Oct. 2, 2004
Stats
NEW BRITAIN, Conn.- Central Connecticut State used a pair of touchdowns by junior running back Tom Hunter and four interceptions to beat visiting Marist 28-13 Saturday evening at Arute Field. CCSU moved to 4-1 with the win, while Marist dropped to 1-3.
After Marist's Kevin Frederick (Meriden, Conn.) muffed a Blue Devil punt near midfield, CCSU took advantage of the miscue and marched down the field for a score. The Blue Devils capped the four-play drive with a touchdown pass from senior quarterback Scott Dolch to Hunter for 19 yards to make the score 7-0.
The Red Foxes answered that scoring drive emphatically with a 10-play drive of their own, ending when senior quarterback James Luft (Lake Peekskill, N.Y.) lofted a high-arching pass into the left corner of the endzone to junior tight end Mike Marshall (Middletown, N.J.) for a seven-yard score.
The Blue Devils ended up paying for a special teams mistake of their own when punt returner Donnie Rose muffed a punt from Marist's Kevin Faughnan (New Canaan, Conn.) at the Marist 46 yard line. After junior defensive back Brian Beck (Middlehope, N.J.) recovered the drop, the Red Foxes raced down the field and took the lead on a 32-yard field goal by freshman kicker Bradley Rowe (Stratham, N.H.) as time expired in the half.
Marist continued its strong defensive play, holding CCSU to just 10 yards total offense and one first down in the third quarter. The Red Foxes capped a seven-play drive with a 30-yard field goal by Rowe to extend the Red Foxes' lead to six at 13-7.
CCSU struck right back 16 seconds later when junior wide receiver Andre Smith took a reverse 65 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown to make the score 14-13 CCSU with 13:06 to play.
After Luft was picked off a second time by CCSU's Nigel Monge, CCSU took the ball down inside the Marist 5 and scored on a Hunter 4-yard run around right end with 3:52 left to make the score 21-13.
CCSU salted the game away when Blue Devil linebacker Corrie Tucker picked off a tipped pass from Luft and returned it 40 yards down the left sideline for the game-clinching score.
Luft finished the evening 20-for-39 for 248 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Dolch went 10-for-18 for 123 yards with one TD toss and one pick for CCSU.
Rowe led the Marist ground attack with 35 yards on 12 carries, while Smith's 65-yard score gained the most distance on the ground for the Blue Devils.
Junior wideout Tim Traynor (Lincroft, N.J.) had a masterful game for the Red Foxes, pacing the Marist receiving corps with a career-high eight catches for 118 yards. It was Traynor's second outstanding performance after catching three touchdown tosses in last season's thrilling 33-29 season finale against the Blue Devils.
Junior defensive lineman Matt Grande (Oakland, N.J.) led the Marist defense with eight stops, including three for loss and a pair of sacks. Tucker led the CCSU defense with 12 tackles, including three for loss and the interception.
Luft's 39 attempts were one short of the school I-AA record that he set in last season's 38-21 loss to Iona. His 20 completions also brought him within one of tying Jim Daley's record of 162 career completions in the Marist I-AA record book.
The Red Foxes return home to face St. Peter's for homecoming next Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
