Football opens NEC play at Central Conn. Saturday (1pm)

FULL GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University football team begins the quest for its first-ever league title with a trip to New Britain, Conn., to take on Central Connecticut Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION:
Date: Saturday, Oct. 10
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Listen: WOON 1240 (onworldwide.com)
Watch: NECFrontRow
Stats: Live Stats

Picked as the preseason favorite, the Bulldogs (2-2) open Northeast Conference play with their fourth-straight road game, the longest stretch in program history. The Black and Gold and Blue Devils (1-4, 0-1 NEC) will be meeting for the eighth time and for the eighth-straight year on Saturday. CCSU holds a 4-3 lead in the all-time series but Bryant has won the last three games.

Bryant is in its seventh season as a member of the NEC and has posted a .500 or better record in each of those seven seasons. The Bulldogs went a program-best 4-2 last year, finishing a game behind co-regular season champs Sacred Heart and Wagner. In the past six years, the Black and Gold own the third-best record among NEC teams, going 20-16. Only Duquesne (22-15) and Wagner (21-16) have posted better records.

The Bulldogs currently feature the NECs top passer and rusher in junior Dalton Easton (Miami, Fla.) and senior Ricardo McCray (Middletown, R.I.). The second-year starter has completed 77-of-132 passes for 978 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. Easton leads the league with an average of 244.5 yards per game and his passer efficiency of 131.02 is also the best in the league.

McCray leads the NEC with 81 yards per game and is coming off a 94-yard performance at Monmouth. He has carried the ball 45 times for 324 yards and two scores. The Bulldogs, however, must get classmate Paul Canevari (Warwick, N.Y.) going as well. The bruising back has rushed for just 55 yards on 29 carries. Last season, McCray and Canevari each rushed for over 100 yards, helping Bryant set a DI program record with 352 rushing yards.

Bryant's defense has been led by the linebacker trio of Patrick Kenney (Camarillo, Calif.), Ryan Ferguson (Silver Spring, Md.) and Aaron Dixon (Danbury, Conn.). Kenney (26), Ferguson (25) and Dixon (24) are the top three tacklers on the team, while Ferguson paces the squad with 5.5 tackles for a loss. Kenney and Dixon each have an interception on the year, while Dixon needs just 27 tackles to become just the seventh player in program history with over 200 career stops.

Central Connecticut opened league play last weekend in Pittsburgh against Duquesne. The Blue Devils fell short, 27-10, but were within four at halftime. Like the Bulldogs, CCSU played a stiff non-conference schedule, facing Stony Brook, Lehigh and nationally-ranked New Hampshire.

West Virginia transfer Cameron Nash has taken over the running back duties for CCSU, averaging 6.7 yards per carry, including a 73-yard TD scamper at UNH. Jacob Dolegala and Tavion Pauldo share the QB duties, with Dolegala averaging 104 yards per game. Pauldo is a dual-threat, having carried the ball 27 times for 144 yards.

On defense, the Blue Devils feature preseason All-NEC selection Jevon Elmore in the secondary. Elmore is already approaching a career-high in tackles with 37 in the first five games. Najae Brown is team-leader in the category with 43 and Keir Minor has two sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss on the season.