Seahawks Stun Dukes, 24-13

Courtesy Wagner Athletics

We’ve been talking about how #NECHAOS was on its way with so much chalk to this point in the season. The mathematicians would gasp, but this kind of chalk just felt like it couldn’t last forever.

But now, you’d better brace yourself. #NECHAOS is coming, and it’s from the man who basically introduced me to the concept. Coach Masella once said, “The NEC is a funny thing.” Today, it’s no laughing matter for Duquesne.

The Dukes came out flat, allowing a long Wagner touchdown and despite answering with a touchdown of their own and a Joey Isabella hurdle and score that looked like it could have hyped up anyone, another long Wagner drive ending in a field goal and a botched fake punt leading to a sudden change touchdown let the Seahawks head into the half with a 10 point lead. A near disaster fumble on the ensuing kickoff was recovered by Duquesne, saving the situation from even becoming worse. Was this the trap game the Dukes were trying to remain cognizant of?

It sure looked like it.

The second half saw Duquesne’s defense step up, but a golden opportunity after a Wagner fumble in their own red zone with the Dukes under 4 ended in disaster, with a 3 and out and two consecutive penalties- a delay of game and a false start- leaving Wagner with the football. Special teams miscues might have been Duquesne’s undoing, with the missed field goal, a missed extra point, and the aforementioned fake punt undoubtedly swinging the game to a large extent. 

From there, it was all Wagner. The running game spearheaded by Andre Hines couldn’t be stopped, and some more self-inflicted errors from the Dukes led to an eventual Wagner touchdown and a 24-13 score.

It’s a sour taste to head into a bye week with.

Duquesne can take some comfort. They still control their own destiny in the NEC. Win out, and they’re in the FCS playoffs. In that context, nothing has really changed and they got it out of their system early. Riddell was able to complete passes, if not get into the end zone with frequency, with a line of 21/30, 1 TD, and 1 INT.  Ness Davis ran for 60 on 13. Isabella caught 7 passes with a touchdown. The main ingredients are still there on offense. With a week to get healthy and get right the season is anything but over for the Dukes.

Wagner has found a winning combination that they first hinted at last week against Central Connecticut State. Andre Hines was good for 90 yards on the ground and a touchdown, while Jack Stevens (surprisingly in at quarterback instead of Jordan Barton) ran for a touchdown and threw for one on a very efficient 10 of 13, if only for 62 yards.

In the end, Wagner was able to drain the clock, control the ball, and play effective defense. They ran at will with 249 rushing yards and repeatedly were able to deny a Duquesne team that had scored 28 points in the first quarter 2 weeks ago and 14 in the first quarter last week. This week, the Dukes could only muster 13 all game.

Wagner just ground out the biggest upset of the NEC season so far. I can’t wait to see how they close out the year.

“It’s Genuinely a Great Atmosphere” - Mercyhurst Target Kamari Pittman on Gameday in Erie

Let’s get the obvious part out of the way first- it didn’t go Mercyhurst’s way on Saturday against Duquesne.

But the game was a big moment for the Lakers, and West Bloomfield, MI DL Kamari “Tank” Pittman was one of the Lakers targets who was able to see the in-state clash under the lights up close. West Bloomfield, by the way, are also known as the Lakers, so at least there’s the familiarity there.

We checked in with Pittman early in the week leading up to the visit, but by the time we hit Thursday, everything was just a little bit bigger, when Pittman received an official offer from Mercyhurst to play football in Erie at the Division I level. With the offer in hand, Pittman had the chance to see Saxon Stadium as a place where he might play some day. He felt welcomed there immediately.

“Leading up to the game the coaching staff introduced themselves and after they provided us a campus tour,” Pittman told NEC Blitz. “While getting closer to kickoff Coach Burke and the rest of the staff made me feel welcomed by speaking and introducing themselves personally.”

During the pregame period, he had a chance to see the way the Lakers warmed up through drills- as well as the coaching he’d be getting. “You can see the intensity as well as the love for the game with not just the players but the coaches as well with them motivating the guys and helping correct them,” he said. “The student section is here early and seems to have a ton of energy with them hyping up the players while doing the drills!”

The Lakers students had packed the stadium early, and there was more than just a country music concert from an alum at stake here. Lakers fans were there to talk football. “The fans were great when it came to communicating with them speaking and treating me like I was apart of their actual family, so honestly I feel as it was a great community and place to be,” Pittman said.

While the game didn’t go the way Lakers fans, players, and coaches wanted, that didn’t stop the coaches from keeping it going all game, something that impressed Pittman. “It was a great atmosphere, though, with the coaching staff showing their commitment to the team as well as winning due to the fact that they kept the same high energy from start to finish no matter the score!”

At this point early in the process, Pittman is still evaluating his offers. We’ll keep our eyes open to see if he’ll be joining the NEC next season.

“We're Gonna Play a Big Game Every Week”: Business as Usual for Duquesne in Big Win

It had to be asked, and it was.

There was a lot of hype for the Lakers heading into Saturday’s contest. Mercyhurst was an official 2-0 with an unofficial win over New Haven. The Lakers had gone out to play Sacramento State, Youngstown State, and Montana State, and come out of the gauntlet looking competitive in each game. Mercyhurst had a chance at a big moment in Erie, and they made sure to create it.

The athletic department staff did a tremendous job. There was a pre-game concert from country musician and alum Garett Owen. A white out. A press conference early in the week. Some of the biggest names in FCS football were talking about this game in the days leading up to it.

But was there anything about this game that made Duquesne want to send a message?

Coach Schmitt noticed the atmosphere, but he didn’t care. His team didn’t, either. “We’re gonna play a big game every week,” Coach Schmitt said.

“This was a big game, both teams, 2-0, but we came in, and we're just gonna play our football. And I'm really proud of our guys for executing it that way. Just dialing in and not worrying about all the peripheral stuff. There was a concert before the game and all this… We just were focused on the football game. I'm really proud of our kids, because they go to work during the week, and that's what they play for.”

I still have to wonder, though, if there was just a little bit of extra sauce on Duquesne’s game on Saturday.

When you have to look too closely for something, it probably isn’t there. In terms of extraneous “bad blood” prior to the matchup between the Lakers and the Dukes, that’s probably true. You’d have to look close. It was a white out, and the Dukes wore their white jersey and white pants. Unless there was some kind of refusal from the Dukes to wear color during the white out… but again, you’re looking too hard. Way too hard.

There was some talk earlier in the week that this could develop into a rivalry. I think that this is the case now more than ever before. It wasn’t a tight contest, but that isn’t how hatred builds up, either.

That score of 37-0 doesn’t lie. There is a positive aspect to it, though. Ironic though it may be, a score like that only gives incentive to improve, not to find moral victories. An outcome like that is one that the Lakers are going to have to sit with for a year. Every time they look at Duquesne’s name, they’ll remember that score. Some of them are going to be listening to the game when they work out during the offseason. If you want to remember what it looks like when a team is a step ahead of you, that’s the game to replay. Every single player on the Lakers wants to be a champion. They want to compete. You’ve now seen what it takes to be a championship level program in the NEC. Each one of them wants it, and there is no better way to motivate yourself than to see what it takes to get to it.

So there’s hatred if you’re the Lakers, or at least every opportunity to develop it. The Dukes don’t have that incentive right now.

But what I did see from Duquesne on the field looked aggressive. The Dukes were playing hard, of course, but the first drive was an imposition of will. They made it clear early that they had the ability to control the clock and sustain a long, methodical, physical drive. That physicality was evident on defense throughout the night. Clearly evident. The Dukes had an edge that was just about the ideal in football: well within the rules, but playing with great physicality and assertiveness. It was beautiful, physical football, part of what makes the game so great in the first place.

Ultimately, well, football fans want to see rivalries. I want to see new ones develop in the NEC. I’m almost certainly just grasping at straws because there is nothing better than two programs who just can’t stand each other.

That’s my nature, and at least I can recognize it.

If there was any directive to send a message, no one’s telling. As Coach Schmitt said, “The last thing I said to them in the team meeting was have fun.”

If you were a Duke, it was probably fun for you.

If you weren’t, let this one eat at you and get back up for next year. There’s a lot of football to be played between these two teams, and I can’t wait.

NEC Football Power Rankings Week 9: #NECHAOS

We came so close to a massive upset in Week 8, but we’ll have to hold on just a little bit longer to see one of those this season.

Wagner jumped out to a 14-0 lead but couldn’t hold on, falling behind in the 3rd quarter to CCSU before Wagner was able to tie it back up at 17. The Seahawks were driving deep in Blue Devil territory and time was running out before they made the mistake of throwing Chris Jean’s way. Like you’d expect if you watched him as often as I do, he pulled off the interception and the threat was abolished. The possession would go back and forth, but Wagner fell in the first overtime and CCSU escaped.

So close. But we’ll have to wait one more week for another crack at #NECHAOS.

1. Duquesne

   The Dukes looked like they wanted to send a message to Mercyhurst in the 2nd meeting of what sure looked like two teams that could establish a rivalry. The first drive saw Duquesne take 6 minutes off the clock over 10 plays, but after that there was plenty of aggression from the defense. I’m a journalist, but I try not to look for angles that aren’t there. But for all the world, it really looked like there was some kind of message that the Dukes wanted to send to the Lakers. That’s how you get rivalries, and I’m looking forward to seeing more from these two. The Dukes will get Wagner next week after a heartbreaker on Staten Island.

