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NEC Offensive Player of the Week: RJ Noel, SHU
NEC Defensive Player of the Week: Kevin Barry, SHU
NEC Special Teams Player of the Week: Alec Finney, SHU
NEC Rookie of the Week: AJ Hines, DUQ
Previous NEC Releases: Week 3 |
Week 2 |
Week 1 |
Preseason Poll Release |
#NECFB on ESPN3 Schedule
NEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
RJ NOEL, SACRED HEART
QB, Sr., 6-1, 200 lbs., Lowell, MA/Lowell
WEEK 4 STATS: 260 yards total offense, 3 TD (2 rush, 1 pass), 20-for-28 passing, 4.6 yards per carry
Noel put his dual threat ability on display in Sacred Heart’s runaway victory over No. 20 Stony Brook. Playing turnover-free football, the fourth-year starting signal caller accounted for 260 yards of total offense and three touchdowns (2 rush, 1 pass). Noel went 20-of-28 passing for 205 yards and one touchdown. He scored two more touchdowns on the ground, totaling 55 yards on 12 carries. Noel engineered a 10-play, 67-yard drive on SHU’s first possession of the game, capping it with a one-yard touchdown rush. Breaking a 10-10 tie, the veteran quarterback plowed into the end zone from one yard out again with 8:50 left in the third quarter. He hooked up with receiver Moses Webb for a 14-yard score that bumped SHU’s lead to 31-10 with 12:59 remaining in regulation.
NEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KEVIN BARRY, SACRED HEART
LB, Sr., 6-1, 220 lbs, River Edge, NJ/River Dell
WEEK 4 STATS: 9 total tackles (3 solo), 2.0 TFL, 0.5 sack, INT, TD
Barry’s early-season surge continued during Sacred Heart’s road win over CAA member Stony Brook. He was in on nine tackles, seven of which limited Stony Brook to no more than a one-yard gain on the play. Barry, the team’s leading tackler in the game, logged 2.0 hits for a loss and put an exclamation point on the 38-10 triumph. With Stony Brook trying to climb out of a 21-point hole early in the fourth quarter, Barry snagged his second career interception and raced 44 yards for a touchdown. He also derailed a Stony Brook possession late in the opening period when he teamed up with CJ Parvelus for a quarterback sack on a 3rd-and-7 play.
NEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ALEC FINNEY, SACRED HEART
PK/P, Sr., 6-1, 195 lbs., Reading, PA/Exeter
WEEK 4 STATS: 8 points, 5-for-5 PAT, 1-for-1 FG, 6 punts, 42.3 punting avg.
Handling punting and placekicking duties, Finney put in some fine work against No. 20 Stony Brook. The SHU senior punted six times, averaging 42.3 yards per boot and thrice leaving Stony Brook with a drive start inside of its own 10-yard line. Connecting on all attempts, Finney totaled eight points for the Pioneers in the kicking game. He went a perfect 5-for-5 on extra points and nailed his lone field goal try of the game, a 33-yarder that tied the score at 10-10 on the final play on the first half. Early in the second quarter, Finney booted a 45-yard punt that was down at the SBU 6-yard line. After SHU stalled on its first possession of the second half, Finney’s 46-yard punt was fielded at the goal line and returned to the SBU 8. Midway through the final frame, he pinned the Seawolves at their own 2 on a 41-yard kick.
NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
AJ HINES, DUQUESNE
RB, Fr., 5-11, 220 lbs., Wilson, NC/Fike
WEEK 4 STATS: 152 yards from scrimmage, 25 carries, 91 rush yards, 4 receptions, 61 receiving yards
Hines accounted for a bulk of Duquesne’s offense in a 36-28 setback to Big South member Kennesaw State. The rookie running back logged 152 yards from scrimmage, but failed to find the end zone after totaling five touchdowns during his prior two appearances. Hines was the game’s leading rusher, carrying 25 times for 91 yards, and also experienced success catching the ball out of the backfield. The Tar Heel State product made four receptions for 61 yards, including a 28-yard gainer on the Dukes’ final touchdown drive.
AROUND THE NEC IN SEVEN SENTENCES
> BRYANT, which leads the NEC in yards per play (6.5) this season, gained 460 yards in its Week 4 win over Central Connecticut to eclipse the 400-yard mark in total offense for the third time in four games.
> CENTRAL CONNECTICUT, which played three consecutive games against teams owning the nickname “Bulldogs” (James Madison, Bowie State, Bryant), enters its bye week before resuming its non-conference schedule at Ivy Leaguer Penn on October 8.
> DUQUESNE, which fell to 2-2 after losing its first-ever meeting with Big South member Kennesaw State, closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule by visiting Pioneer League foe Jacksonville on October 1.
