Box Score NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Fifth-Year quarterback RJ Noel passed Dale Fink as Sacred Heart's leader in career passing yards Saturday as SHU fell 37-35 to the Central Connecticut Blue Devils at Arute Field Saturday.
Noel was 20-for-32 on the day for 263 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He now has 8,869 career passing yards, passing Fink's mark of 8.803. Andrew O'Neill had a career-high 106 receiving yards on six receptions, including a touchdown. Moses Webb added eight receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Nate Chavious rushed for 47 yards and had 177 yards on kickoff returns. Defensively, Alec Finelli had a career-high 13 tackles with CJ Parvelus adding 11.
Central Connecticut (2-7, 1-3 NEC) got on the board first Saturday. Tymir Hilton picked off a Noel pass and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown, giving the Blue Devils a 7-0 lead with 9:41 remaining in first quarter. Sacred Heart tied the game with 3:33 left in the first on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Noel to Moses Webb, making the score 7-7. CCSU took back the lead, 10-7, with 12:21 to play in the second quarter on a 29-yard field goal by Ed Groth. The Blue Devils extended the lead with a 12-play, 68-yard drive that was capped off by a two-yard touchdown run by Cameron Nash at the 5:09 mark to make the score 17-7 at halftime.
Sacred Heart (6-3, 1-3 NEC) closed the gap to three points just 0:22 into the third quarter. After a 46-yard pass from Noel to O'Neill on the first play from scrimmage, Jay Croom ran 29 yards for the touchdown to make the score 17-14. CCSU responded with a four-yard touchdown run by Jacob Dolegala to go up 24-14 with 11:10 left in the third. The two teams then traded touchdown passes. Noel found O'Neill for a 34-yard score at the 5:39 mark, followed by Dolegala's 37-yard pass to Joey Fields that put the score at 31-21 heading into the fourth quarter.
Noel got SHU back within a field goal with 7:53 to play in the game on a one-yard touchdown run, making the score 31-28. The SHU defense then held CCSU to a 39-yard field goal to stay within a touchdown with 4:53 remaining, 34-28. The Pioneers took their only lead of the game at the 1:28 mark as Noel and Webb combined for their second touchdown of the day, making the score 35-34. The Pioneers looked to be in position for the win, forcing CCSU into a 4th-and-3 at the 42. On fourth down, a SHU penalty kept the Blue Devils' drive alive. Four plays later, Groth made a 35-yard field goal to give CCSU a 37-35 lead. SHU drove to the CCSU 41, but it's last second Hail Mary fell short.
Both teams had 442 yards of total offense in the game. CCSU had the ball for 33:52 to SHU's 26:08. Dolegala was 25-for-43 passing for the Blue Devils, racking up 328 yards and a touchdown. Fields had eight receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Sacred Heart takes to the road next week, travelling to Duquesne for a 12 p.m. game.
FIRST QUARTER
- CCSU punter Brandon Desautels punted the ball to the SHU four yardline on the Blue Devils' first drive.
- SHU's scoring drive was 69 yards in nine plays, capped off by Webb's fifth touchdown reception of the season.
- The Pioneers were 0-for-4 on third down in the quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
- The Pioneers turned the ball over with 3:18 to play in the quarter when Raeshaun Finney forced an Andrew O'Neill fumble at midfield, which Randall LaGuerre recovered.
- SHU also downed an Alec Finney punt at the CCSU one yardline at the end of the quarter. The 54-yard punt was the longest of his career.
THIRD QUARTER
- O'Neill's 46-yard reception on the first play of the quarter was his longest of the season. Croom's 29-yard touchdown run was his longest of the season.
- Kevin Barry forced a Fields fumble at the 4:41 mark, his second forced fumble of the season. TaMaric Wilson recovered the loose ball.
- Finney put his second punt inside the five at the 2:52 mark.
FOURTH QUARTER
- SHU drove 66 yards on nine plays on its first scoring drive, Noel's one-yard touchdown run.
- Noel officially passed Fink on the first play of SHU's go-ahead drive, throwing a 12-yard pass to Chavious.
- Noel was 4-for-5 for 52 yards and a touchdown on the go-ahead drive.
NOTES
- With his four total touchdowns Saturday, RJ Noel became the second active FCS quarterback to have 100 total touchdowns. He now has 80 passing touchdowns and 22 rushing touchdowns.
- O'Neill had his first career 100-yard receiving game. He also had a touchdown catch for the fourth time in five games.
- Webb tied his season-high for receptions with eight and set a new season-high for yards with 97.
- Croom's touchdown was his fourth of the season, and first since Sept. 24 at Stony Brook.
- Parvelus had double-digit tackles for the fourth time this season.
