Central Connecticut Rolls Past New Haven 42-20 to Stay Perfect in NEC

The first Division I meeting between New Haven and Central Connecticut was a close game for about 20 minutes. Then the two-time defending Northeast Conference champions remembered who they were.

Central Connecticut scored 21 straight points to turn a one-point lead into a rout and beat New Haven 42-20 on Saturday, Oct. 24, in front of 3,109 at Arute Field in New Britain. Fifth-year quarterback Brett Griffis threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, sophomore Davon Smith Jr. ran for two scores, and the Blue Devils won their fourth straight game.

Central Connecticut improved to 4-3 overall and 3-0 in the NEC, alone in first place. New Haven fell to 2-6 and 1-2.

A real game for a while

For most of the first quarter, New Haven looked like it belonged. Central Connecticut struck first, with Griffis capping a six-play, 65-yard opening drive on a 3-yard run at 11:33 of the first quarter. The Chargers answered with a nine-play, 66-yard drive that ended with a 34-yard Liam Quigley field goal.

Then the New Haven defense made a play. Tyler Hammel forced a fumble, Frederick Borkey recovered at the Central Connecticut 35, and Quigley turned the short field into a 41-yard field goal with 2:06 left in the quarter. It was 7-6 after one, and a crowd on a sunny, 52-degree afternoon was watching a game.

That lasted until the second quarter.

The 21-0 run that ended it

The swing started on special teams. A blocked New Haven punt set Central Connecticut up in great position, and three plays later Smith punched it in from 2 yards out at 9:39 of the second quarter. New Haven's defense still had some fight, forcing a missed 52-yard field goal. But the Blue Devils got the ball back and went 80 yards in 10 plays, and Smith scored again from 7 yards out with 50 seconds left in the half. It was 21-6 at the break.

The run reached 21-0 early in the third quarter. Griffis led a six-play, 76-yard drive and found Isaac Stopke for a 9-yard touchdown at 6:47. A one-point game was now 28-6.

New Haven's last push

To its credit, New Haven did not fold right away. Junior quarterback Jake Tripptree, making the first start of his career, led the Chargers to the Central Connecticut 19 in the third quarter. On third-and-10, a pass into the end zone was broken up by Deonte Douglas. Central Connecticut then blocked Quigley's 36-yard field goal try.

Tripptree kept coming. He found D'Arious Reed for a 15-yard touchdown at 5:07 of the third quarter, and the Chargers were within 28-12. Late in the quarter, Lucas Theriaque intercepted a Griffis pass and gave New Haven the ball back with a chance to make it a one-score game.

It went wrong immediately. A sack and fumble on the very next play handed the ball right back to Central Connecticut, and Griffis needed just one play to make New Haven pay. The 22-yard touchdown pass to David Pardo with 57 seconds left in the third quarter made it 35-12.

New Haven did score again. Caleb Williams finished an 11-play, 86-yard drive with a 2-yard run at 10:41 of the fourth quarter, and Reed caught the two-point pass to make it 35-20. A 30-yard catch by Issac Glaudin set up that score. But New Haven's next two possessions ended on downs and with an interception, and Griffis closed it with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Michael Trovarelli with 1:48 left.

The players who decided it

Griffis was efficient more than spectacular, completing 11 of 21 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers. The NEC noted that the fifth-year signal caller set the tone with the 3-yard run on the opening drive. Donovan Wadley led the receivers with 79 yards.

Smith ran for 80 yards and two touchdowns. The sophomore leads the NEC at 95.6 rushing yards per game, and Central Connecticut leans on Smith when it needs to finish drives.

The defensive star was Douglas. The junior defensive back had five solo tackles and a career-best five pass breakups, including the end-zone breakup that led to the blocked field goal. Chris Jean also broke up a pass and now has 38 career passes defended, the most of any active player in FCS.

For New Haven, Tripptree was the bright spot. The junior transfer from UConn completed 25 of 46 passes for 304 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and the NEC noted he became the sixth different league quarterback this season to throw for at least 300 yards. Lasalle Rose Jr. caught four passes for 91 yards, and Reed had four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown. Borkey made nine tackles and recovered a fumble, and Quigley made field goals of 34 and 41 yards.

The stats that matter

The box score tells the story of a team that could throw but could not run. New Haven passed for 304 yards and rushed for 2. That is not a typo. Central Connecticut's run defense came in allowing 118.1 yards per game, and against NEC teams the numbers have been even stingier. Without a ground game, New Haven had to put the ball in the air 46 times, and that is how three turnovers happen.

Central Connecticut finished with 385 total yards, 232 through the air and 153 on the ground, while New Haven turned it over three times. Both teams had 19 first downs. The difference was what each side did with its chances. The Blue Devils converted on special teams, on defense and on short fields. New Haven left points on the table with a blocked field goal and gave away a possession on the sack-fumble right after its own interception. The official box score (opens in a new tab) has the full numbers, and New Haven's recap (opens in a new tab) covers the Chargers' side.

What it means and what is next

Central Connecticut keeps looking like the team to beat in the NEC. The Blue Devils have scored at least 40 points in all three league wins and are averaging 43.3 points per game against NEC opponents. According to the NEC, they are the first team since Saint Francis in 2022 to score 40 or more in three straight conference games. They are also 14-1 at Arute Field since the start of the 2024 season.

The early season was rough, with losses to South Dakota, Toledo and Montana State. Since then, the Blue Devils have beaten Wagner, AIC, Mercyhurst and now New Haven.

Next on the schedule was a home game against Robert Morris on Saturday, Oct. 31, followed by trips to Stonehill on Nov. 7 and LIU on Nov. 14. That stretch will decide a lot.

New Haven's next game was at home against Duquesne on Saturday, Oct. 31. The Chargers are not eligible for the NEC's automatic bid this season, but every week is a chance to show where the program is headed. With a quarterback who threw for 304 yards in his first start, there is something to build on.

The last word

Adam Lechtenberg's team did not play a perfect game. Griffis threw an interception, and New Haven hung around for a quarter. But the Blue Devils answered every New Haven moment with a bigger one, and a 7-6 game turned into 28-6 before the Chargers could catch their breath.

That is what a defending champion does in October. Central Connecticut has the top spot in the NEC to itself, and nobody in the league has beaten the Blue Devils yet.

Sources: New Haven Athletics recap and box score, Northeast Conference weekly report and WFSB. More college football coverage on Undrafted.

Photos: New Haven Athletics.