PIOS VS. BLUE HENS

• The Sacred Heart University football team, eager to redeem themselves after a challenging road loss to the Stonehill Skyhawks, is preparing for a significant game this week. The Pioneers are heading to Newark, DE, for an afternoon showdown with the Blue Hens of Delaware, a game that could potentially break the tie in the series' history. 
• This is the third all-time meeting between the two programs, with the series tied at 1-1.
• The opening kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. at Delaware Stadium. Fans can catch all the action live on Flo Sports. 

LAST TIME VS. DELAWARE
Date: 4/24/2021 (First Round of the FCS Playoffs)
Score: #5 Delaware 19 | Sacred Heart 10
Highlights: 

• Sacred Heart answered with an 80-yard scoring drive that featured 42 yards by Julius Chestnut and a key third down catch by tight end Ed Cuddahy. 
• It was nearly a tie game going into the half, but Delaware got a safety when the snap flew over the head of punter Noah Gettman and out of bounds.
• The two teams traded field goals in the second half, with Gettman's career-long 35-yarder cutting the lead to 12-10 just 2:35 into the fourth quarter.
• SHU appeared to have the Blue Hens stopped on fourth down, but a penalty kept the drive alive, and Anthony Paoletti scored from three yards out to push the lead back to 19-10.
• Sacred Heart had the advantage offensively, outgaining the Blue Hens 236-199 and holding the ball for 32:11, compared to 27:49 by the hosts.
• Defensively, the Pioneers were a force to be reckoned with. Linebacker DeAndre Byrd had a standout game, recording a career-high 15 tackles. The team also limited Delaware to a mere 2-of-13 on third down, a testament to their defensive prowess.
• Chestnut recorded his ninth-straight 100-yard rushing game and ended the season with 855 yards.

PIOS COME UP SHORT TO STONEHILL
Score: Stonehill 35 | Sacred Heart 21
Brief Recap:

• Stonehill controlled the opening quarter, outscoring the Pioneers 14-0, thanks to two touchdowns from Jarel Washington and Chase Miller.
• Sacred Heart finally got on the scoreboard as Jalen Madison recorded a 23-yard rushing touchdown to cut the deficit in half, 14-7, with 8:57 left on the clock.
• The Skyhawks closed the quarter by scoring two additional touchdowns, giving them a 28-7 advantage at the half.
• Neither team was able to score until the 2:54 mark of the third when John Michalski held onto the ball and ran into the endzone for the two-yard touchdown.
• On the next Pioneer drive, Michalski found the hands of Hilliman, who then pushed through three defenders and found himself in the endzone, earning the visitors six points. From there, Kling secured the extra point and made it a one-possession game, 28-21, with 1:44 on the clock. 
• Unfortunately, SHU could not stop Stonehill's Zavion Woodard from recording the 31-yard rushing touchdown that put the game out of reach for the visitors, 35-21.

Highlights:

• The Pioneers were led offensively by three different scorers – Michalski, Madison, and Hilliman.
• Madison recorded back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. 
• Matt Kling went 3-for-3 in extra-point attempts.
• Defensively, Myles Talley finished with a team and season-high nine tackles.
• Caleb Dennis and Nate Chandler led the Pioneers with a sack each for a total loss of seven yards. 

BACK-TO-BACK FOR MADISON
Running back Jalen Madison recorded another solid offensive performance for the Pioneers last Saturday at Stonehill, tallying his second straight 100+ rushing yard game. 

Against the Skyhawks, Madison finished with 110 yards behind 20 carries while also collecting an additional 24 yards on three receptions. He also has recorded back-to-back rushing touchdowns for the Pioneers, increasing his season total to two and career total to 10. 

MADISON MOVING THROUGH THE RANKS
Jalen Madison continues to progress through the SHU football career book. He currently ranks 10th with 4.7 yards per carry behind 305 attempts. Madison has totaled 1,496 career rushing yards following a 110-yard performance against Stonehill.

Madison is also moving through the FCS rankings. The grad running back ranks within the top 40 in rushing yards (32nd—335 yards) and rushing yards per game (37th—83.8). 

LEIGH RUNNING THROUGH THE FCS RANKINGS
Running back Xavier Leigh, having a breakout senior season, is currently ranked 31st in FCS in rushing yards per carry, averaging 6.24, and is 43rd in rushing touchdowns with three. He is also 44th in rushing yards with 287 and 57th in rushing yards per game with 71.8.

THE KICK IS GOOD!
Matt Kling has made his presence known this season on special teams for the Pioneers. He currently leads the team with 26 points behind six field goals and eight extra points. He averages 1.50 field goals per game, ranking seventh in FCS, and also ranks 16th with an 85.7 field goal percentage.

