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LORETTO, Pa. (Oct. 25, 2012) – The Saint Francis University football team heads to Central Connecticut State for a noon showdown with the Blue Devils Saturday.
 
JUST THE FACTS
Saint Francis (3-5, 2-3) vs.
Central Connecticut State (1-6, 1-4)
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 27 – Noon
WHERE: Arute Field
ALL-TIME: CCSU leads 16-3
LAST TIME THEY MET: SFU 27, CCSU 13
 
SETTING THE STAGE
SFU enters its contest with CCSU after falling in back-to-back Northeast Conference games. After posting their third win of the season against Robert Morris, the Flash have fallen to nationally ranked Albany and at home against Wagner. The Flash still boast the fourth-best scoring offense in the Northeast Conference averaging 23.5 points a contest. The SFU defense continues to improve in 2012 but currently sits seventh in the NEC in scoring. The Flash boasts the best rushing offense in the Northeast Conference by more than 10-yards. SFU and Albany rank as the only run offenses in the league averaging more than five-yards a rush. After a rough week against Wagner, the SFU punters have fallen to second in the Northeast Conference in net punting. The Flash still boast the best punting average in the league but allow more yards per return than any team in the NEC.
 
John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) leads the Flash offense and averages nearly 178-yards of total offense a game. Keion Wade (East Orange, N.J./East Orange) continues to lead SFU in scoring while ranking fourth in the NEC. The senior tailback averages just under seven-points a contest. Jake DeMedal (New Wilmington, Pa./Wilmington) continues to emerge as the leader of the Flash defense. The junior defensive back currently ranks fourth in the NEC in tackles per game and leads the Flash averaging more than eight stops a contest. DeMedal has forced a pair of fumbles this season to rank second in the NEC in that category. Bishop Neal (Clairton, Pa./Clairton) and Terrence Bourne have both recovered fumble this season making them the top tandem in the NEC this season in the category.
 
CCSU enters its meeting with the Red Flash 1-3 in the Northeast Conference and 1-6 overall. The Blue Devils are coming off a close loss on the road against Robert Morris. CCSU fell in its first five games of the seasons before pulling off an upset win at home against Duquesne, beating the 2011 NEC Co-Champions 38-31. CCSU brings in the last ranked defense in the Northeast Conference, a unit that has allowed 37.1-points a game this season. The Blue Devils defense has been strong against the pass and ranks third in the NEC in pass defense allowing just 175.1-yards through the air per-contest. Turnovers have been a big problem for CCSU this season as they are negative five in the turnover margin with nine interceptions thrown and seven fumbles lost in just seven games this season. CCSU does boast the third ranked rush offense in the NEC averaging 183.3-yards per contest. In total offense CCSU ranks sixth in the NEC and in total defense sixth. Rush defense has been a struggle for the Blue Devils this season, CCSU allows, on average, 221.6 yards a game on the ground.
 
Sophomore running back Rob Hollomon leads the Blue Devils in rushing averaging 96.1-yards a game on the ground. Hollomon also returns kicks for the Blue Devils and last week against Robert Morris, the second-year player earned NEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after returning a RMU kickoff 96-yards for a score. Hollomon ranks second in the Northeast Conference in all-purpose yards a contest averaging 135.4 a game. Andrew Clements leads the CCSU passing attack and ranks just ahead of SFU quarterback John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) in passing-yards per game averaging 115.4-yards through the air a contest. Deven Baker has been solid for CCSU at the wideout position averaging nearly 50-yards a game receiving, good enough to rank the senior eighth in the NEC.  
 
NUMBERS TO KNOW
2 – The Red Flash are going for its second consecutive win over the Blue Devils this week, for what would be, the first time in program history.
 
3 – John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) is three touchdown passes away from moving into second all-time in career touchdown passes.
 
4 – Grant Price (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) has booted four punts this season of at least 50 yards or better with his long for the season being 53 yards.
 
6 – Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) is a perfect six-for-six this season in field goals made and is one of two place-kickers in the conference who has not missed at all this year with a minimum of five attempts.
 
9 – The Saint Francis defense has collected nine interceptions through eight games played this season, which ranks them tied for second in the NEC.
 
13 – A high majority of passes thrown by John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) this season have come up in the hands of his backfield. Keion Wade (East Orange, N.J./East Orange) and Dan Conley (Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown) are tied for the team lead in receptions with 13 apiece.
 
20 – On the all-time career points list in the Saint Francis record book, Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) sits 20 points away from becoming SFU's second all-time leading point getter. 
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Red Flash begins their final road trip of the season Saturday at CCSU before SFU earns a bye week and then a road trip to Monmouth. The Flash have struggled on the road this season with a record of 1-4 as opposed to a 2-1 mark at DeGol Field. The level of competition has been high on the road this season as well as the Flash have faced three nationally ranked teams away from DeGol Field. One area that has really struggled for SFU on the road this season has been the passing game. SFU averages 161-yards a game through the air at DeGol Field but just 88.8-yards a game on the road. On the road SFU's top wide out is Dane Domonkos (Windber, Pa./Bishop McCort), who has seven catches and is averaging 17.2 -yards in five games this season. At home, AJ Alexander leads the SFU receivers averaging 44.3-yards a game. In three home games this season, SFU has four touchdown catches, in five road games this season SFU boasts just three touchdown catches.
 
BIG LEGS
Grant Price (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) continues to lead the Northeast Conference in punting and stands as the only NEC punter averaging over 40-yards per boot. The redshirt sophomore has recorded the second most punts in the NEC and holds a 40.2 average. Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) continues to impress with his leg as well and stands as one of two place-kickers in the NEC to have not missed a field goal with a minimum of five attempts. The senior from Leesburg, Va. also holds a streak of six overall consecutive field goal makes and a streak of six consecutive makes from 40-plus yards.
 
UP NEXT
The Red Flash have a bye week next week before returning to the road for their final regular season contest away from DeGol Field Nov. 10 against Monmouth.