Graduate student Jake Cady had three touchdown throws — including a go-ahead 77-yard bomb to sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Colclough in the opening quarter — while veteran running back Rickey Spruill compiled 103 yards on the ground, one rushing score and a touchdown reception to pace the Seahawks.
DUQUESNE 47, LIU 21
Darius Perrantes had himself a day in front of a home crowd of nearly 3,000 fans on Saturday, accounting for all but one of Duquesne’s seven touchdowns in a dominant win over LIU. Racking up 211 passing yards with five touchdown throws, the senior quarterback added a rushing score to help the Dukes roll past the Sharks by a 47-21 final in their NEC opener.
MERCYHURST 55, Buffalo State 0
Mercyhurst pitched a shutout on Saturday, using seven touchdowns to coast past visiting Buffalo State by a 55-0 final. Senior quarterback Adam Urena threw for a season-high 312 yards and six scores — including two apiece to senior Cameron Barmore and junior Braydon Black — for the Lakers, who outgained their opponents by a 574-166 margin.
SAINT FRANCIS U 28, Delaware State 17
Trailing by 11 with 5:18 left to play in the third quarter, Saint Francis U scored three times in the final 5:38 to come away with a 28-17 victory at Delaware State on Saturday. Coupling a redshirt senior Gavin Thomson touchdown catch with a two-point conversion to make it a one-possession game, sophomore running back Markell Holman completed the comeback and put the game out of reach with respective 30-yard and 55-yard rushing scores at the 4:51 and 1:08 marks of the final quarter.
Yale 23, CENTRAL CONNECTICUT 22
A last-ditch drive came up short as Central Connecticut dropped a one-point decision to Yale at the historic Yale Bowl in the first-ever meeting between the two Nutmeg State squads on Saturday. Junior running back Elijah Howard had 30 touches and 176 total yards on the day, including 108 rushing yards on 25 carries.
SLANT ROUTES
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT leads the FCS in fumble recoveries this season with eight.
DUQUESNE running back JaMario Clements has ascended to the top of the NEC statistics with 493 yards on the ground and 98.6 rushing yards per game.
LIU looks for its first win of the season on Saturday when the Sharks play host to Stonehill.
MERCYHURST quarterback Adam Urena, who has thrown 17 touchdowns and just one interception, is second 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 126 rushing yards and is conceding just 96.6 yards per game on the ground to rank 11th in the nation.
STONEHILL came up short in its NEC opener for the first time since joining the conference in 2022.
WAGNER delivered another stellar defensive outing against Stonehill, holding an opponent to just seven points on a touchdown and a PAT for the second time this year.
TEAM REPORTS
CCSU BLUE DEVILS (2-3, 1-0 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS: • Averaging 1.0 sack per game, Jalen Howard is tied for eighth in the FCS in the category. • Central Connecticut leads the FCS in fumble recoveries (8) while ranking third in sacks per game (3.20) and 10th in tackles-for-loss per game (7.2). • The Blue Devils’ offensive line has allowed just 0.60 sacks per game to rank fourth in the FCS. Three times this season, Central Connecticut has not allowed a sack against Fordham, Saint Francis U and UMass. • NEC Special teams Player of the Week Jack Barnum registered a season-high 10 points in Central Connecticut’s 23-22 defeat at Yale. With a nine-point outing earlier this season against Saint Francis U (Sept. 14), he leads NEC kickers with 7.4 points per game and is ranked No. 24 in the FCS with an 80.0 percent field goal conversion rate (8-for-10).
UP NEXT: Central Connecticut returns home for the first time in more than a month to play host to Mercyhurst, the NEC’s newest member, on Saturday at noon.
DUQUESNE DUKES (3-2, 1-0 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS: • Duquesne rides a three-game win streak in Saturday’s NEC contest that features wins over #20 Youngstown State, West Virginia Wesleyan and LIU. • Senior Darius Perrantes threw for five touchdowns against the Sharks last Saturday. He is just one of 11 signal callers in the nation to have five-or-more touchdown passes in a single game. • Perrantes accounted for six of his team’s seven scores with a rushing touchdown to tie the NEC record for most scores in a game. • With a 147 rushing yard game, JaMario Clements has emerged to the top of the NEC statistics with 493 yards on the ground and 98.6 rushing yards per game.
UP NEXT: Duquesne looks to go 2-0 in NEC play for the second time in as many seasons when it hits the road for Saint Francis U on Saturday.
