SCOUTING THE CHARGERS
New Haven concludes the 2013 regular season this week against the Falcons. The one-game Northeast-10 Conference Championship Weekend will conclude the season next week and the Chargers have clinched a home game as the No. 3 seed. UNH will host Merrimack or Assumption in the 3/4 matchup on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium at 12 p.m. (noon). This season, senior quarterback Ronnie Nelson has been the anchor of the Chargers' offense. He's thrown for 2,331 yards and ran for another 545 yards. His 33 touchdown accounted for is one of the highest in recent years for UNH and ranks him seventh in NCAA Division II. Classmate, Mike DeCaro leads a number of running backs who have all seen significant time this season. The Weston, Fla. native has 692 yards and eight touchdowns on 110 carries. Nelson's top target through nine games is senior Nick Music who has 440 yards and five touchdowns off 28 receptions. Tight end Michael Flacco adds 488 yards and eight scores off 26 catches. Last week, senior wide out Roshawn Wilson grabbed his first career touchdown in impressive fashion. The Miami, Fla. native beat his defender down the middle of the field and reeled in the one-handed catch before finishing off the score with another 10 yards after the catch. Defensively, New Haven is led by rookie cornerback Najae Brown with a team-high 64 tackles and three interceptions. Senior linebacker Matthew Fallico adds 62 total tackles, including a team-high 12 tackles last weekend. Additionally, 10 other Chargers have at least 20 tackles this season.
New Haven Special Teams Key to the Game: Once again this week, New Haven must win the special teams in all aspects of the game.
New Haven Offensive Key to the Game: In the previous three meetings with Bentley, New Haven has established the run game early and often against the Falcons. The Chargers have averaged 192 rushing yards in the last three games against Bentley, including a series-high 242 rushing yards last year. In order to secure their seventh victory over the season, UNH must once again develop the ground game early in Saturday's contest.
New Haven Defensive Key to the Game:Â Defensively, New Haven has a challenge with Bentley's senior quarterback Danny Guadagnoli and his favorite receiver Jeff Hill. The Chargers must keep these two in check and prevent the deep ball to help the team to a win. Hill has 60 receptions this season with 25 going for 15 yards or more. All 10 of his receiving touchdowns have come on plays 15 yards or longer, while nine have been 20-plus yards. Three of the longest plays this season have also been to Hill as 76-yard, 73-yard and 60-yard touchdowns.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
At 4-4 in the Northeast-10 Conference, Bentley is locked in to the No. 6 seed for next week's Northeast-10 Conference Championship Weekend and the Falcons will host the No. 9 seed, either Saint Anselm or Pace. The Falcons were picked to finish third in the NE-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll, but have struggled this season. Bentley snapped a two-game skid last week with a 24-19 win over SCSU. In previous weeks, Bentley fell to AIC and Merrimack, while defeating Pace and Saint Anselm in week five and six, respectively.
The Bentley Offense: The Falcons' offense is led by senior quarterback Danny Guadagnoli and junior receiver Jeff Hill. The signal caller has 2,538 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions on 190-of-308 passing. Hill leads the team with 60 catches for 939 yards and 10 touchdowns. He averages 104.3 yards per game and 15.6 yards per catch. Junior Jet Kollie leads all runners with 67.6 yards per game and five touchdowns this season.
The Bentley Defense: The Bentley defensive front is holding opponents to 157.6 rushing yards, 224.9 passing yards and 25.7 point per game this season. Strong safety Nick McCarthy leads the team with 68 total tackles, while linebacker Taylor Tavarozzi is second with 55 stops. Senior defensive end Matt Campo leads the team with 9.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks this season.
