1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CCSU | 6 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
SFPA | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
Clark's late fumble return for TD gives Central Connecticut 27-20 win over St. Francis (Pa.)
LORETTO, Pa. -- — Kimal Clark scooped up a fumble and returned it 18 yards with 1:45 remaining to lift Central Connecticut to a 27-20 win over St. Francis (Pa.) in the Northeast Conference opener for both teams on Saturday.
In a game of big plays, Clark turned in the final one after Adrian Mejia stripped the ball from DeMarcus McElroy.
The Red Flash (1-2, 0-1), which scored its first victory over an FBS last week against Kent State, tied the game at 20 after Fran Brown Jr. recovered a fumble in the end zone when Central Connecticut botched a handoff late in the third quarter.
The Blue Devils (2-1, 1-0) took a 20-14 lead with 25 seconds left in the first half on Brady Olson's 11-yard touchdown toss to Michael Plaskon.
After two Jack Barnum field goals gave CCSU the early lead, DaMario Crawford returned a kickoff 94 yards for St. Francis in the first quarter.
Olson ran 7 yards for a 13-7 CCSU lead in the second quarter. St. Francis went back on top on McElroy's 97-yard run, the longest rushing play for the program since 2021.
The game also featured Aidan Clark's CCSU-record 84-yard punt when the Red Flash's Aaron Tutino picked it up on the 1 and was tackled at the 3.
Olson was 21-of-42 passing for 163 yards. Elijah Howard rushed 23 times for 102 yards.
McElroy rushed for 124 yards on nine carries.
------ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Game Information
2024 Northeast Conference Standings
Team | CONF | OVR |
---|---|---|
Duquesne | 4-0 | 6-2 |
Robert Morris | 4-0 | 6-3 |
Central Connecticut | 3-1 | 4-5 |
Wagner | 2-2 | 4-6 |
Long Island University | 2-2 | 2-7 |
Stonehill | 1-2 | 1-7 |
St. Francis (PA) | 1-4 | 3-6 |
Mercyhurst | 0-3 | 2-7 |