First TimePunters Galore

New Haven had three different players record a punt in the game. That is a very strange occurrence but something that played into their victory.

Ajee Patterson, Ju'An Williams and Francis Palmer all saw time in the punting game and it worked to perfection for the Chargers. Palmer is the normal punter for New Haven.

They were going to avoid kicking the ball to Deonte Harris at all costs. They lined up like they were going to go for it on fourth down, but Patterson would pooch punt the ball to keep him off the field.

"We are playing against the most dynamic player in the league, if not the country," Pincince said of Harris.

It is not uncommon now for teams to kick it away from Harris as he is capable of returning any kick back for a touchdown.

Coaches are more willing to give up some field position against Assumption than have Harris return the kick at this point in his career.

Finally

It took seven games, but the Bentley offense finally did what they were capable of doing from the first week of the season. They scored points and moved the ball with ease in their 38-10 victory over Stonehill.

The Falcons fell behind early but put up 38 of the next 41 points to win their second game of the season. Stephen Sturm had his best performance of the season as he threw for 227 yards and two scores. He led an offense that put up a season best 516 yards in the win.

The defense also played a solid game as well. After allowing that 80-yard opening drive for a score, they allowed just a field goal and 140 yards of offense to Stonehill. They forced two turnovers and were just a nuance to Stonehill quarterback Kyle Smith the entire day.

Bentley is on the road next Saturday evening at St. Anselm.

Balance

Southern Connecticut had a great balanced offensive attack in their 48-21 victory over American International last weekend. The Owls were again led by their senior running back.

Eli Parks had four trips in the end zone as part of a 161-yard afternoon. He has racked up 140 or more yards in three of the last four games along with his fifth game of at least 120 yards in 2018.

"We are happy to have him," Southern Connecticut head coach Tom Godek said. "He knows that there is a lot of competition out there at the other schools. He is the consummate team guy. You can throw the ball 100 times and he is asking who he has in protection or what is my route."

Matt Sanzaro continues his solid play as he completed 14 of 20 throws for 205 yards and two scores. Overall, he helped his offense to 471 yards of offense.

"It has been an interesting year at our quarterback position," Godek said. "It is a credit to both of those guys that they are both team players and not personal stat guys."

Southern Connecticut will look to stay balanced as they travel to Pace this Saturday.

Second Half Success

After one of the toughest schedules ever in the first half of the season, Merrimack was looking forward to October when the schedule became a little more tolerable. And it showed in their 31-28 road victory over St. Anselm.

Christian Carter had another solid performance as he threw for 362 yards and added another 68 yards on the ground. He had three touchdown passes and spread the ball around to eight different receivers.

The Warriors scored 10 points in the third quarter to break a 21-21 tie to win their second straight road game and third game overall on the season. They are 3-1 on the road right now and 0-3 at home. Even better, they are 3-0 in the league on the road.

They will look to win their first home game as they entertain American International this Saturday.

No Completions

It is not often that you see a box score in which a team does not complete a single pass. But that is exactly what happened in LIU Post's 41-6 victory over Pace last Saturday.

The Setters were 0-12 on pass attempts and intercepted four times. It is just another notch in the belt for a Pioneer defense that has been very good this year.

On the offensive side of the ball, it was Chris Laviano directing the show again. He threw for 266 yards and two scores. He took advantage of the short fields due to turnovers and scored points to keep Pace at bay.

But it was the defense that was the story of the game. They allowed just 137 rushing yards including 77 on the lone scoring drive for the Setters late in the fourth quarter.

LIU Post will bring their stellar defense to face the stellar offense of Assumption next weekend in the showcase game of the weekend.

Playoffs

With three regular season games left to play, it is time to talk playoffs in Super Region One.

For the NE-10, two teams have playoff aspirations at the moment. LIU Post is looking at a top seed in the region based on their 7-0 record. New Haven is in the mix as well with their 6-1 overall record and 6-0 against Division II teams. They have a good shot at winning their next two games and then facing each other in the regular season finale with a potential playoff berth at stake. Assumption is 5-2 at the moment and looks to be on the outside of the playoff picture unless they can defeat Post this weeked and get a lot of help in the region.

In the PSAC, it looks like four teams have a chance at the playoffs. On the East side of the ledger, both West Chester and Kutztown are both 7-0 at the moment. They play each other this weekend so one team will have the inside track to the State Game and other will need to win out to play some extra football in November.

On the West side of the league, Slippery Rock is 7-1 with a victory over IUP. The Crimson Hawks are 6-2 and have three winnable games left. So they look like they are in good shape to make the playoffs and will be a dangerous team in the postseason. California has three losses and even if they defeat Slippery Rock this weekend, they look to be on the outside of the playoff picture.

The Mountain East has one clear leader with Notre Dame at 8-0. They have three winnable games left and are looking for a home game in the playoffs if they win out and potentially a top seed in the region. Fairmont State is 6-2 and Shepherd is 5-2 on the season and looks like they both need some help to get into the postseason. The Fighting Falcons hold the advantage as they defeated the Rams on October 13th in they both finish with two losses each.

And finally, in the GMAC, it looks like a couple of teams might be able to make the playoffs. Tiffin is 8-0 right now and Hillsdale in 7-1. They will play each other on November 3th and the winner will have the inside track to a home playoff game. If Tiffin wins out, they will battle Post and Notre Dame for the top seed in SR1. Ohio Dominican is still in the mix with a 6-2 record but with their two blemishes to the teams directly above them, it is a long shot for them to make the playoffs.

With five overall undefeated teams in the region at the moment, they are still plenty of sorting out to come over the next three weekends. Teams with one loss are on the cusp right now and teams with multiple losses are on the outside looking in.

As always, win games on the field and do not let the committee decide your playoff fate.