LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis football team soared over several hurdles during the 2014 season, including defeating its first ranked opponent and stringing together a three-game winning streak in more than 20 years as an NCAA Div. I member. But the Flash was denied another milestone victory on Saturday afternoon against Central Connecticut as SFU was looking for its first winning season since 1992. A touchdown with just 11 seconds remaining pushed the Blue Devils to a 22-17 win at DeGol Field.
 
Many of the same characters that played such a vital role in the story of the 2014 season had a hand in the successes of Saturday's action. Kicker Lance Geesey (Harrisburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) opened the scoring just 56 seconds into action with a 35-yard field goal. It was his 18th field goal of the season, building on his school record. It was also his 29th career make, tying him with Josh Thiel for the most in school history.
 
Semo Sila (Honolulu, Hawaii /Farrington), a special teams demon this season with three blocked kicks, set the Flash up for the opening three points with a strip sack and fumble recovery on CCSU's first play from scrimmage. On the Blue Devils' second possession, the Flash defense forced the first of three straight three-and-outs. The SFU defense came into the game in the top-25 in the nation in allowing the fewest first downs. It allowed just 11 to the Blue Devils on Saturday and held CCSU to just eight yards of offense in the first quarter.
 
After the punt and an electrifying 34-yard return by Lorenzo Jerome (Sunrise, Fla./J.P. Taravella) to the CCSU 18, running back Khairi Dickson (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) carried the ball on all five plays of the drive, with the final going eight yards into the end zone to make it 10-0 with 9:15 to play in the first quarter. Jerome played a large hand in the Flash having the top punt return unit in the Northeast Conference. As for Dickson, he came into the game with a 92-yard lead in the FCS rushing race and finished Saturday's action with 58 yards on 27 carries. That gives him 1,708 rushing yards for the year, a Saint Francis record and fifth place on the NEC's single-season rushing list.
 
A botched punt set CCSU up in the Flash red zone with 1:54 to play in the quarter, and quarterback Nick SanGiacomo found Brenden Cullen from seven yards out. The PAT was wide left to keep it 10-6. Neither team mounted a time-eating drive in the second quarter, but CCSU hit a 53-yard pass to Tyrell Holmes to the Flash 13 midway through the quarter. It led to a SanGiacomo one-yard touchdown sneak to make it 13-10. CCSU had just 23 yards rushing on 16 carries in the first half.
 
A scoreless third quarter was highlighted by two defensive plays. Freshman defensive back Delondo Boyd (Indian Head, Md./Henry E. Lackey) with a sack and forced fumble recovered by Kaena Moose (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani School). Later in the quarter, DaQuan Minter (Johnstown, Pa./Greater Johnstown) recorded an interception in his fourth consecutive game as he won a jump ball deep down the left sideline. Minter finished the season with five interceptions and now has 11 for his career.
 
SFU retook the lead with a 12-play, 56-yard drive capped by a toe-dragging Anthony Abeid (Youngstown, Ohio/Youngstown Christian) touchdown grab in the back right corner of the end zone on a fade pass from Zack Drayer (Hershey, Pa./Hershey ). It's Abeid's seventh touchdown reception of the season, moving him into a tie for fifth place on the SFU single-season list. It was also Drayer's 15th touchdown pass of the season, placing him fourth on the single-season list in that category. The touchdown made it 17-13 SFU with 12:09 remaining in regulation.
 
CCSU settled for a field goal with 4:54 to play to cut the deficit to 17-16. The Blue Devils took the lead with a 75-yard scoring drive after holding the Flash to a three-and-out. On third-and-goal, SanGiacomo plunged in from a yard out for the second time to make it 22-17 with just 11 seconds to play. CCSU failed to convert the two-point conversion, but a strip sack by Asia Bolling on Drayer on the Flash's last gasp attempt ran out the clock.
 
CCSU gained just 203 yards in total offense and was held to 3-of-11 on third downs. Jerome added four tackles to finish with a team-leading 79. His 50 solo stops will finish near the top of the conference. He also had 87 yards in returns – 48 kick return yards and 39 on punt returns. Bishop Neal (Clairton, Pa./Clairton) concluded his outstanding collegiate career with five tackles and a tackle-for-loss. He had 73 stops for the season.
 
Dickson added four grabs for 19 yards while Cole Bush (Apollo, Pa./Burrell) had a career-high three catches for 22 yards.