> ROBERT MORRIS, which broke a three-game slide with a Week 4 win that was aided by an 81-yard punt return TD, has scored a special teams touchdown in each of its two home games this season.
> SACRED HEART, which has allowed a league-low five touchdowns over four games this season, pitched a second-half shutout for the fifth consecutive game dating back to November 14, 2015.
> SAINT FRANCIS, which is possessing the football for a league-leading 32:48 (per game average), is tied for the NEC team lead in both sacks (14) and interceptions (5).
> WAGNER, which took an early 7-0 over Boston College thanks to a 55-yard scoring scamper by QB Alex Thomson, is averaging a league-high 5.9 yards per rushing attempt this season.
TWEET SHEET
@MarkSingelais
(Sep 25) .@ualbany football rallies past Saint Francis
@Mark_Nofri
(Sep 25) Congrats to the SHU FB players and Assistant coaches on huge win last night. Nothing fazes these guys. #WeWork #SHUFamily
@NewsdaySports
(Sep 24) .@StonyBrookFB’s letdown led to a meltdown against Sacred Heart
@scoresline
(Sep 24) Robinson accounts for 2 TDs, helps Robert Morris beat Malone
@DraftDiamonds
(Sep 24) Sacred Heart beat up on Stony Brook a week after their huge win. Sacred Heart moves to 4-0 on the year
@FCS_Stats
(Sep 24) Last week: Stony Brook 42, No. 2 Richmond 14
This week: Sacred Heart 38, No. 20 Stony Brook 10
That’s the FCS being the FCS.
@BWMcGair03
(Sep 24) And that’s a wrap: @BryantUFootball snaps its 2-game losing skid with a 45-25 win over CCSU in the @NECFootball for both schools.
@MichaelJSully
(Sep 24) FINAL: Boston College 42, Wagner 10. An early scare by an FCS team turns into a blowout, as the Eagles gain over 450 yards on offense.
@MarkSingelais
(Sep 24) Saint Francis’ Marcus Bagley, the nation’s third-leading rusher, still out after coming out in the second quarter.
@MarkSingelais
(Sep 24) UAlbany coach Greg Gattuso wasn’t lying when he said this Saint Francis team was legitimate. Red Flash controlled the first half.
@BWMcGair03
(Sep 24) Dalton Easton fakes everyone in a CCSU uniform, rolls in untouched for a 3-yard TD that extends @BryantUFootball’s lead to 21-3
@BWMcGair03
(Sep 24) Hunter Taute is a 268-pound beast who’s tough to bring down. He barrels in from 1 yard out. 14-3
@SI_CormacGordon
(Sep 22) Why does #Wagner College have Boston College on the schedule? Why not?
STRONG SEASON START, MARQUEE WIN HAVE SACRED HEART’S STOCK RISING RAPIDLY
Sacred Heart’s early-season success shouldn’t come as a surprise to many.
Despite coming off a somewhat pedestrian 6-5 season, head coach Mark Nofri’s Pioneers received the No. 2 ranking in the 2016 NEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
SHU has yet to play a conference game, but all indications suggest that the Pioneers will be a NEC title contender as the coaches’ poll had predicted.
Winning by at least a 24-point margin for the third week in a row, Sacred Heart posted a notable Week 4 victory at No. 20 Stony Brook. SHU scored 31 unanswered points in a runaway 38-10 win, marking the second time in three seasons that the Pioneers have beaten a nationally-ranked CAA member. Sacred Heart topped then No. 24 Delaware, 10-7, on October 4, 2014.
Off to a 4-0 start this season, Sacred Heart has smothered its opponents defensively while veteran quarterback RJ Noel has effectively engineered the attack. The Pioneers are permitting a league-low 11.0 points per contest while averaging a conference-leading 427.5 yards per game of total offense.
Noel, who is only one of two quarterbacks in league history to have earned three all-NEC first team selections, was responsible for three touchdowns (2 rush, 1 pass) in the steamrolling of Stony Brook.
“They [Sacred Heart] are a good offense, and they do amazing things,” Stony Brook defender Tyrice Beverette told Newsday following the loss. “They did a good job attacking us with the run-pass option. It’s very hard to stop.”
Sacred Heart has never lost (18-0) when Noel, the league’s all-time career leader in total offense (9,580 yards), has a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown in the same game.
SHU has effectively protected its signal caller this season, having allowed a league-low three sacks over the first four games.
Defensively, the Pioneers have sacked the opposing passer 14 times (tied for NEC lead).
FINALLY, IT’S HOME SWEET HOME FOR FLASH
Saint Francis’ homecoming has been a long time coming.
