Box Score FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Wide Receiver Tyler Dube set a Sacred Heart single-game school record with 13 receptions Saturday as the Pioneers lost to the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils 26-10.
Dube was one on three Pioneers to hold the previous record of 12 receptions. He had 189 receiving yards Saturday and a touchdown. Sacred Heart (4-3, 1-1 NEC) outgained Central Connecticut (3-5, 2-1 NEC) 373-292 but was 2-for-5 in the red zone. RJ Noel was 22-for-45 passing for 272 yards. Ose Imeokparia led the Pioneers with 46 rushing yards on 16 carries. Senior linebacker John Snee led the defense with a career-high 11 tackles, including a sack. James Rentz had nine tackles including 2.5 sacks and four tackles for loss.
The Pioneers travel to Saint Francis U on Saturday, Oct. 31 for a 12 p.m. kickoff against the Red Flash.
FIRST QUARTER
8:17 to play – SHU 3, CCSU 0; Alec Finney's 20-yard field goal capped off an 11-play, 64-yard drive. Imeokparia ran for four yards on a 4th-and-2 at the CCSU 27 to keep the drive alive.
SECOND QUARTER
6:44 to play – SHU 3, CCSU 3; The Blue Devils drove 80 yards in 6:44 before stalling out at the four yardline. Frankie Palmer converted a 22-yard field goal to tie the game. Quarterback Tavion Pauldo got CCSU into Sacred Heart territory with a 31-yard pass to KJ Smith.
1:33 to play – Sacred Heart drove to the Blue Devils' four yardline before being forced to kick a field goal. Central Connecticut's Jevon Elmore blocked the kick, ending a Pioneers' drive that went 15 plays and 67 yards in 6:42.
THIRD QUARTER
12:58 to play – CCSU 10, SHU 3; The Blue Devils took the lead on their opening drive of the second half. Jacob Dolegala completed a 58-yard pass to Smith on the first play of the quarter. Mike Petersen rushed for a three-yard touchdown to put CCSU ahead.
7:52 to play – CCSU 17, SHU 3; Pauldo hit Joey Fields for a 25-yard touchdown to give the Blue Devils' a 14-point lead.
FOURTH QUARTER
7:56 to play – CCSU 24, SHU 3; Central Connecticut took the ball over at its own 15 after the Pioneers were unable to convert on 4th-and-8. The Blue Devils drove 85 yards in nine plays, capped off by a 36-yard touchdown run by Carlton Nash.
2:07 to play – CCSU 24, SHU 10; Noel connected with Dube on a nine-yard touchdown pass. Dube returned an Ed Groth punt 35 yards to give Sacred Heart the football at its own 46 with 3:04 to play.
1:34 to play – CCSU 26, SHU 10; After Groth pinned the Pioneers to the 10 yardline, Noel fumbled the ball in the end zone leading to a Blue Devils safety.
NOTES
- Saturday's attendance was 5,080, a Campus Field record.
- In four games against CCSU, Tyler Dube has 33 receptions for 497 yards and five touchdowns.
- The Sacred Heart defense did not have a takeaway for the first time this season, ending a streak of 15 consecutive games with a turnover.
- James Rentz has five sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss in his last two games.
- The Pioneers' 10 points are their lowest total against CCSU since September 4, 2004 when the Blue Devils beat Sacred Heart 27-6.
