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NEC Offensive Player of the Week: Davon Wells, LIU
NEC Defensive Player of the Week: Carter Glassmyer, Saint Francis U
NEC Special Teams Player of the Week: Brian Bruzdewicz, Duquesne
NEC Rookie of the Week: Edward Robinson, Duquesne
Previous NEC Releases: September 25 | September 18 | September 11 | September 4 | Preseason Poll Release | TV Package Release

NEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Davon Wells, LIU (WR, Jr.)
Wide Receiver, Jr., 5-10, 175 lbs., Kissimmee, FL/Osceola (The Citadel)
Week 5 Stats: 3 rushes, 101 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 3 receptions, 55 receiving yards, 1 kick return, 7 kick return yards
Wells made a big play in the fourth quarter to keep the Sharks in the game in an eventual 31-28 loss to conference foe Duquesne on Saturday. Entering LIU’s NEC opener with 33 yards on the ground, the Kissimmee, FL broke out and tripled that season total after running for 101 yards on three carries in the Sharks’ last-second loss to the Dukes. The junior wide receiver sent a hometown crowd into a frenzy in the fourth quarter when he crafted a 90-yard touchdown run — the longest play from the line of scrimmage in the league this season — to knot up the game with 3:33 remaining in regulation. That play would eventually be spoiled in the final seconds by Brian Bruzdewicz’s last-second field goal. Wells racked up 171 all-purpose yards in the defeat after tacking on seven kick return yards and 55 receiving yards on three catches. This is his first NEC Offensive Player of the Week honor, and the first for an LIU player this season.
 
NEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Carter Glassmyer, Saint Francis U
Linebacker, R-Fr., 6-1, 210 lbs., Central York, PA/Central York
Week 5 Stats: 13 tackles (11 solo), 2.5 TFL, 1.0 sack
Glassmyer was the anchor of a Saint Francis U defense that held Stonehill to just 10 points in a game that was decided by a Red Flash touchdown in the final moments of regulation. The redshirt freshman and Central York, PA native racked up 13 tackles in the contest, including an NEC season-best 11 solo stops. In addition to posting his second double-digit tackle game of the season, Glassmyer added 2.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sack in the win, which was Saint Francis U’s first of the 2023 campaign. The linebacker has been sensational in the Red Flash’s two conference games this season, as he kicked off league play by setting the NEC’s single-game standard in tackles with 16 against Sacred Heart on Sept. 23. Averaging 14.5 tackles per contest in conference play, Glassmyer ranks fifth in the circuit with 8.2 per game. This is his first career NEC Defensive Player of the Week honor.   
   
NEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brian Bruzdewicz, Duquesne
Kicker/Punter, Gr., 6-1, 180 lbs., McMurray, PA/Peters Township
Week 5 Stats: 1-1 FG (34 yards), 4-4 PAT
Bruzdewicz propelled the Dukes to victory in their NEC opener at LIU on Saturday afternoon. With the contest knotted up at 28-28, the veteran kicker drained a 34-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to lift Duquesne to the win, which avenged last season’s double-overtime loss to the Sharks in Pittsburgh. In addition to providing the game-ending heroics, which marked the third walk-off field goal in NEC play this season, Bruzdewicz went a perfect 4-for-4 on PATs. In four games this season, the McMurray, PA native is averaging 5.0 points per game for the Dukes. This is his first NEC Special Teams Player of the Week award this season, and the third of his career.
 
NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Edward Robinson, Duquesne
Running Back, Fr., 5-11, 195 lbs., Maple Heights, OH/Maple Heights
Week 5 Stats: 10 rushes, 70 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD
Robinson’s first career touchdown was a pivotal one, as it helped Duquesne avenge last season’s double-overtime defeat to LIU with a conference-opening 31-28 road win over the Sharks on Saturday. The Maple Heights, OH native’s 14-yard score with 1:32 to go in the third quarter capped off an eight-play, 80-yard drive that gave the Dukes their first lead of conference play at 28-21. Robinson, a 5-11 running back, accumulated 70 yards on 10 carries in his NEC debut, all of which came in the second half. This is his first career NEC Rookie of the Week honor, and the first for a Duquesne player this season.


#NECFB PRIME PERFORMERS (Week 5)

Elijah Howard, CCSU (RB, So.)
Howard led all NEC running backs on Saturday with 146 yards on 16 attempts, which was good for 9.1 yards per carry in Central Connecticut’s defeat at Brown. Finishing with 183 all-purpose yard, the sophomore’s afternoon was highlighted by an 82-yard touchdown run.
 
Tedy Afful, DUQ (WR, Jr.)
Afful had an efficient day on Saturday, as two of his four catches were good for touchdowns in the Dukes’ conference-opening 31-28 victory at LIU. Dicing through the middle of the Sharks defense on a 13-yard screen pass to put Duquesne on the board, the junior wide receiver provided his team’s next score with an impressive toe-tap grab inside the back corner from 17 yards out.
 
Brian Bruzdewicz, DUQ (K/P, Gr.)
Bruzdewicz drained a 34-yard field goal with three seconds left to lift Duquesne to a 31-28 win at LIU in a mutual conference opener on Saturday. The veteran tallied seven points for the Dukes in the game after he went 4-for-4 on PATs. Bruzdewicz was also pegged the NEC Special Teams Player of the Week.
 