2. CCSU

   The Blue Devils got into a knock-down, drag-out fight with the Wagner Seahawks but yet again were able to emerge from a tight game with a win. There’s some amount of variance in how you perform in these scenarios, but less than the stats nerds would say. CCSU clearly knows how to perform and how to close out tight games. This is a team that knows how to win, even when it isn’t their best day. They’ll host a rejuvenated LIU after a bye next week, so they will need every ounce of that knowledge and willpower to stay undefeated.

3. Mercyhurst

   The Lakers weren’t able to compete with the Dukes yet, but they earned a night game and the big game feel that this one had. It’s now up to them to get it back. They’ll get to stay in Erie to recover, but there’s no rest as they’ll welcome in a tough Stonehill team who’ll be ready to bounce back after two big losses. After this, the Lakers will travel to Loretto, where they’ll have to work to get right again. Saint Francis has a stout defense and this might be tighter than you’d guess.

4. Stonehill

   The Skyhawks finished their nonconference slate at Yale where they lost handily to the Ivy League squad. It’s not relevant to conference standings, so they’ll just have to flush it and move on against Mercyhurst. The Lakers defense is scary, though, so it’ll take a big effort for Stonehill to get on the scoreboard, which is something they’ve struggled with as of late.

5. LIU

   I think LIU probably has their mojo back now that they’ve got their quarterback position healthy again. Stanzani helped lead the Sharks past Robert Morris and aside from one big play from the Colonials it wasn’t really ever in doubt. They game against CCSU in two weeks is going to be the highlight of the slate, and it’ll tell us everything about the Sharks that matters. Specifically, if Stanzani has brought them back. First, though, they’ll finish out New Haven’s unofficial non-conference slate.

6. Wagner

   The Seahawks played CCSU tight, but the Blue Devils are so familiar in these settings and unfortunately Staten Island’s team couldn’t hang on. Barton seems to have really secured the quarterback role for Wagner, and he showed some flashes of stepping up in big play situations against the Blue Devils. Wagner is playing Duquesne next, so he’ll have to make the most out of those flashes and turn it into a full-fledged blaze.

7. New Haven

   The Chargers were idle. They’ll travel to Long Island to meet a Sharks team that is looking healthy. Not the best time to go up against LIU. Zaon Laney will redshirt for the remainder of this season but we expect him back next year.

8. RMU

   The Colonials were still unable to get much going offensively and aside from one big splash weren’t able to do much against the Sharks. The defense is there, but Bobby Mo just hasn’t put together their best game yet. Against Saint Francis, the stakes will be high to end the storied rivalry on the highest note possible.

9. Saint Francis

   The Red Flash were idle but have not yet won this season. They’ll play longtime rival Robert Morris in Loretto for the last time this Saturday.

NEC Football Power Rankings Week 8: Game of the Century of the Week in Erie

It’s an old trope in college football.

But tropes are tradition, after all, and the best parts of our sport always seem to come from the past. You have a poll because there’s been a poll for 100 years; you call games “bowls” because it’s been that way for 100 years; you let Rutgers play because they’ve been doing it for so long that you can’t even ignore them anymore.

But one of the best tropes (and therefore, traditions) in college football is that when #1 plays #2 in-season, you call it the Game of the Century. In the NEC, our schools aren’t usually ranked even when they clearly deserve to be (i.e., Duquesne) and so we fall back on these power rankings to describe if a matchup is big or not in the NEC. In this case… it’s almost a game of the century. We’re seeing #1 head a couple of hours north to Erie, where Mercyhurst comes in at #3. A quick word on this.

I identify culturally as a Yinzer (look it up if you’re unfamiliar with the term!). It is also tradition amongst Yinzers to take a trip a couple of hours north to Lake Erie. You immediately go to Presque Isle (unless you stop at Waldameer Park instead). After you arrive, you go to the beach your family has always gone to. It doesn’t matter if one has less people on it; you have a pre-assigned beach from birth. Mine is Budny Beach. You hang out there, maybe walk a bit, throw popcorn at a seagull, and then before you go home you stop at Sara’s for food. I know one of my bosses on FCSNation is from South Carolina, so to Kevin: Sara’s is basically Cook-Out, except there’s only one, and you can’t have two corndogs as a side. In any case, it’s just part of growing up that you do these things.

Which is a long way of saying that Duquesne is making the trip north to Erie, and this should not be considered a road game so much as the typical migration pattern of the Wild Yinzer. They will be used to this at Duquesne.

1. Duquesne

   Duquesne hosted Saint Francis in the 51st and final meeting between the two long-time rivals. It’s said that in 1976, the Saint Francis head coach (who was also a priest; college football is the best) prayed for fumbles during the game. Inexplicably, Duquesne could no longer hold onto the ball and the Red Flash won. It’s a great story, but none of it happened this time around, and the Red Flash offense was back to only scoring a single touchdown while the defense could not keep the Dukes out of the end zone. At this point, no one in the league has looked able to hang with the Dukes. This is your reminder that Duquesne was very competitive with top 10 Lehigh, yet are not ranked

2. Central Connecticut State

   CCSU hit the road and met Robert Morris in Moon Township. The game was evenly balanced, with two offensive scores apiece, but special teams miscues for the Colonials and a pick six put CCSU in front with a final score of 24-12. The Blue Devils defense looked solid, but the offensive side of the ball is where you should be paying attention. Brady Olson still has just one interception on the year (12-1 ratio of TDs to INTs) and Elijah Howard ran for over 100 yards, having reached midseason form just as the Blue Devils hit the heart of conference play. CCSU is not the most talented team in the league, but they’re close, and they never beat themselves. You can win a lot of games playing just like that.

3. Mercyhurst

   The Lake Show continued their run with a 19-7 win over the Wagner Seahawks behind backup QB Alex Gevaudan. Gevaudan, who I believe earned his scholarship in the offseason, performed admirably in Adam Urena’s stead, but Brian Trobel was the star here with 190 all-purpose yards and 3 TDs. We liked Trobel heading into the season and had him as probably the third best back in the league, but after the first two running backs in the league, it felt like there was a logjam that anyone could have emerged from in the NEC. Don’t call it a logjam anymore. If the season ended today, Trobel and Elijah Howard would be the two first teamers. The Lakers now host Duquesne in the biggest game in October, and one that may very well determine who gets to hang up a championship banner. It might not have playoff implications, though, as Mercyhurst is ineligible for the FCS playoff.

4. Stonehill

   Stonehill heads to New Haven next week… to play Yale, who also shares the city with the New Haven Chargers. This is a non-conference game. Stonehill can impress a lot of people with a win here. The Skyhawks were idle last week.

5. Long Island

   LIU was idle last week. Hopefully, it was a chance to get healthy, as they return to league play hosting Robert Morris. Ever since the Eastern Michigan win, we haven’t known what to make of the Sharks. A win against Bobby Mo would go a long way towards righting the ship. Of interest in this one is which two quarterbacks play.

6. New Haven

   Points were in the street in the town of New Haven, as the Chargers blasted Division III WestConn 69-0. The Chargers were supposed to win this one going away, and they did that. AJ Duffy threw for 4 TDs but wasn’t recognized as one of the 5 stars, likely because of the level of competition. They’re now off this week and will return to unofficial NEC play against Long Island the following week.

7. Wagner

   I wish Wagner and New Haven were playing this season. They feel so on par with each other, but you never do know until you see it. We’ll have to wait until 2026. The Seahawks were unable to do much offensively against a stout Mercyhurst defense despite playing Jordan Barton and Jack Stevens. Wagner falls to 1-5 (0-1) but has a big chance with Central Connecticut State up next. If the Seahawks are going to turn around this season, it has to start right here.

8. Robert Morris

   The Colonials weren’t able to keep pace with Central Connecticut State despite having as many offensive touchdowns as the Blue Devils. Unfortunately, we saw another quarterback change for the Colonials after a big hit. Wolfe came in and delivered some good balls and had some great chemistry with big tight end Chaz Middleton- maybe the best tight end in the NEC this year- but the Colonials seemed to keep falling short of reaching the red zone until it was too late. They’ll go up against LIU next. The pieces are there for the Colonials- the defense looked good on Saturday and Middleton and running backs Ethan Shine and Donta Whack are talented. They’ve just got to put them together on Saturdays.

9. Saint Francis

   The Red Flash only could post one touchdown in a loss to their rival Duquesne that was over before halftime. A week off will do the Frankies good before they face their other big rival in Robert Morris at home in Loretto- again, for the last time.

Game Notes: CCSU at RMU, 2nd Half

Once again, it’s not in my nature to ask, but tips through the button on the bottom right are always appreciated. We’re bringing radio in limited quantities this academic year and expanding it greatly next season, and that isn’t easy. The more you help, the more I can do- I promise.

CCSU is taking a 14-0 lead into the half. Certainly not insurmountable. It’s been one of those games where CCSU looks a little better and has moved the ball better than RMU, but they haven’t really been able to capitalize and we’re still in a tight ballgame. RMU will receive the kick.

Drive 1: RMU gets the ball after a touchback. A read option led to an accidental knee down to start the half, but a deep throw from Panteck to Middletown to the sideline gets them to the 40. Following that, a pick six on the screen pass puts CCSU up 21-0. There’s that opportunistic CCSU defense- two years in a row.

