NEC Football - Week 1 Recap
9/2/2012
NEC Stats/Week 1 Results
Florida Atlantic 7, Wagner 3 (Friday)
Wagner held a 3-0 halftime lead and nearly stunned FBS member Florida Atlantic in Friday night’s season opener in Boca Raton. David Lopez drilled a 30-yard field goal to open the game’s scoring with 11:13 remaining in the second quarter. Florida Atlantic’s lone score came on Graham Wilbert’s 39-yard touchdown pass 3:24 into the fourth quarter. The Owls’ scoring drive started on Wagner’s 39-yard line after the Seahawks were forced to punt from deep within their own end. Wagner running back Dominique Williams carried 24 times for 117 yards.
Albany 40, Colgate 23
Drew Smith carried 24 times for 172 yards and two touchdowns in fueling defending NEC champion Albany’s season-opening victory over Colgate. The Great Danes faced a 10-0 deficit midway through the second quarter, but scored 16 unanswered points to take a lead into the break. Albany trailed 10-9 when Kyle Jordan returned a blocked punt 19 yards for a touchdown 3:01 before halftime and the Danes led the rest of the way.
No. 16 Lehigh 27, Monmouth 17
Monmouth found itself looking for the go-ahead score for the entire fourth quarter and never found it in its season-opening setback to Lehigh. The Hawks trailed the two-time defending Patriot League champion, 21-17, heading into the final frame, but were knocking on the door midway through the quarter when they failed to convert a 4th-and-1 from Lehigh’s 7-yard line. Monmouth totaled 182 yards on the ground, 94 of which came on 11 carries from KB Asante. Lehigh’s All-American receiver Ryan Spadola made nine receptions for 111 yards.
No. 8 Old Dominion 57, Duquesne 23
Duquesne saw its 20-10 halftime lead evaporate as No. 8 Old Dominion erupted for 47 points after the break to post a 57-23 victory in the season opener for both sides. The game was played before a sellout crowd of 19,818 at S.B. Ballard Stadium in Norfolk and those in attendance were treated to a 492-yard passing performance from ODU Sophomore Taylor Heinicke. Duquesne senior signal caller Sean Patterson went 9-of-21 passing for 94 yards and a touchdown, while tailback Larry McCoy, who had rushed for at least 74 yards in his past 22 games, was limited to 49 yards on 15 carries.
Morgan State 30, Sacred Heart 27 (4OT)
It took 60 minutes and an additional four overtimes to determine a victor in Sacred Heart’s season-opening affair at Morgan State. The host Bears clinched the 30-27 victory on a 20-yard field goal by Ervin Gonzalez one possession after Sacred Heart’s go-ahead 35-yard attempt sailed wide. Sacred Heart quarterback Tim Little, who was the NEC’s leading passer in 2011, completed 24 of 50 attempts for 266 yards and two scores, but was intercepted twice. Morgan State’s Joe Rankin took one of those picks 72 yards for a second quarter touchdown.
No. 2 North Dakota State 52, Robert Morris 0
The defending national champions treated their home crowd to a shutout victory of Robert Morris. On a night when the Bison raised their championship banner, they limited the visiting Colonials to 88 yards of total offense. Quarterback Brock Jensen, who finished 16-for-23 passing for 217 yards, threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to build upon a 17-0 halftime lead. Robert Morris only managed 66 yards of pass offense. Receiver Duane Mitchell made three catches for 34 yards for the Colonials.
No. 17 Stony Brook 49, Central Connecticut 17
Stony Brook gained 301 yards through its ground game and rode it to a wire-to-wire victory over Central Connecticut. The two teams had split the last four meetings, but hadn’t met since 2007. Miguel Maysonet rushed 16 times for 172 yards and a score for the defending Big South champion Seawolves. CCSU received 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 attempts by quarterback Andrew Clements.
No. 5 James Madison 55, Saint Francis (PA) 7
James Madison used its ground attack to overpower Saint Francis (PA) on Saturday night at Bridgeforth Stadium. The Dukes gained 377 yards rushing in a game that they led 34-0 at the break. Fullback Kevin Parker put the Red Flash on the scoreboard when he hauled in a two-yard touchdown pass from John Kelly with 13:58 remaining in the fourth quarter. The 2012 season opener marked the fourth straight year during which Saint Francis opened its non-conference schedule by facing a Top 25 opponent.
Marist 35, Bryant 10
Marist was able to bottle up Walter Payton Award candidate Jordan Brown and hand Bryant a 35-10 defeat in its season opener in Smithfield. Bryant gained 295 yards in the game with Brown responsible for 43 yards on 22 carries. Bulldogs’ freshman kicker Dom Kozlowski drove home a program-record 48-yard field goal to cut Marist’s lead to 7-3 with 9:08 remaining in the second quarter before the visiting Red Foxes ran off 28 unanswered points to take control.