Darius Perrantes, DUQ (QB, Jr.)
Perrantes led the NEC in passing yards with 254 after completing 17-of-29 attempts in LIU’s thrilling 31-28 win at LIU on Saturday. The junior threw for three scores, including a 28-yard touchdown pass to Keshawn Brown that tied the game at 21-all at the end of the first half.
 
Nyrel Sevilla, LIU (LB, Jr.)
Sevilla stuffed the stat sheet with an interception, six tackles and a sack in LIU’s last-second defeat to Duquesne on Saturday. The pick was the junior linebacker’s first of his career.
 
Davon Wells, LIU (WR, Jr.)
Putting up his first 100-yard rushing performance of the season, Wells racked up 163 all-purpose yards in LIU’s loss to Duquesne after tacking on 55 receiving yards on three catches and 15 kick return yards. The junior tied up the game with 3:33 left on an impressive 90-yard touchdown run. Wells was also named the NEC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career.
 
Donovan Wadley, MC (WR, So.)
Wadley, who put up 102 rushing yards on 10 carries, capped off a 45-yard run with the game-clinching touchdown at Sacred Heart on Saturday. With Merrimack holding on to a 10-7 edge in the fourth quarter thanks to a pick six by Jordan Tre III, the sophomore wide receiver secured the Warriors’ first NEC victory of the season with the first score of his career.
 
Carter Glassmyer, SFU (LB, R-Fr.)
Glassmyer anchored a strong Saint Francis U defensive effort that held Stonehill to just 10 points with 13 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sack. The redshirt junior registered 11 solo tackles, the most by an NEC player this season. Glassmyer was also named the NEC Defensive Player of the Week.
 
Dawson Snyder, SFU (WR, R-Jr.)
Snyder produced seven receptions for a season-high 87 yards and one touchdown to lead Saint Francis U to its first win of the season, a 15-10 triumph at Stonehill on Saturday. Scoring on the first drive of the final quarter on a 17-yard catch, the redshirt junior wide receiver also drew a crucial pass interference on the eventual game-winning drive that resulted in a Deondre Scott touchdown with 19 seconds left.
 
Sam Murphy, STO (LB, Sr.)
Murphy led a solid defensive effort with a season-high 10 tackles, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry in Stonehill’s 15-10 defeat to visiting Saint Francis U on Saturday. The senior linebacker is averaging 5.6 tackles per game this season.

    
AROUND THE NEC IN 8 SENTENCES

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT running back Elijah Howard, who is one of five NEC players averaging 100.0+ all-purpose yards per game, ranks 53rd in the nation in the category (100.0 per contest). 

DUQUESNE, which avenged last season’s double-overtime loss to LIU with a last-second field goal by Brian Bruzdewicz on Saturday, is off to a 1-0 start in NEC play for the fouth time in the past five years. 

LIU junior Davon Wells registered a 90-yard touchdown run against Duquesne, marking the longest play from the line of scrimmage in the NEC this season.

MERRIMACK, which defeated Sacred Heart for the second straight season, held the Pios to just seven points, marking the Warriors’ best defensive outing since holding LIU to five on Oct. 16, 2021. 

SACRED HEART running back Malik Grant became the FCS’s fourth active player with 3,000+ career rushing yards on Saturday, joining Isaiah Davis (South Dakota), Ailym Ford (Chattanooga) and Geno Hess (Southeast Missouri State).

SAINT FRANCIS U put together its finest defensive effort this season at Stonehill after holding the Skyhawks to just 10 points in the five-point triumph.  

STONEHILL senior Perry Shelbred is just one of two FCS players with multiple field goal conversions from 50+ yards out this season.

WAGNER, returns to action from a bye week looking to go 3-0 in NEC play for the first time since 2007 when it plays at Saint Francis U in front of a national audience on CBS Sports Network (Oct. 12).



2023 NEC FOOTBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS:

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 4: Cole Doyle, Saint Francis U
Sept. 11: Jermaine Corbett, Stonehill
Sept. 18: Jermaine Corbett, Stonehill
Sept. 25: Steven Krajewski, Wagner
Oct. 2: Davon Wells, LIU
Oct. 9: 

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 4: Eric O'Neill, LIU
Sept. 11: Micah Brown, Stonehill
Sept. 18: Junior Wily, Wagner
Sept. 25: Junior Wily, Wagner
Oct. 2: Carter Glassmyer, Saint Francis U
Oct. 9: 

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 4: Jack Barnum, Central Connecticut
Sept. 11: Perry Shelbred, Stonehill
Sept. 18: Ryan Liszner, Wagner
Sept. 25: Sam Renzi, Sacred Heart
Oct. 2: Brian Bruzdewicz, Duquesne
Oct. 9: 

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Sept. 4: Makhai Workman, Saint Francis U
Sept. 11: Trey Howe, Central Connecticut
Sept. 18: Nigel Henderson, Stonehill
Sept. 25: Jaylen Bonelli, Wagner
Oct. 2: Edward Robinson, Duquesne
Oct. 9: