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Game Notes
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The #22 Sacred Heart University football team plays its second consecutive FCS Championship First Round game at #12/9 Fordham University Saturday at noon. The game is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. at Jack Coffey Field and will air on ESPN3. The winner of the game advances to face top-seeded University of New Hampshire on December 6th.
The Pioneers and Rams met in the opening round of the tournament last season, a game that Fordham won 37-27. SHU committed four turnovers in the game and fell behind 24-7 in the second quarter. The Pioneers closed to within 31-27, on a Keshaudas Spence TD run with 2:20 left in the third quarter, but the Rams knocked home a pair of fourth quarter field goals to secure the win.
Sacred Heart earned its second consecutive FCS Championship berth with a 14-7 win over #22 Bryant in the regular season finale on Campus Field. RJ Noel completed a 24-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Dube to complete a 91-yard drive with 2:30 to play. The Pioneer defense then held Bryant on two late drives to secure the victory.
It marked the second time this season that Sacred Heart defeated a ranked opponent. The Pioneers knocked of #24 Delaware 10-7 on October 4, in Newark, Del., for the programs first-ever win over a nationally ranked opponent. That was the first road win and game of the year for Sacred Heart, which enters play today with a 4-0 record in road games.
The Pioneer defense has now held four opponents to only a touchdown, and seven foes to 14 or fewer points, to enter the postseason ranked sixth in the nation in scoring defense (16.5 ppg). The squad ranks in the top-10 in the nation in a dozen categories, including fifth in total defense (274.8 ypg) and third in rushing defense (86.1 ypg).
Dube's touchdown catch versus Bryant was the 14th of the season, a program record. He has caught 72 passes, second, for 869 yards, third, to put his name into the single-season record book as well. Dube was one of six Pioneers to earn First-Team All-NEC honors, announced Wednesday.
Fordham is 10-2 on the season, with losses to Villanova in the season opener and Army in the season finale. The Rams average 42.2 points per game, behind an offense that has three receivers with 953 or more yards receiving. Mike Nebrich is 229-343 for 3,015 yards in the ar, including 25 touchdown passes. Brian Wetzel has caught 78 passes for 937 yards, while Tebucky Jones has 999 yards on 67 catches, 10 of which he has taken into the end zone. Chase Edwards has rushed for 1,539 yards and 21 scores. Austin Hancock leads the Rams defense with 87 tackles, while Brett Biestek has a team-best 18 TFL and 11.5 sacks.