Drive 2: Touchback. RMU has to start it now if they’re going to comeback in this game. The first run from scrimmage is a hit out of bounds. RMU is already at midfield. RMU gets close on a safety valve pass to Donta Whack but the Colonials will have to punt.

Drive 3: CCSU from their own 13. Incomplete on another verts route down the sideline- a play both teams have liked today- and then Howard gets 5 on the read option. Interesting shift from RMU to Olson’s side- they recognized on the DL what was coming- but Howard cut away from the shift in response and won that battle. A first down on a short pass gets them to first down, where the Colonials defense has continued to get tougher to move the ball on. Another incompletion and the RMU pass defense has never looked better. A little mid screen to the TE doesn’t get more than a yard and CCSU will have to punt.

Drive 4: A huge hit on the punt, but RMU holds on to start at the 33. Incompletions follow and the Colonials need to punt again. The punt goes out of bounds and CCSU will start at the 31.

Drive 5: Elijah Howard starts off with a monster 26 yard run that saw him power through the Colonials defense. He’s closing in on 100 today and looks like he’s back at his midseason form. On a 3rd and 10 with a 5 wide set Olson runs a draw for 9 and the Blue Devils will go for it. Illegal motion, but with an incomplete pass RMU starts at the 35.

Drive 6: Holding on the first play negates a solid 5 yard gain for Donta Whack. A pass on second down will get the Colonials back to 2nd and 11, but this time Whack can’t get anything going. The RMU OL has looked excellent at times today, but they’re not dominating in this game. An excellent pass across the middle on a diving catch to Middleton who has been quietly having an excellent game. Panteck is sacked on the next play after attempting a scramble and again the OL didn’t look big on their play. Richard Ransom has a catch and run down the far sideline but steps out at the 38. That was inches from the big play the Colonials needed. A deep pass is completed- well out of bounds and Middleton is down.

Ethan Shine gets the Colonials into the Brewer Airport Toyota Red Zone for the first time today (19 yard line). Incompletions follow after a short gain and on 4th and 7 RMU misses the field goal. 21-0, CCSU.

Drive 7: At the 20, CCSU misses on a pass with a fair amount of pressure and we go into the 4th quarter. On the first play, Olson took a shot on a sack. The Blue Devils have to punt. It’s a great return negated by a running into the kicker. Rekick gets RMU to start at the CCSU 48.

Drive 8: Middleton just unable to pull in a tough pass to start the drive. Panteck somehow avoids the rush and gets a 2 yard drive out of what should have been a big sack. That’ll go on his film. He took a shot at the end of it and goes down. Jake Wolf comes in and hits Middleton on a deep ball and Middleton is down again. RMU is in the red zone at the 9 yard line. On 3rd and 6 the Central Connecticut fans get loud and the Colonials stay on for 4th down. This will get reviewed- called out of bounds on the field. Looks like a TD. Touchdown.

Drive 9: RMU recovers the onside kick and Wolf is in at QB. He gets 8 on the read option- hands off the next one, and the RMU OL is getting push again for the first down. The next play is a deep shot to Chas Middleton and Wolf is looking great. It’s completed and roughing the passer goes on top of it, and suddenly RMU is at the 7 yard line. Donta Whack takes it in and we’re looking at a two point conversion. Wolf has to throw it out of the back of the end zone and it’s still a two score game, 21-12 CCSU.

Drive 10: CCSU muffs a midrange kick and manages to recover. They’ll start at their own 37. Howard takes the ball twice- CCSU is bleeding out the clock, which I admit is my favorite strategy in football- and with an 18 yard gain goes over 100 for the day. Olson on a QB keeper after that, and the RMU defense is finally showing some signs of crumbling. As of right now , both offenses have scored 2 touchdowns. Special teams and a pick six are the real difference here. Howard carries the ball and is looking unstoppable with another big gainer and CCSU is in the red zone. A TD here is probably back breaking.

Donovan Marcus is in now and we’re at 3rd and 10 with the game bleeding past the 5:00 mark. another incompletion and it’s decision time for the Blue Devils. Hennessy comes on the field and drills the kick. 24-12, Blue Devils. I’m not sure RMU has 24 points in them today.

Drive 11: RMU starting at the 32. They get a swing pass to start but the clock is ticking fast. Wolf hits a big throw to Carter on the run and just behind the sticks. The Colonials aren’t ready to give this one up as we approach the 3 minute mark. Another pass to Carter on the sideline and we’ve found a good connection for the Colonials here. They go to the well a 3rd time and the Blue Devils nearly get an interception out of it. A scramble out of bounds gets the Colonials to the 30, but we aren’t in the 2 minute warning yet and the Colonials have got to get moving. False start on the next play.

4th and 11 and this is the game. RMU just gets the first down pending the spot but it looked like a false start. This one will go to replay as they’re marked short.

Game Notes: CCSU at RMU, 1st Half

We’'ll be providing live thoughts here to avoid flooding the Twitterverse. Not a bad turnout for CCSU fans. Saw a few very filled tailgates. I feel bad asking about this, but if you enjoy what we’re doing today, you can always buy me a coffee with the button in the bottom right of this page. (RMU provides me with free diet Mountain Dew; I don’t necessarily need it for today). But that kind of stuff is always appreciated, and it really does help to keep me coming on-site.

I guess moving forward, the Northeast Conference won’t be on these trophies.

—-

CCSU will receive t he kickoff. RMU won the toss and deferred. Definitely a big first series for the Colonials. They’ve been good in the first quarter all season defensively, but the weather favors the better offense, which has been CCSU so far this season.

Drive - 1: CCSU finds weak spots in the middle on the first 2 players but Marsh Jr. unable to hang on on the 2nd pass. Looks like an intentional strategy. The swing pass on the next play is big and the Blue Devils are past the 50 already. The Blue Devils are moving quickly. Working horizontal now. Olson with the scramble up the gut next play and we’ve got 3rd and 4 for a big stop chance for the Colonials. 4th and 4, CCSU stays on the field and overthrows. The Colonials bend but don’t break.

Drive 2: Cooper Panteck at QB. Big first throw as he underthrows just a little to perfectly place a deep ball and we’re on the CCSU side of the field. On 3rd down, Panteck has to throw the ball away and the Colonials punt.

Drive 3: High snap leads to a sack on play 1 for CCSU. If RMU is going to win this game, they’ll probably need a few of these plays to go their way. CCSU has to punt here and RMU starts at the Blue Devils 44.

Drive 4: RMU with a good gain from Donta Whack- UMass transfer, just like Brady Olson- for 5 yards on a play where RMU’s front looked spectacular. Panteck throws a pick, though, and that CCSU defense just keeps getting turnovers.

Drive 5: Near the 50 (good field position for everyone today), Olson fires another strike over the middle before Elijah Howard finally gets involved on a short gain. Marsh Jr. with a good 2nd yard gain and 3rd and 3 for CCSU to extend the drive although we’re in 4 down territory here. Howard catches a dink and dunk and stepped out of bounds before he could really get shifty. First down. Read option, Olson gets a yard and gets hit hard, but gets up fast and delivers a bomb next play to Wadley. Touchdown and CCSU is up 7-0 with 5:07 to go in the first. That was for 34 yards.

Drive 6: RMU had a shot to break a good one on the kickoff but just got tripped up. Their own dink and dunk attempt went for no gain and on a 3rd and 5 there’s an overthrow and the Colonials will punt again. CCSU should have good field position here.

Drive 7: CCSU starts modestly and on a 3rd and 5 Olson is just a little behind Ricky Ortega, but the former QB makes a great play on it and the drive continues into RMU territory. The Blue Devils are having some trouble on the run, but there’s not seeming to be any overarching strategy on the passing game- they’re doing just fine throwing to several areas of the field and it doesn’t seem to be middle only or going horizontal on the Colonials to gas them. Another bomb results in pass interference and CCSU is on the 29. Now Howard makes a few men miss, gets shifty, and this time Howard is having no trouble running. 14-0, CCSU.

Drive 8: Quarter ends and RMU gets to midfield. Donta Whack is looking good and RMU seems to have the OL to compete here, if they can sustain drives. Lots of good push up front and you have to give the Colonials the edge from an OL standpoint. On a 3rd and 1, read option for Panteck goes for a big run but the holding penalty sends them back. It’s still a first down but a shorter gain to the 39. As a runner, he’s looked good already. and he’s shown the ability to make big passes.

On the next two plays, Whack isn’t able to find room up the middle as CCSU gets stout up front. Panteck gets hit for a sack on 3rd down by #13 and #9 (!!!) and the Colonials have to punt on 4th and 17. A great punt and the Colonials down them at the 5. Running into the Kicker is declined.

Drive 9: Olson opens it up trying to get a lot of the yards back down the sideline. RMU looked a little early but not enough to draw the flag. Donovan Marcus is in this drive. A pass down the opposite sideline goes incomplete, but there’s an unsportsmanlike penalty after the play as there was a little too much chatter and CCSU retains possession. Another pass interference on the next play gives CCSU 15 more and the discipline has to be better here. Elijah Howard gets the ball and goes outside to the 27 yard line. Those penalties killed the Colonials. They had a real chance for great field position here. On a 3rd down, It appears there’s a TD deep but OPI should bring it back… only there’s a roughing the passer also, and two personal fouls and I’m watching the referees actually consult a rulebook on the field. Replay 3rd down. Marcus gets a few yards and CCSU will punt here. A very strange drive. RMU starts on the 6th after a punt.

