FAIRFIELD, Conn. – In a reversal from last week, the Sacred Heart University football team was dominant on third down while junior running back Julius Chestnut was his same old self. The Pioneers picked up their first win of the season, beating LIU, 35-7, on Sunday.

Records:
LIU: 1-1, 1-1 NEC
Sacred Heart: 1-1, 1-1 NEC

Top Performers:
Julius Chestnut (SHU): 203 rushing yards, 4 TD, 46 receiving yards
Marquez McCray (SHU): 18-of-25 22 yards, 1 TD
Rob DiNota (SHU) 4 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD

Up Next:
Sacred Heart is back at home Sunday to face Merrimack at 1 p.m.

Of Note:
For the second week in a row, Chestnut accounted for over 200 all-purpose yards as he rushed for 203 yards on 24 carries and caught two passes for 46 yards. He scored four of SHU's five touchdowns, equaling the second-most in the single-game record book.

The Bowie, Md. native moved up the career record books in two categories. He's up to 2,579 career rushing yards, ranking him third, while his 28 touchdowns are fifth all-time.

After allowing Duquesne to convert 9-of-14 third downs, Sacred Heart did not allow LIU to get a third down conversion the entire game. The Sharks were limited to 97 yards passing and 84 yards rushing.

On the offensive side of the ball, Sacred Heart racked up 504 yards off total offense and converted 13-of-21 (63.1 percent) on third down.

LIU was moving the ball well on its opening drive, getting into Sacred Heart territory, before sophomore cornerback Randy Brito picked off LIU quarterback Conor Regan for his first collegiate interception. 

A shanked punt set up the Pioneers at the LIU 34 at the 6:26 mark of the first quarter. Quarterback Marquez McCray hit Troy Holland for a 15-yard pass then Chestnut rumbled in from two yards out.

Sacred Heart went into the locker room with a 21-0 lead thanks to a pair of second-quarter touchdowns. McCray hooked up with Rob DiNota with a 13-yard touchdown score. On a third and 12, Chestnut rumbled 69 yards for his second score.

The Pioneers iced the game with Chestnut TD runs of nine and 19 yards in the third quarter.  

McCray had the best game of his early career, throwing for a career-high 222 yards on personal-best 18-of-25.