THE SENIORS
During a pregame ceremony this week, New Haven will honor 18 seniors for their hard work and dedication to the football program over the last four-plus years. The senior class graduates as one of the winningest in program history with a four-year record of 35-8 and a 28-4 record in the Northeast-10 Conference. The class was part of three-straight NE-10 Championships and two-straight undefeated conference seasons. Three members of this class were also members of the first team that returned to the gridiron in 2008: Mike DeCaro, Nick Music and Brandon Ruberti. Here's the complete list of seniors who will be recognized on Saturday:#2 Mike DeCaro, #8 Nick Music, #10 Kervin Edouard, #14 Ronnie Nelson, #18 Will Clements, #24 Matt Stevko, #28 Anthony Tillman, #41 Andre Lawrence, #42 Brandon Ruberti, #43 Brian Alston, #51 Matt Fallico, #61 Thierry Andris, #71 Chris Biondi, #86 Chris Higgins, #92 Jelani Blandin, #94 Brent MacLeod, #95 Sean Berglund and #97 Alex Dyer.
THE LAST OF THE KAYO BOYZ
This season marks the end of the Kayo Boyz era for UNH football. The group of players, who gave themselves the "Kayo Boyz" nickname, were members of the team that prepared the Chargers for its first varsity season back on the gridiron in 2009. Throughout the 2008-09 academic year, these student-athletes practiced on Kayo Field as the final upgrades to Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium were being completed. The final three of the group complete their eligibility this season - Mike DeCaro, Nick Music and Brandon Ruberti.Â
BLOCK PARTY
The Chargers have five blocked kicks this fall with Cory Jasudowich leading the way with two blocks, both coming at SCSU two weeks ago. Defensive linemen Sean Berglund, Alex Dyer and Chad Woodfine all have one block as well. Last week against AIC, Dyer broke through the middle of the Yellow Jackets' line and got a hand on his second career block.
THE CARDIAC CHARGERS
The Chargers have played a number of very close games this season. During a three-game stretch, each game was decided by one score (eight points or less) and in two cases, the final play of the game. New Haven was on the winning side of close games at Assumption in week five and at Merrimack in week six, but fell short against Stonehill in week seven. The three-game stretch decided by one score is the first since 2001 when four-straight games came down to one possession.
"THE BLENDER"
Preseason All-America selection and senior running back Mike DeCaro has put together one of the most impressive all-around performances of any Charger this season. He became the third ranked rusher in New Haven history against Merrimack by surpassing Corey Jones on the all-time rushing yards list. His career total now stands at 2,558 yards and he stands alone in third place on the rushing list, behind only Roger Graham (5,953) and A.J. Livingston (2,904). DeCaro became the fifth player in New Haven football history to rush for 2,000 career yards in week three at Saint Anselm. He adds 29 career rushing touchdowns, also ranking third behind Graham (66) and Livingston (50) in the record book. DeCaro is also a threat to catch the ball and return kicks as he's amassed 5,698 all-purpose yards during his career. This season, he's averaging 199.6 all-purpose yards per game, ranking him seventh in NCAA Division II and third in the NE-10. He's also scored 1.3 touchdowns per game and is one of only two NE-10 players with a rushing, receiving and return touchdown this season.