MAKING A DEFENSIVE STANCE
The Pioneers' defensive unit continues to make a stance and is now ranked within the top 15 in FCS in five different categories - 

• Passing Yards Allowed (4th - 124)
• Redzone Defense (10th - .625)
• Fumbles Recovered (10th - 4)
• Scoring Defense (10th - 17.3)
• Total Defense (15th - 288.0)

FOOTBALL SHUTS DOWN GEORGETOWN
Score: Sacred Heart 40 | Georgetown 14
Brief Recap:

• A nine-yard rushing touchdown from John Michalski and a six-yard touchdown pass from Logan Lyson gave the Pioneers a 13-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter. 
• The second quarter saw the Hoyas battle back to within one, 14-13, following a nine-play, 71-yard drive, but a turnover by the visitors gave the Pios the edge needed to close out the quarter. 
• With 66 yards to go and only 1:11 to do it, the Pios wasted no time marching down the field and finding themselves in the red zone. Hilliman brought in a lofted pass by Michalski in the back of the endzone, giving SHU a 20-14 advantage with 25 seconds remaining in the half.
• The Pioneers' defense was ready and waiting, as Myles Talley picked off Georgetown's QB Danny Lauter with 15 seconds on the clock, setting up a Matt Kling 21-yard field goal as time expired to send SHU into halftime up 23-14.
• Georgetown was held scoreless for the remainder of the game, while the Pioneers scored an additional 17 points to put the game out of reach for the Hoyas.
• Leigh stole the show in the third quarter as he found paydirt on a 37-yard carry up the middle, juking a defender in the process, to stretch the margin to 30-14.
• Jalen Madison got his chance to shine in the fourth, breaking an 84-yard run up the middle and scoring on the next play after being tripped up at the two.

Highlights:

• Leigh recorded his third straight game with a touchdown, while Lyson, Madison, and Michalski tallied their first of the season. 
• On the defensive side of the ball, Myles Talley recorded four tackles, a fumble recovery for 19 yards, and an interception for 25 yards. 
• Along with Talley, Nick Verbitsky registered an interception and collected four tackles. 
• Teammate Ryan Moore also served as a defensive threat, tallying a team-high nine tackles and a forced fumble. 
• Isaiah Bishop recorded the Pioneers' lone sack of the afternoon for a loss of five yards.

WHAT A CATCH!
Ethan Hilliman's amazing endzone catch against the Georgetown Hoyas landed him at No. 1 on Sports Center's Top 10 and earned Best Catch. 

With 66 yards to go and only 1:11 to do it, the Pios wasted no time marching down the field to end the half. The first two plays of the drive led to 16 yards for Sacred Heart before Michalski found Hilliman with a back-shoulder strike that the senior turned into a 44-yard gain. 

Hilliman's heroics were not done with the long catch-and-run, as he brought in a lofted pass by Michalski in the back of the endzone, just tapping his right toe in bounds for a circus touchdown to give SHU a 20-14 advantage with 25 seconds remaining in the half.

PIOS EARN FIRST WIN OF 2024
Score: Sacred Heart 10 | Saint Anselm 3
Brief Recap:

• The Pioneers opened the scoring in the second quarter. The hosts put together a 7:15 drive that resulted in a 29-yard field goal from Matt Kling with one minute left on the clock. 
• SHU then capitalized on a mishandled snap by the Saint Anselm punter, putting the Pioneers in prime position with four seconds remaining in the half. 
• The next play saw Xavier Leigh push through the Hawks' defensive line for the three-yard touchdown with no time on the clock.
• Saint Anselm countered the Pioneers' final drive of the game with a pair of plays that could have resulted in a comeback tie, but the Pios' defense held firm to help secure the win. 

Highlights:

• With Saturday's win, Coach Mark Nofri earned his 70th career win after taking over the reins in 2012. 
• John Michalski earned his first collegiate win as a Pioneer after going 10-of-16 with 86 passing yards to go along with 81 rushing yards behind 17 attempts. 
• Tyreke Brown and Maximus Mongelli paced the defense with a team-high six tackles, while Brown recorded 1.0 sacks for a loss of five yards. 
• Leigh posted his second straight touchdown of the season and finished with 40 yards on 12 attempts. 

NOFRI COLLECTS 70TH CAREER WIN
Following the Pioneers' win against the Saint Anselm Hawks, Head Coach Mark Nofri, who took over the program in 2012, collected his 70th career win. 

DEL STATE TOPS SHU IN HOME OPENER
Score: Delaware St 17 | Sacred Heart 15
Brief Recap:

• Trailing 17-9 in the fourth quarter, the Pioneers put together a 5:21 scoring drive that resulted in a four-yard rushing touchdown from Xavier Leigh to trim the deficit to within two, 17-15. 
• However, SHU could not convert the two-point attempt to tie the game with 1:53 remaining in regulation and could not secure the ball on Matt Kling's on-side kick attempt.

Highlights: 

• John Michalski went 12-for-23 with 104 passing yards and recorded 11 rushing attempts for 84 yards. 
• Kling finished the evening 3-for-3 in field goal attempts.
• Leigh tallied the Pioneers' first touchdown of the season.
• Nate Chandler led the defensive unit with two sacks, while Tyreke Brown and Stanley Dennis II posted a sack apiece. 