The Red Flash haven’t played a game in Loretto since a Week 11 win over Robert Morris last season (Nov. 14, 2015).
When SFU opens its home schedule against Division II Malone on October 1, it will be one of only of only four Division I FCS teams (SCSU, Colgate, VMI) to play its home opener in Week 5 or later.
The Red Flash and South Carolina State are the lone two FCS programs to play its first four games of the 2016 season on the road.
Saint Francis will certainly welcome the sight of DeGol Field after a grueling, season-opening four-game road swing that started in Montana and made stops at Towson and Columbia before concluding Week 4 in Albany.
The Flash owned halftime leads in all four of the non-conference tilts, but were unable to finish strong in three of those four contests.
Following a 41-31 setback at then No. 13 Montana, SFU shot out to a 28-10 lead over CAA member Towson in Week 2. Benefitting from explosive plays in the passing game, Towson escaped with a 35-28 victory.
At 0-2, Saint Francis traveled to New York City for its first-ever meeting with Columbia, which was playing its season opener. A smothering defensive effort coupled with a dominant running game resulted in a 13-9 victory for the Flash.
The grueling road trip did not seem to have a negative impact on Saint Francis in the first half of its Week 4 bout at No. 22 Albany. Three Lance Geesey field goals gave SFU a 9-0 advantage at the break, but the host Great Danes, enjoying a 4-to-1 edge in turnover margin, stormed back for a 20-9 victory.
Saint Francis, which outgained Albany, 415-to-251, in the game, committed turnovers on each of its last three possessions of the night.
Despite the 1-3 record, Chris Villarrial’s Red Flash made for some impressive moments during the challenging stretch.
In particular, Marcus Bagley and Kamron Lewis began establishing themselves as dangerous pieces of the SFU arsenal. Bagley, who left the game at Albany in the second quarter, leads the NEC in rushing yards (480). Meanwhile, Lewis ranks second amongst league leaders in receiving yards (355) and his 72-yard touchdown reception at Columbia proved to be the difference in the game.
Then, there’s Preseason All-American Lorenzo Jerome, who has been looking everything like one of the nation’s elite players. The senior safety, who made the 15th interception of his career (most amongst active FCS leaders) at Albany, has returned a kickoff (at Montana) and a fumble (at Towson) for touchdowns this season.
RARE LOSS AT ROONEY FIELD
Losses like this one haven’t happened often at Rooney Field.
Duquesne’s 36-28 setback to Kennesaw State in Week 4 snapped the Dukes’ eight-game home win streak. DU hadn’t lost a game on The Bluff since November 8, 2014 when Bryant posted a 20-17 victory in Pittsburgh.
Adding to the rarity of the loss, the Dukes had won their past 17 home games against non-conference opponents. Not since Sept. 1, 2007 had a non-NEC team (Bucknell) defeated Duquesne at Rooney Field.
The Dukes, who visit Jacksonville before a Week 6 bye, will next play at Rooney Field during Week 7. Duquesne will host Steel City rival Robert Morris in the #NECFB on ESPN3 Game of the Week on October 15.
FINE LINES (WEEK 4)
The following players earned “NEC Prime Performer status” after accounting for noteworthy statistiscal accomplishments. Here are some fine stat lines...
KHAAMAL WHITAKER (SACRED HEART)
The veteran defensive back forced a fumble, made an interception and logged four pass break-ups in the road win over No. 20 Stony Brook.
DALTON EASTON (BRYANT)
At the controls for Bryant’s successful NEC opener, the senior victimized CCSU with 272 yards passing and three touchdowns (2 pass, 1 rush).
RJ NOEL (SACRED HEART)
The dual threat quarterback was responsible for 260 yards of offense and three touchdowns (2 rush, 1 pass) during a turnover-free performance at SBU.
WARREN ROBINSON (ROBERT MORRIS)
Highlighted by an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown, the receiver totaled two scores and 135 all-purpose yards, including a single-game program record 123 punt return yards, in a win over Malone.
KEVIN BARRY (SACRED HEART)
The veteran linebacker logged a team-high nine tackles, including 2.0 TFL, and returned an interception for a touchdown at Stony Brook.
RYAN BLACK (BRYANT)
The senior ball carrier accounted for 144 yds from scrimmage in a 45-25 win over CCSU.
KAMRON LEWIS (SAINT FRANCIS)
The SFU receiver set career highs in catches (9) and receiving yards (121) against No. 22 Albany.
HUNTER TAUTE (BRYANT)
The burly running back, who was an effective lead blocker for much of the day, gained 66 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns on only nine touches vs. CCSU.
ALEC FINNEY (SACRED HEART)
The veteran kicker tallied eight points and averaged 42.3 yards per punt during the 38-10 road win over SBU.