Donning one of the top-scoring offenses in the nation and a stout defense that conceded just 10 touchdowns to conference opponents, the Red Flash dominated the gridiron and posted the program's first-ever undefeated record in Northeast Conference (NEC) play a year ago.
With the start of the new football campaign right around the corner, the team to beat in the NEC circuit in 2023 has not changed, as Saint Francis U has been tabbed the favorite to again repeat as NEC champs at season's end.
The Red Flash received five first-place votes to claim the top spot in this season's NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Coming off a runner-up finish in the league standings in 2022,
Merrimack received one first-place tally to take the second spot in the preseason predicted order-of-finish. Five-time NEC champion
Duquesne, which also nabbed one top vote, finished in a tie for third with
Sacred Heart, which has claimed two of the last three league crowns.
LIU received the final first-place tally to come in fifth in the poll, ahead of
Central Connecticut and
Stonehill, which tied for sixth. Rounding out the coaches' preseason poll was
Wagner.
The NEC unveiled the preseason poll along with a 27-member Preseason All-NEC Team as part of its NEC Football Media Day, held at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday. The on-air portion of the event was carried by ESPN3 and NEC Front Row.
Reigning NEC Coach of the Year Chris Villarrial and the
Saint Francis U offense have the luxury of a familiar — and reliable — arm returning at quarterback in 2023 in Cole Doyle, last year's NEC Offensive Player of the Year. A 5-foot-10 transfer from the College of Canyons, he threw seven times as many touchdown passes (21) as interceptions (3) a year ago. Doyle was even more sensational against league opponents with 1,544 yards in the air, 19 scoring strikes, a 68.7 completion percentage and just two interceptions during that seven-game unbeaten stretch.
Attributing to Doyle's late-season success was offensive lineman Seth Osborne, who returns after putting together his second straight All-NEC campaign in 2022 (first team).
Becoming the ninth team in league history to claim the conference crown in undefeated fashion, the Red Flash posted a 28-point average margin of victory against NEC opponents after not allowing more than 23 points at any time during that stretch. They also poured on the offense, eclipsing the 50-point plateau three times in league play.
Set for its fifth season at the Division I FCS level,
Merrimack, which is fresh off a program-best eight-win season in 2022, is FCS playoff eligible for the first time in program history this year after finishing their reclassification period. The Warriors blazed through their first six NEC games with an unscathed 6-0 record but finished as the runner-up in the conference standings after falling to Saint Francis U in a de facto championship game that featured a battle of unbeatens.
The Warriors return a plethora of starters in 2023, including a pair of All-NEC First Team members in offensive lineman Antonio Derry and defensive back Garry Rosemond, Jr. Defensive lineman Brandon Roberts and punter Cole Peterson — a pair of second team All-NEC selections a year ago — will be back on the gridiron for head coach Dan Curran, who enters his 10th season at the helm of the Warriors this season.
Duquesne, which has posted more overall wins and conference victories than any other NEC team since 2011, has finished first or second in the conference eight times since joining the league prior to the 2008 campaign. Plagued by injuries in 2022, the Dukes posted a sub-.500 record in conference play, but three of their four losses were tightly-contested and decided by a single possession.
Wide receiver Joey Isabella is the Dukes' top returning player on the offensive unit. He saw limited time in his sophomore year, but had a two-touchdown performance in Duquesne's double-overtime defeat to LIU late in the season. Look for Darius Perrantes, who tossed 17 TDs as a freshman back in 2021, to serve as signal caller.
Behind the strength of graduate student and 2022 All-NEC Second Team performer Malik Grant, who returns to the gridiron with his eyes set on becoming the eighth player in NEC annals to produce three 1,000-yard rushing seasons,
Sacred Heart looks to climb back to the summit of the conference standings for the third time in four years. Grant, who amassed 1,080 yards on the ground a year ago, finished first in the conference in total touchdowns (14) after leading the way with 13 rushing scores a year ago.
As a team, 12th-year head coach Mark Nofri and his Pioneers ranked second in the NEC behind Saint Francis U in both total offense and total defense, averaging 402.1 yards per game while holding opponents to 348.8 yards per contest. Four key components that contributed to Sacred Heart's defensive success and earned All-NEC nods in the process will be back in 2023: graduate linebacker DeAndre Byrd (first team), senior linebacker Ernest Howard (second team), senior defensive back Arsheen Jiles (second team) and senior defensive lineman Carson Primrose (second team).
LIU enjoyed one of the most dramatic — and impressive — midseason turnarounds in NEC annals last season once Luca Stanzani started calling the shots for the offense. The then-rookie from the Sunshine State got the call to take over as starting quarterback against Duquesne, and he was on a complete tear from that point on. Completing 74 of 117 passes for a .632 success rate in his four starts, Stanzani threw for 300+ yards twice, tossed 14 touchdowns and led LIU to a perfect 4-0 record during that season-ending stretch.
Stanzani's star-studded performance resulted in the Shark earning All-NEC honors (second team), where he was joined by fellow first-year defensive lineman Eric O'Neill, the reigning NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year and Stats Perform All-America Freshman Team member. LIU's late-season success can also be attributed to the stellar play of O'Neill, as 33 of his 51 stops came in the last four contests of the year. Also returning to the gridiron for second-year head coach Ron Cooper are four 2022 All-NEC first team performers (TE/HB Owen Glascoe, OL Tedi Kushi, DB Victor Nelson Jr., P Will Lynch) and three more second team members (WR Michael Love, K Michael Coney, RS Davon Wells).
Central Connecticut, which held NEC foes to a league-best 114.4 rushing yards per game and just 3.6 yards per carry during the seven-game conference slate, will begin a new era in 2023 under the direction of newly appointed head coach Adam Lechtenberg. Named the 15th head coach in program history after serving as the Blue Devils co-offensive coordinator in 2010 and 2011, he inherits a Central Connecticut squad that went 2-5 in NEC play, with three of those defeats being decided by nine points or fewer.
The Blue Devils' defense, which held all opponents to 149.2 rushing yards per game to rank second among NEC members, will be bolstered by defensive lineman Shayne Manson and linebacker Luquay Washington, who led the team with 5.0 and 2.5 sacks apiece last season.
Stonehill, which is ineligible for the FCS playoffs during their NCAA reclassification period, made a splash in its inaugural Division I season under head coach Eli Gardner with a 4-5 record overall, including a 2-5 mark in NEC play. Among the Skyhawks' five setbacks, three were determined by less than one score.
Senior running back Jermaine Corbett made his inaugural year in the NEC a memorable one, running for 110.6 yards per game to pace an offense that led the circuit in rushing offense (207.7 yards per game) and was second in scoring offense (30.6 ppg). In addition, thanks in part to All-NEC first team offensive lineman David Satkowski, who returns for his fifth season at Stonehill in 2023, the Skyhawks' offensive line allowed the second-fewest sacks in the conference last fall (18).
Wagner looks to return to the top of the NEC standings for the first time since 2012 under the direction of fourth-year head coach Tom Masella. The Seahawks return leading rushers Rickey Spruill (35.50 yards per game) and Zachary Palmer-Smith (24.90 yards per game), as well as linebacker John Gioia, who totaled 58.0 tackles last season.
About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 43rd season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of nine institutions of higher learning located throughout five states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#34) and Syracuse (#85). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 24 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 15 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Merrimack, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website official website (
www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (
www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.