Central Connecticut State | Arute Field | Noon | NEC Front Row
 
LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis football team travels to Central Connecticut State for another key NEC matchup this Saturday.  The Red Flash is 5-3 overall and 2-1 in NEC play.  Kickoff is at Noon at Arute Field with a live stream on NEC Front Row.  Meet the Blue Devils in this week's scouting report.
 
Pete Rossomando is in his second year leading the Blue Devils with a 7-14 record.  Rossomando has a 49-27 overall record in seven years of coaching.  The Blue Devils are 4-5 overall and 3-1 in the NEC.  They are tied for first place in the conference.
 
Last week, the Blue Devils defeated Robert Morris, 34-0.  After being scoreless at halftime, CCSU exploded for five touchdowns in the second half.  The Blue Devils totaled 330 yards, including 214 rushing.  Quarterbacks Tavion Pauldo and Jacob Dolegala split time at quarterback.  Pauldo completed 7-of-14 passes for 75 yards and an interception and also rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.  Dolegala completed five-of-nine passes for 40 yards.  Mike Petersen rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on 21 attempts. Cameron Nash added 46 yards and a score.  K.J. Smith led the Blue Devil receivers with three catches for 40 yards. 
 
Central Connecticut State held the Colonials to 208 total yards and only 13 rushing yards.  The Blue Devils forced six turnovers, including five interceptions.  Linebacker Randall Laguerre led the defense with 10 tackles, including seven solo, three for loss.  Laguerre also had an interception and forced a fumble.  Safety Najae Brown had six tackles, with two interceptions, including a 39-yard pick six, and a pass breakup. Jarrod Cann and Jevon Elmore also recorded interceptions.  Defensive end Asia Bolling led the line with five tackles, two for loss and 1.5 sacks.  The Blue Devils' Dwight Lomax blocked a punt in the first quarter, which was recovered by Keir Minor and returned for a four-yard touchdown.
 
The Blue Devils offense ranks fifth in the NEC in scoring, averaging 18.9 points per game.  They also average 303.8 total yards to rank fifth in the league.  CCSU averages 168.2 passing yards and 135.6 rushing yards per game, ranking fifth and fourth, respectively. 
 
Dolegala, a true freshman, and Pauldo, a redshirt freshman, have split time at the quarterback position.  Dolegala has played in nine games, completing 55 percent of his passes for 840 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions.  He has also rushed for three scores.  Pauldo, a high school teammate of SFU's Marcus Bagley (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights), has appeared in seven games with a 56.5 completion percentage, with 637 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions as well as 287 rushing yards and three scores.
 
The Blue Devils use multiple running backs.  Nash, a five-foot-seven, 185-pound sophomore, leads the team with 459 yards and three touchdowns on 86 carries, averaging 5.3 yards per rush.  Nash has also caught 14 passes for 177 yards and a score.  Devon Lofton, a five-foot-nine, 180-pound sophomore, has gained 230 yards and a touchdown on 56 carries.  Petersen, six-foot-one, 225 pounds, has 147 yards and two scores on 38 carries.
 
CCSU's receiving corps features multiple weapons.  Junior Dan Hebert, five-foot-nine, has 18 receptions for 212 yards and four touchdowns to lead the team. Senior wideout Willie Quarles, 5-foot-10, has 129 yards on 11 catches, while freshman Courtney Rush, six-foot-two, has 115 yards and a touchdown on 11 catches.  Sophomore Joey Fields, five-foot-eight, has 164 yards and two touchdowns on nine receptions.  Freshman tight end K.J. Smith, six-foot-two, has 16 catches for 313 yards.
 
The Blue Devils' offensive line includes three seniors and two juniors, including tackle Tyler Hurd, a Preseason All-NEC selection.
 
Central Connecticut State uses a 3-4 scheme.  The Blue Devils rank sixth in the NEC, giving up nearly 26 points per game, and sixth in total defense, allowing 425.7 yards per game.  They allow 257 passing yards and 168.7 rushing yards per game, placing seventh and sixth in the league, respectively.  The Blue Devils have forced 13 turnovers, including nine interceptions.
 
Bolling, an All-NEC Preseason selection, anchors the defensive line from his end position.  Bolling and teammate Chris Tinkman are tied for second in the NEC and the team-lead with 12.5 tackles for loss this season.  Bolling has 49 total tackles, including four sacks, and a forced fumble, while Tinkman, a defensive tackle, has 36 stops, with half a sack and a forced fumble.  Sophomores Justin Douglas and Landon Reecher split time at nose tackle with 13 and 14 tackles, respectively.
 
Sophomore Randall Laguerre leads the linebacker unit.   The six-foot-two, 230-pound Laguerre is tied for the team-lead with 76 tackles, including 41 solo and 9.5 for loss.  He also has a forced fumble and an interception.  Rover Keir Minor has recorded 51 tackles, including six for loss and 2.5 sacks. Middle linebacker Shacor Privott has 49 tackles this season, with 15 solo, four for loss and 1.5 sacks, while C.J. Morrison has recorded 33 tackles, including four sacks.  Junior Lance Ormsby has 23 stops and Dwight Lomax has 22, with 3.5 for loss and a sack.
 
Safety Najae Brown is one of the leaders of a strong secondary unit.  Brown is tied for the team lead with 76 tackles, with 41 solo, 1.5 for loss and a sack.  Brown also owns a team-best three interceptions, including last week's 39-yard return for a touchdown.  Cornerback and Preseason All-NEC selection Jevon Elmore has 57 tackles, with 39 solo, 1.5 for loss, a forced fumble, 13 pass breakups and two interceptions.  At the opposite corner is senior Brandon Hollomon, with 47 tackles, a pick and seven pass breakups.  Safety Jarrod Cann has 34 stops, with 18 solo, and an interception. 
 
Junior Ed Groth and sophomore Frankie Palmer have split the kicking duties.  Groth is two-for-three with a long of 35, while Palmer is one-of-four with a long of 22.  Groth handles the punting duties, averaging 37.7 yards.  Elmore and Nash split the kick returns.  Elmore averages 18.2 yards per return, while Nash averages 18.5.  Brown handles the punt return duties, averaging 14.8 yards per return.
 
Saint Francis trails the all-time series 19-3, with the Blue Devils winning the last three matchups, including last year's 22-17 result in Loretto. CCSU scored on a one-yard run with 11 seconds left to take the lead.