Drive 10: Still looking solid on the run game. Ethan Shine now moving the pile. The offensive line really does look pretty solid for the Colonials even to the outside. Kai Holloway gets a first down on a out route and we’re close to midfield again. The teams have really kind of lived in the middle of the field. Jet sweep gets a first down and Ethan Shine gets a pancake (let’s remember here for my benefit- about 2:35 in the half). At the 2 minute wardning RMU gets to Kai Holloway again in the middle of the field and we’re closing in on field goal range. The Colonials get to the 24 on the next pass. You can really hear the Central fans here. 1:12 remaining; 4th and 9 after another one of those underthrows just doesn’t connect this time, and now the field goal unit comes out. No good- Doink.

Drive 11: 2 minute drill time. They get a big pass down the middle of the field (34 yard line). An 11 yard out gets a first down, but another dropped snap leads to the 3rd timeout being used by CCSU. On the 17, they’ll attempt to get to the end zone. A short pass gets them to the 10 and CCSU’s Hennesy will attempt from the 17 (ball spotted on the 10). RMU attempts to put Hennessy on ice. The kick is up and no good. 14-0, halftime.

Is Brady Olson the Best Quarterback in the NEC?

Heading into the season, the battle for best quarterback in the NEC was a two man race. Now that race has expanded a little, but the leader in the clubhouse was probably not one we saw coming.

Brady Olson isn’t a new figure to the NEC or college football. The Massachusetts product (and transfer, for that matter) has been playing in Division I since 2021. With that kind of backlog of games to look through, you can forgive us all for thinking that Olson kind of was who he was at this point.

In 2024, he was okay. I wish I knew a better way to describe his performance. He threw for 17 touchdowns to 12 interceptions and 51.1% accuracy. The key to CCSU’s offense was obviously Elijah Howard, and the offensive line that the Blue Devils sported last year would have led you to believe that Olson had the best possible conditions in 2024- and with that, he threw just a handful more touchdowns than interceptions. The addition of Donovan Wadley this year might help him a little, sure, but you can’t call him a game manager with those interception numbers. He’s adding just a little more than he’s taking away.

Enter 2025.

Through 6 games, he’s looked like a legitimate contender for offensive player of the year. Olson has done a whole lot more than throw touchdowns. He’s done that- he’s at 11 so far- but the real key to his improvement has been how well he’s done taking care of the ball. Again, Olson has played 6 games, including one against an FBS team. Despite that, he has thrown just one interception. One.

To me, ball security is paramount in quarterbacks. You can win the game, even with a low yards per play, if you don’t beat yourself. A punt isn’t a winning play, but it isn’t always a losing one. Not compared to desperation interceptions or fumbles from extending a play too long. So Olson has that box checked, and certainly has improved his performance from last season in that regard. But he’s done so much more than that.

Olson is now throwing 59.6%- a big jump from 51.1%. That’s an extra completion for every 10 throws. If that seems small to you, think get back to me after the next 3rd and 7 your team misses. Every little bit helps, and that’s a big jump. He’s been more accurate, but he’s not throwing for less yardage or taking strictly checkdown throws. There’s no indication at all that Olson’s been more careful with the ball by making high percentage, low upside throws. Quite the opposite, in fact. He’s taken his yards per game from 172.2 to 213. It’s not that he’s just throwing more, either. His yards per attempt has gone up a full yard from last year, too. Compare him across the board in college football, and you’ll see even more reasons for excitement. 21 quarterbacks have thrown for 1200 passing yards so far this season. Only Olson has thrown just one interception. It’s not a fluke, and it’s not something with a small sample size- obviously, on that last point. How can you play 6 games, throw 1200 yards, 11 TDs, and even argue that there’s a small sample size?

You can’t.

The cumulative statistics are great, but they’re not the whole story. This past Saturday against Sacred Heart, Olson accounted for five touchdowns. Five. He ran for one (including the 4th quarter one to put CCSU in the lead), threw for four (including the first play overtime touchdown pass), and, again, never put CCSU in a position where they could beat themselves. He’s no longer a decent player, someone we can refer to as “okay” but not in the conversation with the top quarterbacks in the league. He was serviceable. But that performance was not “serviceable.” It was not someone who doesn’t beat themselves. Olson had a running back that ran for 100 yards, but in the 4th quarter and overtime, he sure looked like someone who could- and did- put the team on his back. He refused to lose to Sacred Heart and to have a third last minute game slip through. The fire was evident after his late rushing touchdown as he headed towards the sidelines. He would not go off the field a late loser again. Olson willed the Blue Devils across the finish line. What a performance.

Coach Lechtenberg pointed out to us that what Olson achieved with that performance was the most important stat at all. “I've always asked him, how do you evaluate quarterbacks if not by winning? And he continues to prove that he can do that,” Lechtenberg said. “The thing about Brady, he's the same guy every week, whether he's playing great or playing good or whatever. He continues to play. We started three true freshmen on the O-line last week, and he didn't blink an eye. Whether things are going good or bad, he's the same person, and that's what I can appreciate about him. He's a competitor. He gives us a chance every week to win games, and I really appreciate that.”

We’re six games in. Not all of the answers are here yet. They haven’t named the first team QB yet.

But if Olson keeps playing at this level, you can’t make an argument for anyone else.

GAME PREVIEW: Central Connecticut at Robert Morris

Robert Morris has a new lease on life. It’s conference play now, and the winner of the NEC goes to the playoffs. That’s it. So flush away the tight loss to Dayton, the opener at West Virginia, and last

On Saturday, the first place Blue Devils (1-0) travel to Moon Township to tale on the Colonials, who will be opening up conference play. We had the chance to speak with Coach Lechtenberg prior to leaving New Britain for the unfriendly confines of Joe Walton Stadium. We’ll be on site on Saturday and will have the chance to speak to Coach Clark postgame.

When we asked Coach Lechtenberg about the evolution his team had taken- particularly in the aftermath of going from a pair of close losses with Merrimack and Dartmouth to then winning a close game against Sacred Heart- he told us “The evolution is we're trying to win close, tough games. Both of those were very hard-fought games. We've had a lot of hard-fought games, some that went our way and some that didn't. We understand that's just part of the process, and college football every week is a hard job. So as a young team, we're trying to continue to mature, continue to be tough enough to find a way to win these close games, and we expect to be no different this week.”

So we’re probably looking at another tight contest from Cardiac Connecticut State University. This is a team that plays tight games. They played them all last year and this season hasn’t looked too different. Coach spoke about the physicality that RMU brings and how this is likely going to lead to another game of football the way we like it in the Northeast- the kind where toughness wins. “On both sides of the ball, they're a big, athletic, and physical group,” Lechtenberg said. “We're going to have to have a physical and tough football team because we know they're going to be physical.”

Offensively, while the Colonials haven’t been able to avoid playing multiple quarterbacks, there’s a lot to like. “We expect their starter to be back and to play well. He can throw it. They've got good receivers. Their backs are bigger, physical running backs, so we're going to have to tackle well because they do run hard with a big O-line.”

And if this one goes down to the wire- it always seems to for CCSU- there’s a maturing process the team is going through. They’ve let up some late touchdowns, but last week seemed to be a turning point when they stopped a talented Sacred Heart QB from being able to score in overtime on a 4th down stop. To Coach Lechtenberg, it’s the confidence and t he experience of doing it that’s key to develop, because the playmakers are there. “I just think we have to continue to develop confidence because making those plays in clutch situations is all about confidence and believing you can do it,” Lechtenberg told us. “We've got a lot of guys that haven't played a lot of football, so the fact that we were able to make a play at the end and get it done, hopefully that breeds confidence for our guys because that's really what we're trying to do. We have enough guys that can make those plays. We just got to perform and get it done.”

Early indications are good football weather, so if you’re in the area, you should not miss this rematch of the best game all season in the NEC.

NEC Football Power Rankings Week 7: Mercyhurst Has Never Lost a Conference Game

The Lake Show opened up their first conference slate in the NEC by upending LIU at home. It was the ESPN+ game this week for the NEC, which usually means that the league’s royalty (for lack of a better word) is present. With the mutterings about Mercyhurst after they were added (primarily that they weren’t much of a PSAC team and now they were heading up a level), the early part of this season for the Lakers has to be encouraging. I’m not saying overly encouraging- this was Mercyhurst’s 2nd win of the season, after all- but they were competitive in most of their heavy hitter non-conference games against teams like South Dakota State, Sacramento State, and Montana State. Against LIU, they proved it was worth it. That doesn’t mean the Lake Show is at the top of the charts, but they do happen to have a 1-0 record all time in the NEC (2-2 in “unofficial” league games prior to this one).

1. Duquesne

   The Dukes, though. It sometimes feels like we don’t give this team enough due for being number one most weeks. It’s probably because we expect these kind of performances out of Duquesne. They played at the time #2 NEC Blitz Stonehill and won in a runaway victory. It seemed over at half time, and was. Duquesne’s defensive front was everything we had hoped they’d be this season, the linebacker corps (led by returning from injury Tyson Meiguez) is significantly better than we expected, and Ty Riddell has been the quarterback we thought he could be in a best case scenario. In our preview magazine, we talked about how Duquesne could probably stand to have a few things go wrong and still win the league; well, almost nothing is going wrong right now. Ryan Petras has been a revelation at WR; he was committed to Princeton and flipped to his hometown Dukes. Right now, he’s looking like a contender for the NEC Freshman OPOY.

