Blue Devils Extend Home Winning Streak To 14

By Brittany Burke

For the second consecutive year in a row the Blue Devils football team was able to hold the NEC trophy up in the air and celebrate as champions

Following the 23-13 defeat of the St. Francis (PA) Red Flash CCSU was named co-NEC champions for the fourth time since 2004, sharing the title this year with the Robert Morris Colonials. The Blue Devils clinched the title in front of the home crowd on senior day, extending the home winning streak to 14, which is the third longest streak in the country.

“The players that have been on this team and played for this team in the past have a great winning record here,” said quarterback Gunnar Jespersen. “They love the atmosphere, the crowd’s good for the team, they help us out in the stands and just to be on your home turf, to be on your home field and just feel comfortable before the game even begins helps the comfort level of everything on the field you don’t stress about the little things you just go out and play football like you do every day in practice.”

The day began with a ceremony celebrating the team’s 15 graduating seniors, including running back Everette Benjamin, kicker Joe Izzo and captains Jeff Marino, Alondre Rush and Mike Allison.

“The defense got together before the game and me and the captains, me, Rush and D [Dominique] Rose, we got everyone together and said, ‘You know what? This is the last game we’re gonna be playing together, last game at home with everybody’ and we pretty much ending our careers so we got to do it we got to come out big come out punch them in the mouth and keep them down,” said Marino.

The Blue Devils struck first against the Red Flash with a 20-yard touchdown run made by Jespersen, resulting in a quick six points and the lead. Jespersen struck again two drives later with a one-yard run.

“In a game like this you’ve got to come out with a lot of intensity you know the offensive line was coming out blocking well in the beginning, we had a pretty good running game going we were catching passes,” said Jespersen. “In a game like this you need to put points up early to give you that comfort and just gives you something to work with, it brings the other team down and helps with the victory.”

Jespersen completed 15 of his 27 passes for 199 yards with one interception, while also rushing for 50 yards.

“You’ve got to give credit to Gunnar Jespersen,” said PJ Borawski. “He’s in my mind the MVP of the offense the way he carried this team throughout the season. It’s like day and night from week one. Watching our offense in week one, I mean it was like ‘Wow it’s gonna be a long season,’ and these coaches, these coaches worked really hard to make us better and like I said here we are championship game.”

Despite the two failed extra point attempts by the Blue Devils, it was clear that the team thrived on Arute Field and had control of the game from the opening drive.

The CCSU offense managed to score 23 unanswered points against the Red Flash defense, gaining 415 yards compared to the St. Francis (PA) offense, who managed to acquire 217 yards, most coming in the final quarter.

The Blue Devils have consistently preached that it is the offense that wins the games, but the defense that earns the championships and nothing exemplified this notion like the final game of the season.

The Red Flash was shut out until the fourth quarter when the team went in for two touchdowns, with a failed two-point conversion. At the end of the first the CCSU defensive line had managed to hold St. Francis (PA) to negative three passing yards, one first down and six yards in 14 plays.

The Blue Devils came out complacent in the second half, getting comfortable with the lead, but managed to pull through in the clutch for the win.

Benjamin exploded in the second half, finishing his last game as a Blue Devil with 117 yards, while fellow senior Josue Paul caught eight passes for 105 yards.

“We try to make every team and make it the best that it can be whatever that is,” said Head Coach Jeff McInerney. “Did I think in the beginning that this team could be a championship team? Eh. Watch practice and it always got better and they’re always resilient, they never get down on themselves, they never look at the score board and they practice and when you can do those things you’ve got a chance for greatness.”

The Blue Devils entered the 2010 season with the targets on their backs as defending NEC outright champions. As the year progressed the teams fought the odds by going 8-3 with a new quarterback and team chemistry and in the end were named co-NEC champion, which only gives CCSU more motivation to be the outright champions again next season.