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LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University football has its final game of the 2023 season on Saturday, Nov. 18 at noon against Central Connecticut. The Red Flash look to go above .500 in conference play for the third consecutive season.
 
Offense
Quarterback Nick Whitfield, Jr. has started two games in a row and is 33-of-53 (62.3-percent) with 430 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception this season. Deondre Scott had a career-high 106 rushing yards against LIU and leads Saint Francis with four rushing touchdowns. Dawson Snyder is second in the Northeast Conference with 37 receptions and third with 589 receiving yards.
 
Defense
Carter Glassmyer leads the conference with 9.0 total tackles per game and is 12th with 6.0 tackles for loss. His 69 total tackles during conference play are 13 more than any other player in the NEC. William Middleton is ninth in the conference with 7.0 total tackles per game this season. Blye Hill is third in the NEC with eight total passes defended and is one of 11 players in the NEC with at least two interceptions this season.
 
Special Teams
Punter Aidan Cirulli is fourth in the NEC with 39 averages yards per punt and has five punts of at least 50 yards this season. Mac Plummer remains 5-for-8 on field goal attempts this season and has not converted one since Oct. 12 against Wagner. Against LIU, Tobee Stokes had a career-high 106 kick return yards with a long of 46 yards. He paces Saint Francis with 223 kick return yards on 11 attempts this season.
 
Last Time Out
Saint Francis dropped a home matchup to LIU on Nov. 4 after the Sharks erased an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Saint Francis scored first in the game on an eight-yard Jake Bruno touchdown, followed by 10 unanswered points by LIU. Saint Francis scored a touchdown before and after halftime to open a 21-10 lead in the third quarter. Saint Francis and LIU traded touchdowns in the third and fourth quarter and gave Saint Francis a 28-17 lead with 13:45 remaining. LIU produced two touchdowns in the final six minutes of the game and stopped Saint Francis' comeback effort in the final minute to clinch its one-point victory.
 
Scouting CCSU
The Blue Devils are 3-7 overall and 1-5 in conference play with its only NEC victory 17-3 over Wagner on Oct. 21. Matt Jenner leads Central Connecticut at quarterback with 950 passing yards and nine touchdowns on 84-of-149 passing. Elijah Howard is third in the NEC with 944 rushing yards and is fifth with five rushing touchdowns. Isiah Williams is top-10 in the conference with 36 receptions and 478 receiving yards. Kimal Clark's 74 total tackles rank fifth in the conference and Dan Toatley's five sacks rank second. Clark is also one of six players in the NEC with at least three interceptions. Kicker Jack Barnum is tied for the conference lead with 13 converted field goals this season.
 
All-Time vs. CCSU
Central Connecticut holds a 23-6 all-time advantage over Saint Francis, but the Red Flash con the most recent matchup 39-13 last season. In the victory, Saint Francis had its highest point total and margin of victory in matchup history. Prior to last season, Central Connecticut won four straight matchups after Saint Francis won two in a row in 2015 and 2016. After Saint Francis won the first-ever meeting in 1993, Central Connecticut went on a 19-2 run between 1994 to 2014. 
 
Around the NEC
With a chance to clinch sole possession of the 2023 NEC title, Duquesne dropped a home matchup to Stonehill 33-28 that dropped the Dukes to 5-1 and improves the Skyhawks to 3-3. Duquesne clinched at least a share of the NEC title with its 34-26 victory over Wagner on Nov. 4. LIU defeated Wagner 49-14 and improved the Sharks to 4-2 and dropped the Seahawks to 3-4. Merrimack defeated Central Connecticut 35-24 and moved the Warriors to 4-2 in conference.
 
Week 11 in the NEC
With Duquesne's loss and Merrimack's win last week, the two programs face off in the final week for NEC title implications. With a Duquesne victory, the Dukes clinch sole possession of the title but a Merrimack victory puts the programs in a tie at 5-2. LIU can also clinch a share of the NEC title with a victory over Stonehill and Merrimack victory.  Saint Francis and Central Connecticut round out NEC play in the final weekend. Sacred Heart visits UConn and Wagner hosts Post in non-conference action.
 
Next
Saint Francis looks ahead towards the 2024 season after the conclusion of the season against Central Connecticut.