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Wagner, who came within a blown defensive penalty from having a chance to beat FBS UConn, isn’t the only NEC team chomping at the bit to start Week 2 of the football season. Duquesne, Central Connecticut State, Robert Morris and Sacred Heart also have their home openers this week.
We live in a strange world where people consume things in bites. People consume bites like video clips quickly, and sometimes they love them enough to keep watching them, enjoy them, and share them with their friends and followers.
That’s what happened today with one play out of the 138 plays that were run in the St. Francis (PA)/Lehigh game this Saturday, the first game of the season for both teams.
It was a game a defensive coordinator could love, and it resulted in a thrilling victory for St. Francis (PA) and an agonizing loss for Lehigh when a late 40 yard FG attempt went wide right for the Mountain Hawks, resulting in a 14-13 win for the Red Flash.
Last season, St. Francis (PA) and Lehigh faced off at the exact same time of year (Saturday, Labor Day weekend) at the exact same weekend. But the teams heading onto the field this weekend are not only filled with new personnel – they are also teams eager to put disappointing, losing season behind them in 2019.
The NEC starts their 2019 football season as road warriors with the exception of Merrimack, who is not a full NEC member but is competing against mostly NEC squads. All of the games should be a challenge – with the exception of Merrimack, once again.
Lehigh has just released their game notes for their 2019 Week 1 tilt against St. Francis (PA), and it’s our first look at Lehigh’s starting two deep. Here are my five takeaways from the list.
The Northeast Conference welcomes two new members in 2019 in LIU and Merrimack, two teams that should bring some juice to the league in future years. That newness extends to many of the existing teams of the NEC, many of whom are headed by first or second year head coaches. In such an environment, Duquesne’s returning talent and longtime head football coach really stand out.
Things looked grim after an early-season defeat to Bryant left the Dukes at 3-3. But Jerry Schmitt’s team would win their next five games to win the NEC title, earning a road game against Towson in the FCS playoffs and pulling off a stunning upset, 31-10, in a rainstorm.
Two close conference losses, both by a single score to Sacred Heart and Duquesne, were all that separated the Blue Devils from a conference title.
The FCS Playoff autobid came down to the wire in Pittsburgh, PA, but Sacred Heart’s 28-24 loss to Duquesne meant 7-4 Sacred Heart would end up tied for 1st for the NEC championship , but without the autobid.
A tough, brutal early stretch of the schedule saw the Seahawks limp to a 1-5 record, though they would win their final two games against Bryant and Robert Morris to achieve a 4-7 record.
CCSU scored 48 straight points in a 34 point loss, and the Bulldogs never seemed to fully recover, dropping three of their last five games and squeaking by both Fordham (42-41) and Howard (56-55) by a single point each.
A 31-14 win over Southern Connecticut (D-II) brought the Warriors time in Division II to a close with a 5-5 record. Merrimack announced they would be beginning their transition to becoming a Division I athletics program in 2019, where their final destination will be the NEC.
St. Francis (PA) Red Flash Location: Loretto, PA Coach: Chris Villarrial (40-59), 9th Season at St. Francis (PA) Stadium: DeGol Field (Capacity: 3,500) CSJ Projections: 6th: NEC 8th: Pennsylvania 103rd: FCS 233rd: Division I 2018 In a Sentence: Three heartbreaking, last-minute out-of-conference losses to Lehigh, Richmond, and Albany (NY) turned what could have realistically.
In their final season in Division II, LIU-Post went out in style, beating perennial NE-10 power New Haven to win their conference championship and qualify for the playoffs with a 10-0 record.
In Week 3, the Colonials fell 73-7 to perennial FCS power James Madison, and things didn’t improve much from there, with Robert Morris losing eight other games to their FCS opponents.
It’s May. Spring football is over, and the preseason camps don’t start for a couple months. We are in the doldrums of the FCS offseason. But at this point, everyone is 0-0 and hope springs eternal. 127 schools think they have a shot to make the playoffs and compete for an FCS Championship in Frisco..
Duquesne 31, Towson 10 Video Highlights Courtesy NCAA.com TOWSON, Md. – Two weeks ago against Sacred Heart, Duquesne was in a must-win game to have a chance to capture the NEC title and the autobid to the FCS playoffs. After their 28-24 win over the Pioneers, the Dukes once again faced a must-win game against.
Duquesne at Towson When: Saturday, November 24, 2:00 PM Where: Johnny Unitas Stadium, Towson, MD TV/Streaming: ESPN3 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Northeast Conference Enrollment: 5943 FCS Sagarin Rating: 79 Season Recap: Duquesne tested itself in its non-conference schedule, playing two FBS teams along the way. The Dukes went 8-1 against the FCS this year with.
The 2018 FCS Playoff Bracket was announced on ESPNU on November 18th at 12:30 EST, and the NCAA issued their release about the 2018 FCS Playoff Bracket here. There were some interesting matchups, some shocking omissions, and a lot of interesting twists and turns. CSJ’s Jamie Williams, Kent Schmidt and Chuck Burton followed the picks.
