Football Wins Double Overtime Thriller, 35-33, To Setup Championship Game in Finale

Brady Olson caromed a pass off the helmet of Isaiah Deloatch and into the arms of Isaac Boston in the second overtime to give the Central Connecticut State football team a 35-33 victory over visiting Robert Morris on Northeast Conference football action.

The victory keeps the Blue Devils NEC Championship hopes in their own hands. #21/25 Duquesne defeated Wagner 42-21 and will enter the game at CCSU next week at 5-0. The winner of that contest, set for 12:00 pm at Arute Field (Buy Tickets) will earn the NEC AQ to the FCS Playoffs.

The Blue Devils trailed 24-10 with Robert Morris at midfield late in the third quarter when Christopher Jean forced and recovered a fumble.  The Blue Devils scored 17 unanswered points, including a pair of touchdowns 2:16 apart in the fourth quarter and took the lead on a 20-yard field goal by Jack Barnum with 1:13 to play, 27-24.

The Colonials, helped by a personal foul call, drove to the Blue Devils 27, with no timeouts, and Jayson Jenkins tie the game as time expired.

The Blue Devils took the ball first in overtime and had their first play of the extra period intercepted in the endzone.  Robert Morris also didn't score in that period, missing a 37-yard field goal attempt

The Colonials scored to begin the second overtime, with a Zach Tanner 18-yad pass to Noah Robinson to go in front 33-27, but the Blue Devils defense held on the two-point conversion.

CCSU converted a 4^th and 9 on its second overtime, with Olson finding Sean O'Brien across the middle for a 12-yard catch.  Two plays later Elijah Howard took a handoff on the reverse from Ricky Ortega and scored from 12-yards out.

GAME INFORMATION

Score: CCSU 35, Robert Morris 33 (2OT)

Records: CCSU (6-5; 4-1 NEC), Robert Morris (6-5; 3-2 NEC)

Location: Arute Field | New Britain, CT

KEY MOMENTS

• Gavin Bryson stymied the first RMU drive, with an interception of a pass by Shawn Charles at the 13-yard line
• RMU took the lead on a 23-yard field goal from Jenkins after an 15-play drive that covered 72-yards in 7:48
• The Blue Devils took the lead early in the second half with a Donny Marcus, two-yard touchdown run, that was set up by a Howard 33-yard catch and a pair of Ortega receptions
• On the ensuing kickoff Rob Carter went 92 yards on the return to put RMU back in front 10-7
• Carter, Jr. intercepted Brady Olson at midfield and returned it 50-yards for a touchdown with 8:06 to play in the opening half, for a 17-7 Colonial lead
• Barnum's first field goal of the game, a 19-yarder, came with 40 seconds left in the half, finishing off a 14-play, 80-yard drive
• Robert Morris went up 14m, 24-10, on a 19-yard Anthony Chiccitt pass to Carl Smith, Jr. with 7:44 to play in the third quarter  
• Jean forced a fumble on RMU's final play of the third quarter and gave CCSU the ball on the Bue Devils 36-yard line
• The ensuing drive went 11 plays and 64 yards, over 5:00, capped by a five-yard Olson pass to Peter Cleary
• On the fourth place of the Colonials next drive, Malachi Wright forced a fumble, and Jean picked it up and returned if 49 yards for the game-tying touchdown

NUMBER TO KNOW

6 – The number of NEC Football Championships CCSU has won

NOTES

• Howard ran for 66 yards, had 99 all-purpose yards and surpassed 1,700 yards for his CCSU career
• Kimal Clark led the Blue Devils with 13 tackles, going over 200 for his career on the afternoon
• The Centra Defense recorded eight TFL and 3.0 sacks on Saturday
• The Blue Devils last played an overtime game in 2019 and last played multiple overtimes (four) on 2017 – winning both of those games
• RMU finished with a 304-291 advantage in total offense and possessed the ball for 32:52
• CCSU was 3-16 on third down conversions in the game, but were 2-2 on fourth down
• Barnum has 13 field goals this season, equaling the school record that he tied last year
• Olson completed 13 passes to seven different receivers, led by Michael Plaskon and his three catches for 49 yards