LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University football travels to Central Connecticut for a 12 p.m. kickoff on Saturday. The Red Flash seek to win five conference games for just the second time since becoming a Division I FCS program in 1993.  

Scouting Central Connecticut
The Blue Devils enter Saturday's contest with a 3-7 overall and 3-3 conference record. They are most recently off a 31-27 loss at Duquesne, when the Dukes took a late lead with 29 seconds left. The Blue Devils had their final drive down to the Duquesne seven-yard line, but time expired to end hopes of a comeback. Wide receiver TyShaun James leads the Blue Devils with 42 catches, 641 yards and five touchdowns – all marks amongst the NEC leaders. Kelvin Apari has a team-leading five sacks and is second on the team with 44 total tackles. Three players, Jonathan Cabral-Martin, Kaiyon Gunn and Dexter Lawson, Jr. have two interceptions each. Running back Aaron Dawson earned NEC Offensive Player of the Week honors with 204 scrimmage yards and one touchdown against Merrimack. Cabral-Martin won Defensive Player/Rookie of the Week in the same week for his fumble recovery and return for a touchdown. Regardless of the game's outcome, the Blue Devils will end with their worst conference record since 2016.

Last Time Out
The Red Flash defeated Merrimack, 22-6, in the second-ever matchup between the programs. Alex Schmoke led the charge with a single-game program-record tying five made field goals. He added to his Northeast Conference-leading 67 points scored this season. Kahtero Summers led off the game with a 60-yard catch-and-run touchdown on the first offensive play. Running back Marques DeShields had 97 yards rushing, his second-highest total of the season. NEC tackles leader Martin Foray Jr. had his first interception of the season and Gregory Reddick added a career-high three pass breakups. Jaylen Parks continued his recent stretch of dominance with one sack, which raised his total to 4.5 over the past three games. NEC leading receiver Jacari Carter had 10 catches for 84 yards and quarterback Westin Elliot was 30-for-47 with 253 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Merrimack.

All-Time vs. Central Connecticut
The Blue Devils hold a 22-5 all-time advantage over the Red Flash, most recently with a 38-31 victory in overtime. In the game, Brandan Lisenby had a career-high 12 catches for 122 yards and one touchdown. Central Connecticut is on a three-game winning streak, after they snapped Saint Francis' only winning streak (two games in 2015 and 2016). The Red Flash won the matchup's inaugural meeting in 1993, 29-27, before the Blue Devils won 11-straight and 16-of-17 meetings between 1994-2010. Overall, Saint Francis is 1-13 in away games at Central Connecticut.
 
Schmoke Earns Second NEC Special Teams Player of the Week
Kicker Alex Schmoke converted all-five of his field goal attempts, with a long of 39, in Saint Francis' 22-6 win over Merrimack on Saturday. His five field goals tied a single-game program record, set by Lance Geesey in 2015. He is also one-of-three Division I FCS kickers to convert five field goals in a single game this season. With his 15 converted field goals, Schmoke leads the NEC in total field goals and all scorers with 67 points. In Saturday's contest, Schmoke also popped a kickoff up that generated a muff that Saint Francis recovered.
 
Summers, Foray, Jr. Named NEC Prime Performers
Summers earned his second Prime Performer selection for his five catches, 105 yards and one touchdown in a 22-6 victory over Merrimack. He led off the game with a 60-yard catch-and-run touchdown on the first offensive play. Foray Jr. earned his first Prime Performer selection for his seven tackles, one interception and one pass breakup.
 
Parks Named to NEC Prime Performers
Linebacker Jaylen Parks earned his way on to the NEC Prime Performers list with his team-high 2.5 sacks and four tackles for loss against Sacred Heart. Each stat more than doubles his total from the entire season, as he entered the game with 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss. 1.5 of Parks' 2.5 sacks came on third down and he recorded an individual sack on consecutive plays in the third quarter. He became the 11th Red Flash player to make the list through nine games.
 
Slaiby Earns Third NEC Special Teams Player of the Week
Punter Jordan Slaiby earned his third NEC Special Teams Player of the Week honor for his seven punts for 274 yards, a 39.1 average, in a 17-10 victory over Duquesne. The seven punts resulted in only eight return yards and the Dukes' offense started no better than their own 37-yard line. His 42-yard punt in the fourth quarter resulted in a fumble that set up a Saint Francis field goal with 53 seconds remaining in regulation.
 