BRIEF LOOK AHEAD TO 2024
The Pioneers, in their first season as an FCS Independent, begin 2024 with three straight home games against Delaware State (August 31), Saint Anselm (September 7), and Georgetown (September 14). 

The Pioneers then close out September with road games against Stonehill (September 21) and the University of Delaware (September 28). 

October opens with a home date against Norfolk State (October 5) before a two-game road stint with Howard (October 12) and Lafayette (October 19).

One week later, the Pioneers resume play on the road against Mercyhurst (October 26). SHU's final season home game comes against LIU (November 9). 

The Pioneers finish the season with an away game against Merrimack (November 16).

OH CAPTAINS, MY CAPTAINS
Head football coach Mark Nofri announced his 2024 team captains at the end of spring camp. 

Tyreke Brown, Marques Mason, Myles Talley, Jalen Madison, and Payton Rhoades, all of whom have demonstrated exceptional skills and leadership, have earned that honor.

NEW ADDITIONS TO THE COACHING STAFF
Over the summer break, SHU football head coach Mark Nofri announced new additions and appointments to his 2024 coaching staff. 

DeMarcus White, Mike Kennedy, Kyle Wiggins, and Nate Marr have joined the Pioneers. White will serve as the new safety coach, while Kennedy will be the new coach for outside linebackers. Wiggins will take over as the corners coach, and Marr will serve as the Director of Football Operations/Recruiting Coordinator. 

Kevin Duke, who previously coached the outside linebackers, has transitioned to quarterback coach. Doubling up on his duties is Pat Saporito, who will oversee both special teams and wide receivers for the Pioneers. 

WELCOME TO PIONEER FOOTBALL
The SHU coaching staff was busy during the off-season, signing 27 players, including 14 offensive players, 12 defensive players, and one special teams player. 

Ten of the 27 players are transfers from Bates College, Iowa Central Community College, Sierra University, Monmouth University, Florida State University, Trinity (CT), Youngstown State, the University of Rhode Island, Rutgers University, and the University of San Diego. 

SHU, MERRIMACK PLAY FOR THE YANKEE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Sacred Heart and Merrimack jointly announced on August 21 that their football programs will compete for The Yankee Conference Championship presented by LEONA on November 16 at Merrimack. 

Scheduled for a noon kickoff at Duane Stadium, the winner will be crowned as The Yankee Conference Champion and claim possession of the historic trophy.

Originally formed in 1946 and later transitioning to a football-only league in 1976, The Yankee Conference consisted of various members spanning the New England to Mid-Atlantic region competing at the Division I-AA level, now known as the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

CHESTNUT RE-SIGNS WITH THE TENNESSEE TITANS
Former SHU standout Julius Chestnut re-signed with the Tennessee Titans on a one-year contract. Chestnut joined the Titans before the 2022 season. 

Chestnut first caught the attention of NFL teams during the spring season of 2021 when he finished third in the Walter Payton Award voting after leading the FCS with 205.2 all-purpose yards per game and a program-record 171.0 rushing yards per game. A consensus First-Team All-American, he finished his career second in school history with 3,467 yards, and his 34 touchdowns are third all-time.

CHESTNUT SECURES SPOT ON 53-MAN ROSTER FOR TITANS
After a strong preseason performance, Julius Chestnut earned a spot on the Tennessee Titans' 53-man roster. 

In his first two NFL campaigns, Chestnut carried the ball nine times for 12 yards and caught three passes for 41 yards. He has also returned 10 kickoffs for 215 yards. He was a reserve on the Titans for the first three games last season but was placed on injured reserve on September 26 and missed the final 14 games.

LAST SEASON RECAP
The Pioneers finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 2-9 and a NEC mark of 2-5.

SHU's first win of the season came on the road against NEC foe Saint Francis (Pa.). With the game tied at 34-34, following a Red Flash touchdown, the Pioneers maintained their composure offensively, moving the ball from the SHU 45 to the SFU 23 over the final 2:20 to set up Sam Renzi for the game-winning field goal with two seconds left on the clock. 

The Pioneers' next win came on Senior Day, when they topped Central CT State by a final score of 31-24, snapping a five-game losing skid. SHU was led offensively by Malik Grant, who tallied two rushing touchdowns, while defensive back Maximus Mongelli recorded a career-high 13 tackles.

Sacred Heart had six NEC All-Conference bids, including a pair of First Team selections. Linebacker, team captain DeAndre Byrd, and defensive back Arsheen Jiles earned placement on the First Team All-NEC list. Four Pioneers were named to the Second Team All-NEC list, including defensive linemen and team captains Tyreke Brown and Carson Primrose, defensive back Mike-Lee Joseph, and kicker Sam Renzi.

Byrd also was recognized by the New England Football Writers Association as being named to the All-New England Team. The Lawrenceville, Ga. native finished with a team-leading 79 tackles behind 31 solo and 48 assisted stops.

ON DECK
The Pioneers return home on Saturday, October 5, with an afternoon bout against Norfolk State on Family Weekend. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. at Campus Field.