LIU SHARKS (0-6, 0-1 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS: • Senior wide receiver Michael Love eclipsed the century mark in receiving yards for the second time in his career on Saturday at NEC preseason favorite Duquesne. His 139 yards marked the second-most in a game by an NEC player this season. • One of the most targeted receivers in the conference with 32 catches and 5.3 receptions per contest, Love is ranked fourth among conference leaders with 65.3 receiving yards per game. His five touchdown catches are good for second in the conference, behind Mercyhurst’s Cameron Barmore (8). • 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 looks to bounce back and score its first win of NEC play on Saturday when it hosts Stonehill for a 12 p.m. tilt.
MERCYHURST LAKERS (2-4 OVERALL)
FIRST DOWNS: • With 17 touchdown passes, including eight to graduate student Cameron Barmore, senior Adam Urena is second in the FCS in the category. • Barmore’s eight touchdown catches lead all FCS players. • Throwing just one pick through the first six games of the season, Urena’s 17.00 touchdown/interception ratio is second in the nation among signal callers with 10-or-more touchdowns. • The NEC’s leader in passing yards has thrown for 200-or-more yards in each of his six games this season and has multiple touchdowns in five of six contests in 2024. In addition, he is 18th in the FCS with 241.8 passing yards per game. • Mercyhurst’s offense ranks first in the NEC at 29.8 points per game.
UP NEXT: The Lakers make their first trip to Central Connecticut on Saturday for a 12 p.m. opening kickoff.
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. • The Colonials’ 216.2 passing yards per game are second behind Mercyhurst, which leads the league with 251.5 yards in the air per contest. • With a league-leading four rushing scores, Tyvon Edmonds Jr. ranks second in the conference with 83.2 rushing yards per game, while his 416 yards on the ground are good for third in the NEC. • The Colonials’ roster boasts one of the league’s top receivers in Noah Robinson. He has three touchdown catches and is averaging a leaguehigh 78.4 receiving yards per game on 25 catches.
UP NEXT: Robert Morris returns from a bye week to host Delaware State on Oct. 12 at 3:00 p.m. The NEC is 2-0 against the Hornets, as Wagner and Saint Francis U have each earned victories against the MEAC opponent.
SAINT FRANCIS U RED FLASH (2-3, 0-1 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS: • Saint Francis U has held opponents to 126 rushing yards or fewer in each of its five games this season. The Red Flash’s rushing defense leads the NEC and is 11th in the FCS at 96.6 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 is tied for sixth in the nation with 0.40 forced fumbles per game. • Saint Francis U’s 13 touchdowns allowed are the fewest in the NEC this season, while its 23.0 points allowed per contest rank second in the circuit. In addition, the Red Flash rank eighth in the nation in total defense at 279.0 yards per game.
UP NEXT: A rivalry match is on the docket for Saint Francis U as the Red Flash play host to defending league champion and fellow Keystone State member Duquesne on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. on ESPN+.
STONEHILL SKYHAWKS (1-3, 0-1 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS: • Stonehill dropped an NEC opener for the first time since joining the conference in 2022 on Saturday against Wagner. The Skyhawks previously defeated Duquesne in their first-ever league game in 2022 and Sacred Heart in 2023. • In Stonehill’s win over Sacred Heart last month, 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. • The Skyhawks entered last week’s game as the NEC’s rushing leader with 225.0 yards per game, but were held well below that threshold after running for just 52 yards in Saturday’s defeat to the Seahawks. • Despite the season-low rushing yard total — which marked the program’s lowest since transitioning to Division I in 2022 — Stonehill leads the NEC in the category with 181.8 yards per game.
UP NEXT: Stonehill heads to LIU with hopes of leveling up its record in NEC play on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. The Seahawks are 1-1 against the Sharks with a 34-28 setback in the inaugural meeting in 2022 and a 40-23 victory last season.
WAGNER SEAHAWKS (2-3, 0-1 NEC)
FIRST DOWNS: • Wagner is leveled up its record in NEC play to 1-1 with Saturday’s win at Stonehill, marking the second time in as many years that the Seahawks win at least one of their first two league contests. • The Seahawks improved to 2-1 all-time in the series with Stonehill with the victory. • For the second time this season, the Seahawks conceded just one touchdown to their opposition, previously turning the trick against Delaware State in a 30-7 triumph last month. • Wagner is one win away from matching last season’s total, which marked the program’s most fruitful season since going 4-7 in 2018. • Holding opponents to 22.0 points per game, Wagner’s defense is allowing the fewest points since 2016 (21.1 ppg). Last season, the Seahawks allowed 29.8 ppg. • Defense has been the team’s calling card, as the Seahawks are tied for 11th in the FCS with seven picks.
UP NEXT: Wagner steps out of non-conference action to host Columbia on Saturday at noon. The contest is the first of a two-game homestand for the Seahawks.