2. Central Connecticut State

   I agonized over this one. Do you make CCSU the 2nd best team after an overtime win, or do you give Mercyhurst the nod after beating a conference opponent? Ultimately, Sacred Heart came into this one at 4-1 and LIU now has an 0-2 conference record, so we had to go with which is looking like the better win right now. Coming into the year, you couldn’t quite call Brady Olson a game manager after an okay performance in 2024 that saw him throw 17 TDs to 12 INTs- he performed well, but was taking a little too much off the table with his ball security. That script has flipped in 2025. He accounted for 5 TDs against Sacred Heart and has thrown 1 pick all year. We have to start asking the question: is Olson the best quarterback in the NEC?

3. Mercyhurst

   Here’s where the Lakers are. They once again flexed their defensive muscles in a tight win over LIU at home in front of a homecoming crowd (and ESPN+ viewers across the country) at Saxon Stadium. Brian Trobel looks every bit as good as we’d hoped, but there are three running backs for the Lakers who can make noise, including freshman Mookie Gamble. The Lakers have had about as good of an offense as we expected- maybe a step back from a ball security standpoint- but the defense has come out of nowhere. I love Erie’s team, but I did not see the defense coming at all and Mercyhurst has established themselves as a legitimate NEC contender.

4. Stonehill

   Stonehill couldn’t force the Dukes into a low scoring game, and so they fell on the road in Pittsburgh to 1-1 in conference. I had kind of thought that if the Skyhawks allowed 24 points, they’d be in a tough spot to win. If they could muddy it up and control the game, if their elite defense could keep the Dukes from breaking through… it was definitely not a foregone conclusion that the Dukes would win this game, but Stonehill had to win it in their own way. Once it got away from that style, it was tough for the Skyhawks to come back and they dropped to 1-1 in conference. With that loss, they also dropped to #4 in our rankings.

5. Long Island

   LIU has dropped to 0-2 in conference play. The Sharks just haven’t been able to get all of their best players on the field since the Eastern Michigan win. I can’t help but feel like this isn’t the last Jaws sighting, though. LIU is talented, but just like last season the early course of the year may not be going the way they wanted. What will count is if, just like last season, they finish it the right way. Keep in mind that LIU hasn’t played CCSU or Duquesne yet. If they can pull off wins there, they’ll still be in the title race. They' get a week to heal up now.

6. New Haven

   The Chargers pulled off a 28-14 win against Division II Pace, a former conference foe that is having a poor season over in the NE-10. This pulled them up to 3-3 overall, with two of those wins coming against Division II opponents in their transition year. AJ Duffy didn’t have his best game, but he didn’t need to. NEC Blitz Preview Magazine cover athlete Zaon Laney ran for 143 yards, 2 TDs, and had a long of 61 after exploding for a long of 50+ last week. He’s looking healthy and New Haven will continue to look good on offense as long as he and Duffy are clicking. They have WestConn next week and should be predicted to win big.

7. Wagner

   Wagner was idle this week, but will host Mercyhurst on Staten Island next weekend for their first conference game of the season. Coming off a win against Norfolk State and seemingly having locked up the quarterback competition with Jordan Barton, the Seahawks have their whole season and all of their goals in front of them, even with a 1-4 record.

8. Robert Morris

   The Colonials traveled to Merrimack and unfortunately are still unable to scare up any offense with a 24-7 road loss. They scored in the first quarter but were unable to keep up the momentum, and eventually Merrimack was able to pull away as the game went on. The Colonials are 1-4 and welcoming Central Connecticut State to the Joe on Saturday for their conference opener. We’ll be there.

9. Saint Francis

   The Red Flash were idle this week, but will travel to Duquesne for their 2nd conference game on Saturday. It’s a game that Duquesne is unlikely to overlook with the final battle against the long time in-state opponents on the line. The Red Flash are 0-5 and 0-1 in the NEC, but in their last game against Bucknell they looked their best and the offense seemed to finally be waking up a little.

The Northeast Conference Changes Its Name to NEC, But That Doesn’t Mean More Change is Coming

The Northeast Conference is no more.

Now that I’ve got your attention.

The NEC has decided to go with the orphan initial approach, where now “NEC” means, quite literally, “NEC.” This is a popular move in the current geography-to-the-side state of conference realignment. I believe, in fact, that the ACC might well be doing the same thing. If they’re not, the whole “having teams in California” thing should probably convince them to reconsider.

The logic behind the move is very similar to that scenario for the Northe- er, NEC.

The league is still focused on the New York City area, but let’s be real here. The league is more spread out than ever before. There has usually been a presence in Pittsburgh with RMU being in the league for most of its existence, but additions in Erie and Chicago are, relatively speaking, stretching the definition of Northeast.

The alternative of rebranding entirely might or might not have been considered, but I’m certainly glad that it wasn’t what the league went with. The example of the WAC becoming the UAC recently has kind of demonstrated the disastrous effect this step can have on the history of college sports. Sure, the conference wasn’t exactly western anymore- no doubt about that- but why couldn’t they have gone with the orphan letter approach? It sure beats something generic like the UAC- or, somehow worse, the United Athletic Conference.

The real question that I’m expecting to be hit with is whether or not this means anything for further expansion. After all, the rumors are certainly swirling out there about Midwestern schools possibly searching for members- or a conference- in the short term. Is the NEC a landing spot for these schools now that the name has changed?

It’s a fun conspiracy theory, but everything I’ve learned and heard still indicates no upcoming membership changes to the NEC. I could be wrong- I certainly don’t know everyone who knows everyone- but it’s unlikely for the league to be adding or subtracting at this time. Besides, wouldn’t the expected move be to solidify the new membership- and then change the name?

It’s true that contracts for joining a conference will include a clause for not announcing joining the conference until it’s done so in conjunction with the school and the league. But it just doesn’t seem the way to go.

If you’re looking for a clue that the league might be expanding further into the midwest, you shouldn’t be looking at the name change.

The Program On The Hill

It’s not the kind of thing we talk about much anymore, but what Stonehill’s doing in 2025 is as much admirable as it is a throwback.

Looking at college football in 2025, there’s a lot of trends in program building that are downright predictable, if not exactly ideal. Take the transfer portal and its use in turning around struggling programs.

At the FBS level, a program like Virginia hit the transfer portal hard to try and turn around a program that had been struggling. It’s working in the case of the Hoos- they just downed Florida State, after all- but it’s a complete departure from what we used to see in college football. It speaks to how much the game has changed in this era of rapid fire coaching changes, conference realignment, NIL, and most notably the transfer portal. If your team and your recruits aren’t hitting for you, well, you go and buy a new team. Push out the old recruits via the transfer portal and bring in some new faces.

But it kind of stretches the idea that we’re ultimately here in support of higher education, opportunities at a degree, and building better people through the game of football. These can all be attributes of our sport and when college football is at its best, these attributes are present. You’re not seeing a ton of this at the FBS level anymore and the pressure to win now is immense.

It makes what’s happening at Stonehill all the more remarkable.

The Skyhawks went 1-10 last season (0-6 in conference) and heading into this season, something I saw on social media whenever New England football was talked about in depth (love when these conversations happen, by the way), there was often the same thing said about Stonehill- the Skyhawks weren’t very good last year, and they didn’t seem to add much to get better this year. Well, think about that line for a second.

There were always JUCO players and a limited amount of transfers that had to sit out a season by default, but adding players to right the ship? As in, for next season? That’s a foreign concept to college football as I grew up watching it. No, what you did was kept recruiting, kept developing, kept building your culture, and as your kids got older and more mature in your system they’d improve. But the flack Stonehill was taking was because they seemed to be sticking to that formula.

The Skyhawks weren’t active as buyers or sellers in the transfer portal. It led me to remark on a few occasions that Coach Gardner seemed to really know how to recruit to his school. At Stonehill, they didn’t seem to just be selling the idea of playing and transferring up to FBS. There had to be something about the kids they were bringing in that made them Skyhawks. Not just for a season or two, but they really seemed to be sticking around at an abnormal rate.

So instead of hitting the transfer portal, the Skyhawks changed up their strength and conditioning program. Something wasn’t working last year when they went 1-10, obviously, and it would be insane to go into the season with the same approach. There didn’t seem to be any thought of blaming the athletes or finding new ones. Instead, they set over 50% of their strength and conditioning records, got more reps, and brought back more starters on offense and defense than either everyone else in conference or close to it.

So they didn’t add much in the transfer portal. That’s a far cry from not doing anything to improve.

The other factor is that I’ve believed for as long as I’ve watched college football that continuity and experience are the two keys to how well a team will perform. It’s been thrown to the wind in our sport lately, but Stonehill seemed like a place where continuity and experience were going to be present in 2025. It led me to immediately point to the Skyhawks as a team that seemed poised for a big improvement in 2025. But these days, we’re conditioned to look for what the new additions are. The new playmakers replacing the talent you’re committed to developing. And maybe that’s what the problem was for a lot of people when they looked at the Skyhawks before the season. They were developing what they had, not chasing something new.

