Week 12 Stats: 14 tackles (9 solo), 5.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF
O’Neill, a defensive end from Staten Island, NY, capped off a career day by delivering a pair of game-saving stops to help LIU extend its season-ending four-game winning streak to four with a 37-34 victory at Sacred Heart. The redshirt-freshman had sacks on consecutive plays in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter to stave off the Pioneers, who scored 24-unanswered to pull within three, on their final drive. Teaming up with Carson Binder to take down quarterback Cabe Pribula and the Pios’ back to the Sharks’ 47-yard line, O’Neill stuck another sack and forced a fumble on a Sacred Heart fourth down to seal the win. He also stopped a fourth-and-goal rush from the LIU one-yard line to turn the ball back to the Sharks’ offense in the first quarter. He was a nightmare for Sacred Heart’s offense, racking up 14 tackles, including nine solo. In addition, his 5.5 tackles for loss were the most in a game by an NEC player this season, while his 3.5 sacks marked the second-best performance in the circuit.