Heiple Earns Prime Performer Week 9
Linebacker Jake Heiple earned the first weekly honor of his collegiate career. The graduate student had five total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and one quarterback hurry in a 17-10 victory over Duquesne. He set an immediate defensive tone in the game with his third-down sack on Duquesne's first drive. 
 
DeShields Sets Saint Francis Record
Redshirt junior Marques DeShields set a new record for most rushing yards in a single play during his 98-yard touchdown run against Bryant. His run broke Kyle Harbridge's 94-yard rush record, set in 2011 against Morehead State. The play was Saint Francis' second record-setting feat of the season after Josh McGrigg became the first player with a punt and kick return touchdown in the same game a week prior.
 
DeShields Named to NEC Prime Performers Week 7
Running back Marques DeShields earned his second NEC Prime Performers selection of the 2021 season. The Clementon, N.J. native had 14 rushes for 140 yards and one touchdown against Bryant. His 98-yard touchdown run set a Saint Francis football record for most rushing yards on one play.
 
McGrigg Named FCS National and NEC Special Teams Player of the Week
Josh McGrigg, a graduate student, was named Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week after he complied 211 total yards, 162 of those on special teams, in a 55-10 blowout against LIU. He scored three touchdowns in three different ways, a 49-yard reception, 59-yard punt return and 94-yard kick return touchdown in the victory. Both returns each mark the fourth longest in school history. McGrigg is the first Saint Francis player to have both a punt return and kick return touchdown in the same game. In 1978 vs. Catholic, as a Division III school, the Red Flash scored one of each produced by two different players, a 90-yard kick return by Willie Monahan and a 60-yard punt return by Ted Helsel.
 
Brown, Stott and McGrigg Earn NEC Prime Performers Week 6
Defensive lineman Donnell Brown had 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two quarterback hurries in a 55-10 win over LIU. The performance placed Brown atop the conference leaderboards with five sacks this season. Defensive back Tremayn Stott had team-high six tackles, one fumble recovery and one interception against LIU. Wide receiver/returner Josh McGrigg scored three touchdowns, one receiving, one punt return and one kick return, with 211 all-purpose yards.
 
Schmoke Named NEC Special Teams Player of the Week
Kicker Alex Schmoke became the third Saint Francis Special Teams Player of the Week selection of the season, joining Jordan Slaiby's two honors. The redshirt freshman scored nine points for the Red Flash in a 27-14 victory over Morgan State. He converted two-of-two field goals, three-of-three extra points and booted three-of-six kickoffs for a touchback. His career-long 47-yard field goal was the longest field goal by an NEC kicker through the first five weeks of the season.
 
Armstead Named to NEC Prime Performers Week 5
Running back Lovell Armstead earned Saint Francis' second-straight NEC Prime Performers selection for a tailback. The Fredericksburg, Va. native became the first 100-yard rusher for the Red Flash since Sept. 28, 2019 with his 116 yards in a 27-14 win over Morgan State. He more than doubled his season total from 97 yards to 213 and earned his team-leading second rushing touchdown of the season.
 
DeShields Named to NEC Prime Performers Week 4
Running back Marques DeShields earned a spot on the NEC Prime Performers list for the first time as a member of the Red Flash. The redshirt junior rushed for 73 yards and had five catches for 102 yards against Norfolk State. His 175 total yards were the most by a Saint Francis player this season. He added a season-long 46-yard run and 46-yard reception in the game.
 
Slaiby Earns Second NEC Special Teams Player of the Week Honor
Punter Jordan Slaiby was named Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season. He recorded seven total punts with an average of 48 yards per punt in Saturday's 39-24 victory over Wagner. He produced three punts of 50+ yards, including a season-long 59-yard punt, and pinned Wagner inside the 20 four times. Two of his punts pinned the Seahawks at the one-yard line and one of those was in the game's final minute that led to a Raymond Crittenden game-sealing pick-six.

Russell, Brown Named to NEC Prime Performers List
Quarterback Jyron Russell threw for 194 yards and four touchdowns in a 39-24 win over Wagner. All-four of Russell's touchdown passes came in the second half to lead Saint Francis' comeback victory. Donnell Brown recorded six total tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 total sacks in Saturday's victory. His six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks both lead the NEC through the first three weeks of the season.