I don’t know that this kind of program building works everywhere anymore, and certainly don’t know if it works with every coach. But for a fan of old school college football like myself, well, Shovel City fits that old William Penn mentality of making a City On A Hill. Except what Stonehill does- regardless of how the rest of this season plays out- that’s an example of what I hope all programs strive to achieve. I’ll be watching closely and hoping that it keeps working.

NEC Football Power Rankings Week 6: Stonehill Gets Elevated

We called our shot early, and it seems to be looking pretty good in the beginning weeks of league play.

Of course, anything can happen. But here’s how early season predictions work. When you’re winning during the season, at any point at all, you need to celebrate how brilliant you are. You ignore your misses. And if your early wins turn into misses, forget it. You’ve celebrated it. Now, just go ahead and ignore the downfall.

We liked Stonehill taking on LIU and we loved Stonehill’s defense coming into the season, but what we saw against the high powered, difficult to plan for Sharks was beyond what we could have expected. Accordingly, the big story this week isn’t the change at the top (funny how that works), but that Stonehill- picked 8th by every other outlet I’ve had the pleasure of reading, picked 4th by NEC Blitz- is in the top half of the rankings and has doubled their win total from last season, with chances to have two additional wins on their resume. There’s holes in that resume, and the season is young. We’re still in September. But, still- take the wins where you can get them.

1. Duquesne

   The Dukes had no trouble handling New Haven in Pittsburgh, and while this is their best win to this point they looked dominant against the Chargers. New Haven was on a two game win streak including a big win over Albany, but after a good first drive the game was all Dukes. Joey Isabella had 3 touchdowns in the first half alone and Ty Riddell looked like one of the best quarterbacks in the NEC- he’s quietly been building a resume, and once the Dukes get into conference play we’ll get a chance to see him up against the rest of the league. He had no problems matching up with a stellar quarterback in AJ Duffy. Defensively, the Dukes once again looked dominant. The Dukes have won the two non-conference games they were supposed to win, lost the two expected FBS games, and were very competitive with a top 10 Lehigh team. They’re the favorite heading into conference.

2. Stonehill

   Stonehill’s still having some trouble getting into the end zone, but the defense has made the huge strides we hoped and believed that they could. LIU was held to 3 points, and while Stonehill was only able to muster 10 of their own, you do tend to win football games when you only give up a field goal. They forced Ethan Greenwood into two interceptions and Charles Battaglia will probably be the defensive player of the week in the league with 9 tackles and 2 sacks. The less obvious downside? Stonehill had trouble with penalties (12 for 90). They’ll have to clean that up if the offense isn’t able to get more points on the board, but in a league that looks low on dominant teams, a defense this good should make some more noise through the rest of the conference slate.

3. Central Connecticut State

   The Blue Devils traded two turnovers for two turnovers with Dartmouth, but it’s hard to win giving up 407 yards through the air. Nevertheless, there were still a lot of bright spots here and I’d consider them effectively tied with Stonehill- just better wins for the Skyhawks. Brady Olson continues to be careful with the ball and puts CCSU in a position to win every time Hard Hittin’ New Britain takes the field. He’s so seasoned that it’s hard to imagine the Blue Devils beating themselves this season. Unfortunately, there was just too much room for Dartmouth to throw, especially with a last second 50 yard touchdown to give the Ivy League school the lead and the win.

4. Long Island

   Despite the loss to Stonehill, the Sharks are not done this season and still have the big win against Eastern Michigan to buoy them somewhat. It’s hard to tell if Stonehill’s issue was their own offense or the good defense that that Sharks have shown this season. When- not if- the offense gets back to scoring points, LIU will get the wins back.

5. Mercyhurst

   The Lakers lost big in a buy game on the road to South Dakota State. Flush it and move on. We’re excited to see the Urena to Evans connection moving through the league slate.

6. Wagner

   Wagner got their first win in pretty dramatic fashion against Head Coach Mike Vick’s Norfolk State. The Seahawks have decided to go with Jordan Barton at QB for the time being, and he was able to throw for 2 TDs against 2 INTs. The big story might be the 108 yard game from Andre Hines, who also provided a touchdown. It’s a good win against an opponent getting lots of press prior to entering conference play.

7. Robert Morris

   RMU was idle this week. They’ll travel to former NEC foe Merrimack this Saturday before beginning league play (and a game we’ll be at!) with a big rematch against CCSU, which was the best game in the NEC last season.

8. New Haven

   New Haven struggled against Duquesne, but an interesting trend we’ve seen is that New Haven seems to be fantastic at scripting drives to start games. Zaon Laney had his best game with over 60 yards and a 51 yard scamper, but this one looked an awful lot like the contest against Mercyhurst. Might set up an interesting match for the Dukes and the Lakers in a few weeks.

9. Saint Francis

   Saint Francis was scoring points against Bucknell and went into the half with the lead. With the offense starting to wake up, the Red Flash are still only at 0-1 in conference despite the overall record and certainly have the potential to be more than a factor in league play- they still have the opportunity to make the playoffs with minimal help at this point! Without wins, though, there’s nowhere else to put them.

What Do We Really Know About CCSU?

Through four games, the league’s official favorite has gone 2-2. But with how strange out of conference schedules in the NEC can be, it’s an open question- well, what have we learned about CCSU to this point?

The Blue Devils have a win over in-conference Saint Francis, out of division AIC, a loss to FBS UConn, and a loss against non-conference Merrimack. It would be very hard to find a more diverse opponent pool than those four. Fortunately, I do think there are some insights to glean, even if nothing at this point in the season can really be concrete- especially when you’ve got four games against four categories of opponents. Here are three things we’ve picked up on so far:

1. Brady Olson Understands Ball Security

   It’s hardly a surprise that the Blue Devils are valuing possession and taking care of the football. They had a monstrous +14 turnover margin in 2024, and with that being a now-proven recipe for success, there’s no reason to do anything except try to replicate it. Fortunately, they’ve got the right QB at the helm to manage that. Olson isn’t flashy- he’s not likely to be in the conversation for NEC First Team at the end of the season- but he’s not giving the ball away, either. He’s spreading the ball out and, of course, letting Elijah Howard get the ball downfield on the ground and through the outlet passes. It’s been enough to score points against AIC and, in the second half, Saint Francis. Most importantly, he’s not putting CCSU’s defense in bad situations. Football is a long game, not a sprint. If you can control the pace of the game, win field position, and win the turnover battle, you’re usually able to win.

2. Chris Jean Picked Up Where He Left Off

   Jean has looked like the ballhawk he ended the season in 2024 as. It’s as though something fell into place for him at the tail end of last season. Sometimes those stretches look like variance, but the evidence is only compounding that Jean is a real force for CCSU- and that the opportunistic defense we saw last season might still be there in Hard Hittin’ New Britain. He’s already got 3 interceptions (including 2 against Merrimack) just 4 games into the season. He also picked up a blocked field goal in Merrimack game and returned it the length of the field, but a penalty brought it back to the 40 (Elijah Howard was able to score). Had the Blue Devils not had to spend the time marching down the field, the game against the Warriors could certainly have gone the other way.

3. The Defense Is Not A Problem

   We had wondered about the defensive line being able to reload in New Britain. It’s not clear that they’ll be able to replicate the absurd success they had last season, but what is clear is that the Blue Devils defense can keep them in any game. Flush away the UConn game and you’ve got a 7 point outing against Saint Francis, 7 points against AIC, and 16 points against Merrimack- but with a huge asterisk. Merrimack blocked a CCSU punt and recovered on the 5 yard line to set up the first touchdown of the game, followed by Olson’s only interception on the year setting up a field goal. Finally, an Elijah Howard fumble returned to the CCSU 29 set up another field goal. The Blue Devils are used to being on the winning end of these kind of turnover battles, but came out on the wrong side against Merrimack. This won’t happen every game, and those 13 points off of turnovers were the only reason Merrimack was able to come out on top. The defense looks stellar early in this season, and they’re certainly good enough for the Blue Devils to repeat in 2025.

NEC Football Power Rankings Week 4: I’m Blue

If you are my age, you will remember a crucial debate from childhood: Red or Blue?

That is, which version of Pokemon is best? (Conventional wisdom, by the way, favored Blue entirely on the basis of Raichu being available in the Power Plant in late game.)

I digress. This past week in the Northeast Conference, we got to see the Blue Devils take on the Red Flash. It looked close for a half, but no defense can hold on forever without the offense helping them out, and in the second half the Blue Devils prevailed and pulled away to make it look easy. A far cry from last season’s tight battle. With LIU losing a homecoming heartbreaker, we have yet another leader at the top spot in the volatile early weeks of the Power Rankings.

1. Central Connecticut State

   No shocker here, as the Blue Devils pulled away from the Red Flash late and Elijah Howard made his presence known, returning to the field with a receiving touchdown on the second Blue Devils drive. His rushing totals were a bit limited (he only did have 12 carries), but his return means big things for the CCSU offense. It’s not clear they need him to have more than 12 carries at this point in the season, either. Donovan Wadley got going this week with a 39 yard catch, and Brady Olson has been taking care of the ball through the first 3 games with a 4 to 0 TD to INT ratio. And best of all? That defense looks like the same aggressive one that forced turnovers last year. I think we may have downplayed how good the Blue Devils really are up until this point.

