Box Score FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Led by 125 rushing yards and two touchdowns from running back Nate Chavious, the Sacred Heart football team moved to 3-0 with a 31-6 win over the Marist Red Foxes at Campus Field Saturday night.
Chavious averaged 7.8 yards per carry to lead the Pioneer rushing attack. As a team, SHU rushed for 339 yards and held Marist to 21 yards rushing. Ose Imeokparia rushed for 86 yards on 19 carries and RJ Noel had 82 rushing yards. Noel also passed for 104 yards and a touchdown.
For the second straight game, CJ Parvelus led the Pioneers' defense with eight tackles including a sack. Kevin Barry had seven tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack. Sacred Heart outgained Marist 443-231 and had the ball for 35:08.
Marist (0-3) led 6-0 with 7:34 to play in the second quarter on a pair of Mike Maccarone field goals. SHU (3-0) went three plays and out after the second field goal and punted. The Red Foxes' Leon Cummings fumbled the punt, with the Pioneers' Shawn Ramcheran falling on the loose ball at the Marist 43 yardline. With new life, SHU marched down the field as Jay Croom scored on a three-yard rush with 3:17 left in the second to give the Pioneers a 7-6 lead. On Marist's next possession, Kevin Sears picked off quarterback Mike White to give the Pioneers another short field. SHU capitalized with Chavious' first touchdown to take a 14-6 lead into halftime.
The Pioneers opened the second half with a six-play, 85-yard drive capped by a four-yard pass from Noel to Moses Webb. SHU's defense held Marist to three punts and three turnovers on downs in the second half. Alec Finney knocked through a 30-yard field goal with 5:35 remaining in the third quarter to make the score 24-6. Chavious tacked on his second touchdown with 1:23 to go in the game to make the final score 31-6.
SHU goes on the road next week to face the Stony Brook Seawolves. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
How They Scored…
1:18 1st Quarter – Marist 3, SHU 0; Mike Maccarone caps a 10-play, 67-yard drive with a 39-yard field goal.
7:34 2nd Quarter – Marist 6, SHU 0; Maccarone makes his second 39-yard field goal to give the Red Foxes a six-point lead.
3:17 2nd Quarter – SHU 7, Marist 6; After recovering a fumbled punt, the Pioneers drive 43 yards on seven plays to take the lead on Croom's three-yard run.
0:32 2nd Quarter – SHU 14, Marist 6; The Pioneers score off of Sears' interception with Chavious' first touchdown.
12:48 3rd Quarter – SHU 21, Marist 6; SHU opens the second half with an eight-play, 65-yard drive. Noel hits Webb for a four-yard touchdown pass.
5:35 3rd Quarter – SHU 24, Marist 6; Finney makes a 30-yard field goal as SHU drove 74 yards in 10 plays.
1:23 4th Quarter – SHU 31, Marist 6; Chavious scores his second touchdown on a one-yard plunge.
NOTES
- The Pioneers have not allowed a point in the second half in three games this season. SHU has now outscored the opposition 36-0 in the second half this season.
- SHU ran for over 300 yards for the first time since Sept. 21, 2013 against Chowan.
- Chavious rushed for over 100 yards for the second time in the last five games. He ran for 130 yards in last season's final game against Wagner.
- Kevin Sears had his first career interception.
