D3-CFB Game Preview: MIT Engineers (1-0) vs. New England Pilgrims (0-1)

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Venue & Game Details

Kickoff: 11:00 AM ET

Venue: Don Melander Field, Henniker, New Hampshire

Surface: FieldTurf

Broadcast: NEC Athletics Live Stream / Live Stats

Weather Forecast (Kickoff)

Conditions: Mostly sunny

Temperature: ~76°F (24°C)

Humidity: ~52%

Wind: SW at 5–7 mph

Impact: Ideal football weather — minimal wind and comfortable temps should favor both passing and kicking games.

Injury Report

MIT Engineers

No major injuries reported after Week 1 win over Nichols College (17–13).

QB [Starter Name] healthy after 2 TD passes in opener.

OL and defensive starters intact.

New England College Pilgrims (Inaugural Season)

No significant injuries reported after Week 1 loss to Plymouth State (34–10).

QB [Starter Name] available after 1 TD pass in opener.

RB rotation and WR corps healthy.

Key Player Matchups

MIT QB vs. NEC Secondary — Engineers’ passing game will look to exploit a Pilgrims defense that allowed multiple explosive plays in Week 1.

NEC QB vs. MIT Pass Rush — Pilgrims’ signal-caller will need quick reads against an MIT front that recorded multiple sacks vs. Nichols.

MIT RB1 vs. NEC Front Seven — Establishing the run could open up play-action opportunities for MIT.

NEC WR1 vs. MIT CB1 — NEC’s top target will need to win contested catches to keep drives alive.

Special Teams — Field position could be pivotal; MIT’s kicker was perfect on PATs and hit a 40+ yard FG in opener.

Recent Form

MIT Engineers

W 17–13 vs. Nichols — Defense forced 2 turnovers; offense controlled clock late.

2024: 4-6 overall, 2-4 NEWMAC.

New England College Pilgrims

L 10–34 vs. Plymouth State — Scored first-ever program TD; defense struggled against balanced attack.

2025: Inaugural varsity season.

Series History

All-time meetings: First-ever meeting between the programs.

Note: NEC is in its first NCAA football season; MIT is a long-standing Division III program.

Betting Trends & Angles

MIT: 3-2 ATS in last 5 games (unofficial DIII tracking).

NEC: No historical ATS data — inaugural season.

Totals: Under has hit in 3 of last 4 MIT games.

Situational: MIT on the road for first time in 2025; NEC in second-ever game, first against a NEWMAC opponent.

Game Odds

MIT Engineers                   – 14.5

New England Pilgrims    46.5

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 12, 2025