Nov. 3, 2007

Final Stats

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) -Jo Jo Freeman rushed for 66 yards on 18 carries and scored twice as Central Connecticut State beat Sacred Heart 49-33 on Saturday.

Central Connecticut, responding to last week's setback against Monmouth, set itself up with Saturday's win for a showdown in two weeks against Albany for the Northeast Conference championship.

The Blue Devils (6-3, 4-1 NEC) opened the scoring less than six minutes into the game when Freeman botched a pitch from Aubrey Norris, but recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown.

Norris found Jermaine Roberts for a 28-yard score with 1:24 left in the first quarter to make it 14-0. Freeman scored again from two yards out with 12:45 to go in the half, giving the Blue Devils with a 21-0 advantage.

Steve Tedesco caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Dale Fink at the 6:02 mark of the third quarter to get Sacred Heart on the board.

Central Connecticut scored the game's next three touchdowns: a Ryan Holmes seven-yard quarterback keeper; a Holmes 20-yard pass to Tyler Rossnagle on the last play of the first half on a fake field goal; and a 23-yard reception by Roberts from the hand of Holmes.

Two touchdowns by Sacred Heart's Jason Payne book-ended a Norris 19-yard run in the third quarter, and the Pioneers (3-7, 0-5) scored twice more in the fourth quarter.

Freeman finished with 66 yards on 18 carries while James Mallory had 63 yards on 10 tries.

Payne had 207 yards rushing for the Pioneers on 28 carries.

Central was a perfect 12-for-12 passing on the day, with Holmes completing nine for 141 yards and two scores while Norris was 3-for-3 for 48 yards and a touchdown.