August 26, 2024
Football Set For Opener Thursday At Central Michigan
Blue Devils play on ESPN+ at 7pm Thursday
The 2024 Central Connecticut State football season will kick-off Thursday night when the Blue Devils travel to Central Michigan. Game time on August 29th is set for 7:00 pm and be available to watch on ESPN+
WATCH ESPN+ | Live Stats | Listen to CMU radio | Buy Tickets | CCSU Game Notes
For the second time in three seasons, the Blue Devils open with an FBS opponent. CCSU has played at least on FBS foe in each of the last seven seasons.
• Kimal Clark, who finished 32nd last season at 8.9 tackles per game, was named to the Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List, presented annually to the top defensive player in FCS. He earned First-Team All-NEC accolades a season ago. Clark averaged 5.3 solo stops per game, 17th nationally and tops among NEC players. He had a season-high 15 tackles, 10 solo, in the season-finale and finished the campaign with four double-digit tackle games.
• CCSU won the season opener a year ago, 44-0 over AIC, in Adam Lechtenberg's first season as head coach
• Jack Barnum tied the single-season school record for field goals made in a season, connecting on 13 successful kicks in 2023
• Five Blue Devils (Jayden Anderson, Isaiah DeLoatch, Jack Barnum, Kimal Clark and Elijah Howard) were named to the All-NEC Preseason Team.
• A dozen Blue Devils were recognized on the Phil Steele Preseason All-NEC Teams. Highlighting the group was Kimal Clark, who was named the NEC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. (read more)
• Adam Lechtenberg preaches team and process and his first Blue Devil squad was recognized for that effort. The Blue Devils earned the 2023 NEC Sportsmanship Award, presented by the NEC to "acknowledge the team in each conference sport that, in the opinion of its peers, most closely demonstrates good sportsmanship based on the NEC Principles of Sportsmanship and Standards of Conduct." The award is voted on by the league's head coaches.
• Isaiah DeLoatch anchors the Blue Devils offensive line, which ranked 10th in the FCS last year allowing just 1.27 sacks per game. Over the past three seasons he has played in 18 games, with seven appearances in 2023 after an injury sidelined him for a handful of games.
• Elijah Howard made an immediate impact for the Blue Devils offense, accounting for 119.5 all-purpose yards per game, which is the 19th best number in FCS football this season. He averaged 90 yards per game on the ground, with four games over 100 yards that was highlighted by a 257-yard rushing effort against Delaware State. Howard carried the ball 170 times for 990 yards this fall, caught 15 passes for 165 yards and had eight returns for 159 yards.
• Jack Barnum was impressive from day one for the Blue Devils, kicking a 48-yard field goal in the season opener, which was the longest of the opening weekend in FCS. He was 3-3 in that opener, and was the first Blue Devils since 2006 to connect on two 40+ yard field goals in a game and the first since at least 2001 to do so in his CCSU debut. Barnum led the NEC in 2023 with a 72.2 field goal conversion rate and points per game, 6.3
• Brady Olson, a transfer from UMass, has been tabbed a the Blue Devils starting quarterback. Ricky Ortega, who played in 10 games last season and was 20-42 for 248 yards passing and ran for 182 yards and six touchdowns is in the backup role. Also in the mix to see playing time will be Barry Brown, who redshirted a season ago.
• Jonathan Kuhler is penciled in to start at center this season, after playing 11 games on the offensive line during 2023, his first with the Blue Devils. A transfer from Virginia Tech, Kuhler is a Phil Steele Preseason All-NEC Second Team member.
• Two Blue Devil alums found their ways to NFL Preseason campus this summer. Luquay Washington signed as an UDFA with the Chiefs and is currently (as of 8/22) on the Steelers preseason roster. He made two tackles in the preseason game versus the Bills on August 17th. Tyler Boatwright received an invitation to the NY Jets rookie camp. At the end of July he signed a contract with the UFL San Antonio Brahmas.
• The Blue Devils defense, which held two opponents (AIC and Wagner) out of the end zone last season, returns six of its top-10 tacklers. CCSU had five sacks in each of those games.
• CCSU ran for a school record 497 yards in the win over Delaware State, with Elijah Howard (257) and Malik Thomas (113) becoming the first Blue Devils to both rush for over 100 yards in the same game since October 6, 2018 . The 584 yards of offense versus Delaware State is the most since putting up 667 yards at Bryant on 10/13/18. The 51 points scored in that game is the most since scoring 52 at Bryant 10/19/19. CCSU rushed for more than 200 yards on four occasions a season ago.
• Elijah Howard (128 rushing) and Isiah Williams (107 receiving) became the second CCSU duo in as many seasons to have 100+ yard efforts in the same game against LIU in 2023.
• Malachi Wright, a Phil Steele Second Team Preseason NEC pick, was fifth on the team a season ago with 49 tackles. He made a season-best 10 tackles in the game at Sacred Heart, including an assisted TFL. He also recorded an interception, had 7.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks on the year.