2. Duquesne

   The Dukes lost to #10 Lehigh but played them tightly, giving them a contest throughout the entire game after taking it to Lincoln (PA) the week prior. The Dukes travel on the road to FBS Akron this week, which often means it’s another game that we can’t learn too much from. Joey Isabella looks like the best WR in the NEC to this point. The linebackers, which we thought would be a weakness, are actually one of the strengths of the team with multiple players capable of being named Prime Performers each week. Daniel Tarabella has emerged as one of the NEC’s top tight ends. It’s hard to punish Duquesne for a loss to the #10 team in the country, particularly when they showed that they’re able to compete with anyone at this level of football, but polls like this are fluid and the Dukes certainly control their destiny even after they face Akron.

3. Long Island

   The Sharks still have a dominant victory over FBS Eastern Michigan on their resume, but they fell to Sacred Heart in a tough loss on homecoming this past weekend and their ranking suffered for it. The Sharks surrendered 10 points in the 4th quarter including a winning field goal as time expired to fall by 3 points. Sacred Heart has looked better than expected this season (has also defeated Stonehill) but after a big run from Luca Stanzani (75 yards!) offense was tough to come by. Ethan Greenwood did not play in this contest. The Sharks have another big chance at an upset this week as they head to Rhode Island to take on a Rams team ranked as high as #6.

4. Mercyhurst

   The Lakers were able to play with Sacramento State, even leading 18-7 in the 2nd quarter and had it within a touchdown in the 4th. New Haven’s win over Albany also gives us some good context for their victory over the Chargers in Erie. Rylan Davison and Dylan Evans each caught a Urena TD pass. They’ll head to #4 Montana State next.

5. Stonehill

   Stonehill pulled off a road win at Maine which has been kicked around by football focused media in this part of the country as potentially the biggest win in program history. The miracle 4th and 21 pass to Brigham Dunphy shouldn’t take away from the overall season Stonehill’s had so far, though. They played Sacred Heart as well as LIU did, and this is a team that could certainly be looking at 2-1 right now. They’ll have to take on the Ivy League’s Penn next at home.

6. New Haven

   New Haven got their first win as a Division I program, rocketing out to a fast start in Albany and holding off the Great Danes for the remainder of the contest, giving AJ Duffy his second Offensive Player of the Week nod in the process. New Haven will host Division II Saginaw Valley State (1-2) on The Blue for their first home game as a Division I program.

7. Robert Morris

   RMU was able to beat West Liberty, but the offense still seemed to have some trouble getting started against the Division II program. The Colonials were able to get some touches in for Ethan Shine and Donta Whack, and Zach Tanner threw two touchdown passes to no interceptions although they limited their reliance on the pass game. They’ll host Dayton this Saturday.

8. Wagner

   Wagner played Georgetown well on the road but was unable to get much going on offense against Marist, losing 21-10 behind a turnover-hindered performance (5 turnovers to Marist’s 1). You can’t win when you’re giving up possessions in bulk- a theme behind the bottom two in our rankings this week. Wagner is 0-3 but probably had opportunities to win their past two games. They’ll get back on the road to face an FBS opponent in Central Michigan.

9. Saint Francis

   Saint Francis has a stellar defense that has kept them in games for a half most of this season so far, but the offense hasn’t been able to replace what they lost through the transfer portal including their top two running backs and best wide receiver. The Red Flash fumbled the ball 5 times, recovered only two of those, and threw 2 interceptions. You can’t win games giving up the rock five times. The Red Flash have been fantastic at playing defense, but their 7 points on Saturday was unfortunately their high on the season so far. You can’t win games in football unless you score points- it’s an obvious statement, but if you haven’t shown that you’re going to be able to win games, you can’t get out of the basement.

LIU Secures Commitment From 6th 2026 OL, 1st in Ohio

We already knew that LIU’s conference mates were in deep water. But the tides are coming in just a little further than before.

Jeffrey Martin, a 6’2.5”, 265-pound interior offensive lineman from Tipp City, Ohio, has announced his commitment to the Sharks. Martin becomes the sixth offensive line pledge in the 2025 class, underscoring just how much of a priority the trenches have become for Coach Ron Cooper and his staff.

Ohio isn’t exactly a pipeline for LIU- only three players on the current roster hail from the Buckeye State- but Martin felt an undeniable connection to Long Island. “It just feels different in Brookville,” he said. “I truly believe in what the program is doing and the staff they’ve built is incredible. I also have deep family ties to New York. My mom’s entire family is from Syracuse and parts of my dad’s family live on Long Island.”

We had to ask if Martin had caught LIU’s historic upset of Eastern Michigan earlier this season. Martin admitted it hit home in a special way. “Excitement in short, to see a program that has expressed major interest in you pull off a historic win is something that can’t be matched. It’s very exciting to know I’m committing to a program that is on an upward path.”

The commitment itself played out in a fittingly personal fashion. Martin explained, “I called Coach Pace with my parents and just talked about my future at first. I really don’t think he was expecting my commitment but when I told him, the excitement on both ends was felt. I truly believe this program is going to make me the best player I can possibly be.”

That relationship with Pace has been central throughout. “Definitely Coach Pace,” Martin said when asked if any coaches stood out. “I’ve built a relationship with him since January when he was still at his former school. Then, when he took the LIU job he continued to recruit me and had me out for camp in the summer. Coach Pace is definitely the coach who I’ve built the closest relationship with throughout this process.”

For LIU, the commitment adds yet another layer to a class that is clearly being built with a vision. Like any team, the priority is to protect the quarterback (check that. With LIU that’s quarterbacks), control the line of scrimmage, and start winning games up front. For Martin, it’s a chance to carry Ohio toughness to the NEC and add his name to the foundation being laid on Long Island.

GAME RECAP: New Haven Tames Albany, 24-17

No one deserved last night more than the New Haven fans. Since we’ve welcomed them into the league, it’s hard to think of a more passionate fanbase. I talked to these folks up in Erie. I’ve met them through the cyberworld of Twitter (X?) that we inhabit. And I’ve talked to their coaches, athletic director, their players, their athletic department staff… everyone that I think I could have talked to connected to the program at this point. And I can’t imagine finding a more passionate group of people anywhere.

I hope you all received a game ball in some way or another. You’ve earned it.

After a rocky two weeks for the program with losses against Marist and Mercyhurst, the Chargers got off of the bus and didn’t stop marching down the field for the entire first half. They exploded early with a 10-0 lead at the end of the first which grew to 24-7 at the half. AJ Duffy threw touchdown passes to three different receivers (Matt Chandler, Evan Chieca, and Nikkem Reynolds) and Liam Quigley added a 38 yard field goal. At one point, the Chargers led 24-0 before Albany finally pushed in a 1 yard run near the conclusion of the half.

It was a more balanced offensive attack for New Haven with 180 passing yards and 114 rushing. It took a village to get those yards on the ground, with Brian Thomas pacing the backs for 43 and Zaon Laney returning with 8 carries for 41. Joshua Tracey didn’t earn a touchdown through the air, but led receivers with 65 yards. It seemed like the ball had to get everywhere for New Haven to move the sticks, and in the first half they certainly accomplished that.

The second half required the defense to hold Albany out of the end zone as the offense finally was slowed down. Albany actually had 436 total yards, but with 396 of those through the air, there wasn’t much balance and definitely plenty of doubt that the Great Danes could run the ball if the occasion called for it. Albany quarterback Jack Shields through 53 times but was sacked 6 times by a hungry Chargers pass rush that was ready to let out some early season frustration. The Chargers forced three turnovers (2 INT, 1 fumble) while they took care of the ball. When you’re up 3 turnovers to none, you tend to win football games, regardless of how you’re outgained.

And make no mistake, the Great Danes could compile yardage. The 436 yards for UAlbany certainly dwarfs the 296 the Chargers could put up, but with turnovers and the 12 penalties they committed to 8 for New Haven, it was one of those games that reminds fans of offense that there’s a lot more to it than moving the ball in football. For one thing, you have to score, and Albany couldn’t do enough of that. Football is about discipline, taking care of the ball, and overcoming adversity. The Chargers handed Albany 24 points worth of adversity, and the Great Danes simply couldn’t overcome it even when they began to slow down the offensive side of the ball.

The game was finally sealed with Albany reaching the red zone and looking to tie up the game. Coach Powell’s defense had to stand firm just one more time. Holding them to a 4th down, Albany’s quarterback Shields dropped back to pass and was met by two Chargers who forced through the offensive line and brought him down for a sack. Give game balls to Stephen Conwell and Pete Melle for bringing down Shields when it mattered most, too. Duffy kneeled out the clock and New Haven got on the board at 1-2.

For New Haven, this is their first win as a Division I program and the first career win for Head Coach Mark Powell. This one goes in the media guides permanently for both of them. For the NEC, it caps off a curious weekend that saw the league go 2-0 against the CAA. The depth in this league might be surprising to pundits paying attention, but to NEC fans it just adds to the excitement for conference play to begin in earnest.

GAME RECAP: Stonehill #DIGs Deep, Overcomes Maine 13-10

Last season, we got the NEC Play of the Year in Week 1 with Rob Carter Jr.’s incredible interception against Utah State. So in comparison, waiting until the 3rd week of the season is much later into the year.