All the regular season games have been played, and let’s get right to it. Once again, a quick recap of the rules for the ability to qualify for the FCS Playoffs: The field for the FCS Playoffs is determined at the conclusion of the FCS regular season, which is the Sunday before Thanksgiving. There are.
Though the field for the 2018 FCS Playoffs was clarified a little bit a week before the selection of the field, a chaotic upset-filled week not only thrust an unlikely team to a conference championship at autobid, it sets up a final weekend of the FCS regular season filled with meaningful games. About the only.
Sacred Heart at Duquesne When: Saturday, November 10th, Noon Where: Rooney Field, Pittsburgh, PA TV/Streaming: NEC Front Row Sacred Heart Pioneers The Sacred Heart football team will look to clinch its third Northeast Conference title in six years on Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers (6-3, 4-0 NEC) will travel to take on Duquesne (6-3, 3-1 NEC),.
Bryant at Sacred Heart When: Saturday, October 27, 1:00 PM Where: Campus Field, Fairfield, CT TV/Streaming: ESPN College Extra/ESPN3 Bryant Bulldogs After a wild win over Fordham last week, Bryant heads to Fairfield, CT to face Sacred Heart in a critical battle in the NEC championship race. Sophomore PK Luke Samperi chose the perfect time.
Harrisonburg, VA – James Madison got what he wanted this week: play 4 quarters and get experience for much of his young roster. The Dukes jumped ahead of Robert Morris early and often, rolling to a 73-7 win in the team’s home opener in Harrisonburg Thursday night. Less than three minutes into the game, Marcus.
The Lehigh Mountain Hawks secured a win over their bitter Rivals Lafayette, won a share of the Patriot League Championship, and won the league’s autoqualifier for the FCS playoffs, putting them in the postseason for the second straight season. Sounds like a terrific year? Not exactly. The St. Francis (PA) Red Flash had started out.
College Sports Journal announces their 2018 Fearless Prediction for the Order of finish of the Northeastern Conference. Last year, Central Connecticut State won the NEC championship and qualified for their first-ever FCS Playoff appearance, and in 2018 CSJ picks them to repeat as conference champions. Central’s offense, which is slated to return eight starters,.
Central Connecticut State Blue Devils Location: New Britain, CT Coach: Pete Rossomando (17-29) Stadium: Arute Field (Capacity: 5,500) CSJ Projections: 1st: NEC 3rd: Connecticut 52nd: FCS 174th: Division I 2017 In A Sentence: On October 14th, the Blue Devils won an epic 4OT battle against Wagner, 51-45, and after that game the Blue Devil defense simply.
Duquesne Dukes Location: Pittsburgh, PA Coach: Jerry Schmitt (83-58) Stadium: Rooney Field (Capacity: 2,200) CSJ Projections: 2nd: NEC 6th: Pennsylvania 59st: FCS 185th: Division I 2017 In A Sentence: The Dukes seemed to be cruising towards another NEC title, but promptly lost their last three games – two to conference opponents – to finish 7-4. Biggest.
St. Francis (PA) Red Flash Location: Loretto, PA Coach: Chris Villareal (36-52) Stadium: DeGol Field (Capacity: 3,500) CSJ Projections: 3rd: NEC 8th: Pennsylvania 78th: FCS 208th: Division I 2017 In A Sentence: After the ecstasy that was St. Francis (PA)’s 2016’s NEC championship and FCS playoff year, a more agonizing, uneven 2017 ended with a.
Bryant Bulldogs Location: Smithfield, RI Coach: James Perry (6-5) Stadium: Bulldog Stadium (Capacity: 5,500) CSJ Projections: 4th: NEC 2nd: Rhode Island 81st: FCS 211th: Division I 2017 In A Sentence: After a 31-14 loss to Central Connecticut State in mid-October, the Bulldogs’ season seemed lost – but a four-game winning streak at the end of.
Wagner Seahawks Location: Staten Island, NY Coach: Jason Houghtailing (11-22) Stadium: Walt Hameline Field at Wagner Stadium (Capacity: 4,000) CSJ Projections: 5th: NEC 8th: New York 83rd: FCS 213th: Division I 2017 In A Sentence: It was a feast-or-famine year for the young Seahawks, who notched some impressive victories vs. Lehigh and Sacred Heart but.
Sacred Heart Pioneers Location: Fairfield, CT Coach: Mark Nofri (37-32) Stadium: Campus Field (Capacity: 13,334) CSJ Projections: 6th: NEC 4th: Connecticut 91st: FCS 221st: Division I 2017 In A Sentence: After winning their first two games, the Pioneers limped to the finish line, going 2-7 to finish with a 4-7 record with a reasonably young.
Robert Morris Colonials Location: Moon Township, PA Coach: Bernard Clark (0-0) Stadium: Joe Walton Stadium (Capacity: 3,000) CSJ Projections: 7th: NEC 11th: Pennsylvania 120th: FCS 250th: Division I 2017 In a Sentence: Robert Morris beat Dayton to start the year, but the sugar rush of that win didn’t last, losing 9 of their next 10.