Slaiby, Noel Earn NEC Weely Honors
Punter Jordan Slaiby earned Special Teams Player of the Week and defensive back Breon Noel earned Rookie of the Week in the conference's first weekly awards of the season. Slaiby recorded seven punts for 285 total yards, a 40.7 yard average. Noel made seven total tackles (two solo) and one tackle for loss. Both players earned these awards in their first game as a member of the Red Flash.

Summers Named to NEC Prime Performers List
Wide Receiver Kahtero Summers was named one-of-eight NEC Prime Performers in the season's inaugural week. Summers recorded five catches for 115 yards, including a 51-yard catch-and-run. He tallied just 189 yards during his entire freshman season in 2019.

History Made at Eastern Michigan
Saint Francis football's game against Eastern Michigan will mark the team's first game against an FBS opponent in program history. The Sept. 3 matchup against the Eagles is followed by a matchup with No. 5 Delaware on Sept. 11. "Delaware is a top FCS program and Eastern Michigan is an up-and-coming program in the FBS, you want to be like them," head coach Chris Villarrial said. "You always want to put yourself against that sort of competition and it's a great step for all of us to make the leap to the next level of competition."

Watkins Named to All-Northeast Conference Preseason Team
Redshirt Senior James Watkins was named to the All-Northeast Conference Preseason Defensive Team, the conference announced Aug. 3. The Oxon Hill, Md. native was named Second-Team All-NEC in 2019 after finishing third on the team with 11 tackles for loss and four sacks.

2019 Defensive Returners
Safeties Martin Foray Jr. and Gio Vonne Sanders return after leading the 2019 secondary. Foray Jr. was second on the team with 77 total tackles (56 solo) and third on the team with nine pass breakups. Sanders led the team with four interceptions, added 39 tackles and four pass breakups. Defensive ends James Watkins and Sam Cummings return after both ranking top-four on the team with 11 and 7.5 tackles for loss respectively. Watkins also ranked third on the team with four sacks, while Cummings was fifth with 2.5.

Red Flash Picked Fifth in Preseason Coaches' Poll
Saint Francis was picked to finish fifth in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll, ahead of LIU and Wagner. Sacred Heart earned four first-place votes to earn the No. 1 spot in the poll, followed by Duquesne (two) and Central Connecticut (one). Merrimack is in the NEC, and will play a full schedule, but is not eligible for a title until 2023. 

Lewis Returns to Saint Francis as Defensive Coordinator
Saint Francis alum and two-time All-American Scott Lewis returned to the Red Flash as the team's defensive coordinator, the program announced Jan. 29. Lewis had 524 career tackles, which ranks fifth in FCS history, and he was top-12 in total tackles all-four seasons. His 12.2 tackles per game rank third all-time in the FCS.

Villarrial Makes Saint Francis History
On Nov. 23, 2019 against Delaware State, head coach Chris Villarrial earned his program-record 46th win. He surpassed Art Martynuska who coached in Loretto from 1969-76 and 1981. Villarrial is a two-time NEC Coach of the Year, winning back-to-back in 2015 and 2016. The 2016 season was also Saint Francis' first appearance in the FCS Top-25 poll. 

2020-21 Northeast Conference Results
In the shortened spring 2021 football season, Sacred Heart took the Northeast Conference Championship with a 34-27 win over No. 25 Duquesne. The win marked the Pioneers' fifth NEC Championship, as they advanced to the FCS Tournament and lost 19-10 to No. 5 Delaware. Saint Francis and Central Connecticut opted out of the entire spring 2021 season.

Villarrial Brings NFL Experience to Loretto
Head coach Chris Villarrial brought NFL experience when he joined Saint Francis, having spent time as an offensive lineman with the Chicago Bears (1996-2004) and Buffalo Bills (2004-06). He was drafted in the fifth round (152nd overall) by the Bears after he broke the NFL Scouting Combine Bench Press Record. As a member of the Bears, he was a two-time All-Pro player and guided a 1,000-yard rusher in every season. After joining the Bills, he helped the offensive line give up the fewest sacks in franchise history. In his career, Villarrial made 148 starts.

Next
The Red Flash season will conclude with their best conference record since 2016, regardless of the outcome.