On a 4th and 21 and down 6-10 with just under 2 minutes to go, Jack O’Connell rolled out to his right, feeling the pressure from behind him. He hung a rainbow of a pass out into the air and toward the end zone, where captain Brigham Dunphy was able to go up and get it- a come from behind score in the most improbable setting. The extra point was true, and Stonehill went up 13-10, with their standout defense prepared to make another stop- they’d done it all day, after all- to close out the game.

I don’t put too much stock into these, but ESPN gave Maine a 94% chance to win the game heading into that 4th and 21. It swung to an 84.1% chance as the ball landed in Dunphy’s arms. Those swings are always fun to see.

Maine was able to drive the ball just into Stonehill territory, but Mo Seide broke up a desperation 4th down pass before the Black Bears could get into field goal range, and the Skyhawks could kneel it out and earn their first victory of the season. They had opportunities to secure this same type of win in Week 1 against Sacred Heart- a team that just took down Long Island- and were unable to make that one extra play. On Saturday, that was exactly what Stonehill was able to do.

How big of a win is this one? According to our friends at the New England Football Journal, it was the biggest in Stonehill football history. We’ve got a different focus than them, obviously, and count their first win against Duquesne as a sign of who the Skyhawks could be, but the point is well taken- beating a CAA team on the road is no easy task, and it’s definitely high up on that list.

The statline for this one isn’t gaudy. It was a defensive struggle as you’d expect from the final score. Looking for those hidden numbers that can point to how a team came out on top- this is usually turnovers, points off of turnovers, what have you- the only one that really stands out to me is the 4th downs. Both teams attempted two, and while Maine came up 0 for 2, Stonehill was able to convert on both of their attempts- even that seemingly impossible 4th and 21.

We had become accustomed to seeing Jack O’Connell throw the ball around and get completions, but he had just 14 for 132 yards in this contest. His one touchdown- the only one scored by Stonehill on the game- was the aforementioned 4th and 21 beauty. That accounted for 34 of his yards and all but 9 of Brigham Dunphy’s receiving yards. On the ground, things weren’t much flashier for the Skyhawks offense. Zavion Woodard had 30 yards and Jarel Washington accounted for 28. O’Connell rushed for 29 yards, but these were negated by 4 sacks leading to a net of -1 for him.

Defensively, the Skyhawks continue to shine. Richard Mosley III has been in the right place at the right time so far this young season, with another fumble recovery- his second in 2 games. Aidan Horodnik had 1.5 sacks, and in a game where Charles Battaglia seemingly was avoided (4 tackles) the rest of the defense stepped up and the tackles were spread around (Mosley led with 8). Mo Seide had two pass breakups, including the 4th down to seal the win.

Stonehill will host Penn in Shovel Town for their next action, with the hope to take down a CAA opponent and an Ivy League opponent in consecutive weeeks.

GAME PREVIEW: Lehigh at Duquesne

The #10 Lehigh Mountain Hawks are making the cross-state trip to take on Duquesne this Saturday at Rooney Field.

It’s been an interesting two games for the Dukes so far. While they’ve had an away game against a P4 opponent, that opponent was in the city and just down the road (actually closer to Duquesne’s campus than Pitt’s) at Acrisure Stadium. Next, they welcomed in D2 Lincoln (PA). Both games were lopsided, one in the favor of the opponent, and one in favor of the Dukes.

We had expected to see a more competitive Duquesne team against Pitt, reasoning that the strength of the Dukes is their offensive and defensive lines and that Pitt would be breaking in some new faces in the trenches. We had thought that the experienced OL from the Bluff would be able to hold off Pitt better. Unfortunately, Duquesne wasn’t able to compete with their P4 neighbors, and so we looked to the D2 game as a better test of what the Dukes might be capable of. They delivered in spades. Taj Butts looked superhuman on the first drive, but a lot of that was due to the push the Dukes were getting against the 3-4 front for Lincoln. They seemed like a wall in front of quarterback Ty Riddell, and from the first drive it became very clear that this would be a strength for Duquesne on that day, and when you win by a wide margin in the trenches, you almost certainly will win the football game.

But just like a game against a P4 opponent in Pitt can only tell us so much, a win over a Division II program just doesn’t shed enough light on who the Dukes are and how good they can be.

When the Dukes are on offense, we’ve seen Ty Riddell find his groove against Lincoln and even show some flashes against Pitt. Joey Isabella can play with any defense in the country, so he should be effective once again against Lehigh. TJ Burke (2 sacks already) and Matt Spatny lead a strong defensive line that will do all they can to emulate Pitt’s performance. Linebacker Brycen Edwards is also a standout for the Mountain Hawks. The pre-season Patriot League favorites will be very difficult to move the ball on despite the weapons Duquesne brings into the fray on Saturday.

On the other side of the ball, Lehigh rolls with quarterback Hayden Johnson, although he’s only been called on for 41 passes so far this season. He’s thrown for 2 TD to 3 INT and is completing 56% of his passes, which tells you that Lehigh will certainly be committed to the run. It’s a much better situation for Lehigh there. For one thing, Johnson is a threat in the running game, with a long of 20 already this season. But more importantly, the Mountain Hawks have a one-two punch that will likely be the best Duquesne will see all season in Luke Yoder (171 yards) and Jaden Green (167 yards). The Dukes have players on the line like A.J. Ackerman and Jack Dunkley who we know can rush the pass. Dunkley in particular has shown athleticism in being able to work in the run game even when it reaches the second level, and Tyson Meiguez at linebacker has been a revelation for Duquesne. This will definitely be an area that the Dukes need to win to pull off the upset. Yoder should still be effective no matter how good the Dukes are on Saturday, as he came into 2025 highly touted as a Patriot League pre-season first teamer.

This will undoubtedly be a tough challenge for the Dukes, but if they can win this one they’ll be expected to thrive the rest of the way through NEC play and their remaining FCS schedule. A Top 25 ranking is almost certainly on the line. It would be exciting, sure, but in the NEC, the only thing that really matters from a postseason perspective is winning the NEC. Therefore, this is a great chance for the Dukes to test themselves again this season and hopefully get a feel for what they’ve got when they head into the meat of the schedule. This one, just like the Pitt game, breaks down into trench warfare. If the experienced Duquesne OL can hold off an excellent frontline for the Mountain Hawks, and if the DL can slow down Lehigh’s vaunted rushing attack, this could go in favor of the Dukes. But it’s certainly a daunting task.

GAME PREVIEW: Saint Francis at Central Connecticut State

The title defense for the Blue Devils begins right here.

Central Connecticut welcomes in Saint Francis to Hard Hittin’ New Britain in a rematch of what was also the season opener for the NEC in 2024. (While New Haven at Mercyhurst is considered an NEC matchup, New Haven is not playing a full league schedule and so the game does not count in conference standings). Last year, it was one of the best games of the season: a game that could have gone either way with a fumble return setting the tone for CCSU’s opportunistic defense all season long, and winning them the close game in Loretto. It was a microcosm of Central Connecticut all season long, in one game.

This is Saint Francis’s last ever opener in the NEC with a move to Division III looming. They’ve yet to reach 7 points in a game with their first two contests coming against FBS opponents in Louisiana-Monroe and Buffalo. Meanwhile, Central Connecticut struggled against FBS and in-state rival UConn before dominating another long-time opponent in nearby Massachusetts, beating AIC 34-7. With one FBS opponent and one D2 opponent, it’s difficult to know what to expect out of the Blue Devils. The same could be said for the Red Flash, who have been punching up so far this season.

Looking at keys to the game, we expected a lot out of Saint Francis’s offensive line this season. It’s easily the most talented unit on their roster (Geno Calgaro does not count as a “unit” when we evaluate the linebackers) and an experienced group. The Blue Devils have had to rebuild and reload on the defensive front. It’ll be interesting to see if Saint Francis’s offensive line is able to push the Blue Devils back and get running room for their backs- and time for Nick Whitfield, Jr., to throw. Against FBS competition, it’s hard to evaluate who the Red Flash could be offensively. Against the top tier competition they’ve faced so far, they’ve looked like 2024 all over again.

If the Blue Devils defensive line isn’t up to the task against the Red Flash, they’ll have to rely on their ability to score. Elijah Howard was reportedly on crutches at the end of the UConn game, and he did not participate on Saturday against AIC. He’s the go-to for Central Connecticut, and his absence would be a major blow if he continues to miss time. We don’t speculate on injuries- hopefully he’s feeling well soon if he’s not well already.

The other interesting thing for the Blue Devils is that Donovan Wadley hasn’t really gotten going for them yet offensively. This would be a perfect time for a breakout game from the NEC 2023 Offensive Player of the Year, and the connection between veteran QB Brady Olson and Wadley is definitely one to watch, especially if Wadley has to become the primary weapon for the Blue Devils.

Defensively, we’ve already mentioned Geno Calgaro, and it’s likely that he’ll be a limiting force in the run game regardless of who lines up at tailback for Hard Hittin’. Calgaro has met the expectations placed on him this season by our outlet and others. While it’s been a tough two weeks for the Red Flash, they took a close game into the 4th quarter in Monroe although that success proved difficult to replicate in Buffalo. They’re still on the road when they travel to Connecticut, but the difference in depth an NEC team will see against any FBS team will not be present this Saturday. It seems likely that the Red Flash will be able to keep CCSU from being too explosive offensively.

This one is coming down to if Saint Francis can score. We think the defense will be able to keep it tight, but if they still can’t put points on the board, Central will be able to win in a close game.