Here’s the final FCS Playoff projected bracket from College Sports Journal. In the FCS playoffs, there are 10 conferences that get autobids, the Big Sky, Big South, CAA, Northeast, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, Pioneer Football League, Southern, and Southland Conferences. Two conferences, the SWAC and MEAC, choose to send their champions to the.
With a week to go, here’s the latest projected bracket from College Sports Journal. This year, we are picking a bracket based on staff picks, Sagarin Ratings, the FCS Coaches’ Poll, and some special sauce to determine who we think will be in the playoff field, who is seeded, who is in, who is out..
CSJ’s Predicted Order of finish: 1. Duquesne 2. Saint Francis (PA) 3. Wagner 4. Bryant 5. Sacred Heart 6. Central Connecticut State 7. Robert Morris Duquesne Fearless Prediction: The NEC preseason poll has the Dukes at No. 1, and for good reason: they’re hungry after missing out last season for the NEC title and FCS.
If you followed the NEC last season, you were treated to the exploits of some fantastic players that will be ending up in the camps of NFL teams this summer. Guys like St. Francis (PA)’s Lorenzo Jerome and Duquesne’s Christian Kuntz were well-known around FCS Nation. But championships are not only won with those guys.
INDIANAPOLIS—The field of 24 teams competing for the 2016 NCAA Division I Football Championship was announced today by the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee. The top eight national seeds will host winners from the first-round match-ups. Five-time defending national champion North Dakota State (10-1) tops the bracket as the number one seed after tying.
To close out the FCS Playoff projection brackets, Kent Schmidt and Chuck Burton will post their final sample brackets. Tune in tomorrow to ESPNU at 11:00AM Eastern to see how close they got! NOTE: Home team in CAPS in the brackets. Conference Champions Autobid Winners: Big Sky: North Dakota Big South: Charleston Southern CAA:.
Four players including Cooper Kupp from Eastern Washington, Steve McShane from Western Illinois, Jaheem Woods from Stony Brook, and Lorenzo Jerome from Saint Francis have been selected as the College Sports Journal All-Stars for the week ending September 4th, 2016 in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. The honorees are listed here with their achievements.
Duquesne Dukes Head Coach: Jerry Schmitt, 11th season (68-51) Biggest strength in 2016: The Dukes, always close but never the ultimate victors of the NEC, changed all that last season. They finally seized their chance after performing pretty much as expected in out-of-conference play, beating two sub-D-I opponents and Bucknell but falling to the eventual.
St. Francis (PA) Red Flash Head Coach: Chris Villareal, 6th season (24-41) Biggest strength in 2016: The theme of the 2015 Red Flash season had to be defense (almost) wins championships. With one of the top-rated defenses in FCS, St. Francis had a season to remember, securing their first winning season since 1992 and coming.
Sacred Heart Pioneers Head Coach: Mark Nofri, 4th season (25-11) Biggest strength in 2016: Good teams stop the run well, and the Pioneers’ front seven stopped the run better than any other team in the NEC, allowing ony 3.2 yards per carry during the season. Additionally, in their six wins, Sacred Heart held the opposition.
Bryant Bulldogs Head Coach: Marty Fine, 12th season (75-55) Biggest strength in 2016: When the Bulldogs were at their best in 2016, it was the middle of the season, with Bryant’s junior QB and senior RB keeping opposing offenses guessing. In consecutive weeks at home, Marty Fine’s team knocked off Duquesne and St. Francis (PA),.
Here at CSJ, we are previewing the upcoming 2016 season, and we are counting up from 7 to 1 as to who we think how NEC football will shake itself out. Last season saw Duquesne win their first-ever NEC title, and saw them rewarded with a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia in the FCS playoffs to face.
Central Connecticut State Blue Devils Head Coach: Pete Rossomando, 3rd season (7-16) Biggest strength in 2016: The stat sheet doesn’t necessarily reflect it, but the Blue Devils have a great young core of defenders on which they will build this season. Rising seniors CB Jevon Elmore (71 tackles, 16 pass breakups) and DE Asia Bolling.
Wagner Seahawks Head Coach: Jason Houghtailing, 2nd season (1-10) Biggest strength in 2016: In a tough 2015 campaign where Wagner struggled on both sides of the ball, Houghtailing’s squad finally got a glimpse of strong play from a player on whom the Seahawks will be relying on next season, RB Matthias McKinnon. Wagner’s multi-faceted running.
Robert Morris Colonials Head Coach: John Banaszak, 2nd season (4-7) Biggest strength in 2016: Only allowing 21.6 points per game, the Colonials defense certainly kept them in games last season. Robert Morris also got an eye-popping 85 tackles for loss last season, showing that the defense was doing their job. That’s the foundation for this.
Special to College Sports Journal Editor’s note: This story is courtesy of William & Mary and Duquesne athletics. WILLIAMSBURG, VA. — The No. 13 William & Mary football team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Playoffs with a 52-49 victory against Duquesne at Zable Stadium on Saturday evening. Although DU (8-4) jumped out.