CALLING HIS OWN NUMBER
Senior quarterback Ronnie Nelson has led the UNH offense throughout the 2013 season as he's picked apart defenses through the air and on the ground. He currently ranks fifth in Division II and first in the NE-10 with a 176.0 passing efficiency rating. Nelson's numbers include 2,331 yards, 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions on 142-of-232 passing. In 11 games as the starting quarterback in his career, he is 194-for-307 for 3,102 yards with 40 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. The only 3,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher in New Haven football history, Nelson's career numbers include 3,827 passing yards and 1,269 rushing yards. The senior put together one of the most impressive individual performances in Charger football history against Saint Anselm in week three. He set a record for total offensive yards in a game and was the first quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards and rush for more than 100 yards in a game. He also threw for a career-best 364 yards on 18-of-25 in week four against LIU Post.Â
DEFENSIVE STANDS
The New Haven defense has come up huge in critical moments this season. Against Southern Connecticut State, senior cornerback Rodney Lanham intercepted his second pass of the season as the Owls were driving into New Haven territory midway through the third quarter. The resulting UNH offensive drive helped put the Chargers ahead by 30 points. Against Stonehill, Najae Brown was the deciding factor in keeping Stonehill out of the endzone on its final series of the first half. He intercepted a pass at New Haven's own goal line and kept UNH ahead 20-14 at halftime. Leading by seven late in the fourth quarter at Merrimack, the Chargers kept the Warriors out of the endzone twice to ensure the victory in week six.Â
CAREER HIGH
Senior linebacker Jaylen Johnson stepped into the lineup for New Haven in week six and helped anchor the second level until suffering a season-ending injury against Stonehill. He boasted a career-best 12 total tackles at Merrimack, while recording eight solo stops and applying the pressure to Merrimack quarterback Joe Clancy on the final play of the game, forcing an intentional grounding penalty and giving the Chargers possession with under one minute remaining. This season, the Linden, N.J. native made two starts and amassed 32 total tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT ROOKIE
One of the team's leading tacklers and a two-time Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Week, Najae Brown has made his presence known this season as a freshman cornerback. He leads the team with 64 total tackles and 46 solo stops. Three times this season he's recorded double-figure tackles, including last week against American International. The rookie also leads the team with three interceptions this season.
FROM THE DIAMOND TO THE GRIDIRON
Tight end Michael Flacco currently ranks second on the team with 26 receptions, while boasting eight touchdown catches. The sophomore from Audobon, N.J. hasn't always caught passes on the football field. Flacco spent the last four seasons in the baseball minor league system. A quarterback in high school, Flacco transitioned to his tight end position during the 2013 preseason.
COMING OUT OF NOWHERE
Sophomore Courtney Moshood, in his first year of eligibility, has emerged as one of the Chargers' top offensive threats this season and for his efforts in week five, he was named the Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Week. Despite missing the two games in the middle of the season, Moshood has 300 yards and three touchdowns off eight catches. The emergence of Moshood becomes even more astonishing given the fact he was on the defensive side of the ball as recently as the 2013 preseason.
PROGRAM FIRSTS
Two players have the chance become the first players in program history to accomplish very elite numbers. Quarterback Ronnie Nelson, became the first 3,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher in program history in week six against Merrimack, while Mike DeCaro has a chance to become the only Charger with 2,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving. He needs 169 receiving yards to accomplish the feat this season.
SCORING SPREE
One of just four teams in NCAA Division II with at least two 65-plus point performances this season, New Haven scored 65-plus points in back-to-back games for the first time and tied the highest two-game scoring total in program history in weeks two and three. The 135 points scored against Pace and Saint Anselm tied a two-game stretch from 1992 against Virginia Union and Central Connecticut. On the season, The Chargers rank 18th in NCAA Division II and second in the NE-10 in scoring offense with 40.7 points per game.
SPREADING OUT THE SCORES
Sixteen different players have scored for UNH this season, including eight players with 18-or-more points and 14 players have scored touchdowns. During a three-week stretch from week two to week four, the Chargers had six different players score touchdowns in each of their three wins. Against Southern Connecticut State and American International, five different players scored touchdowns, including Roshawn Wilson, Brandon Ruberti and DeeJay White who scored their first collegiate touchdowns during the two games.
ICE-BERG ANCHORS D-LINE
Senior defensive tackle Sean Berglund stepped in to the starting role and excelled throughout the 2013 season. Despite missing one game due to injury, he leads the defensive line with 34 total tackles and 9.0 tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks. He posted a career-high seven total tackles in each of the first two games this season. He registered a career-best 4.0 tackles-for-loss and 3.0 sacks against Pace in week two, while also forcing a fumble and recovering another loose ball on his way to being named the NE-10 Defensive Player of the Week. At Assumption in week five, he blocked his first career field goal and in the meantime set up a Chargers' scoring drive.
A SPECIALIST
Junior kicker Anthony Greenfield has boasted impressive numbers throughout the first half of the 2013 season. He's averaged 41.8 yards per punt and pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line nine times. In week three at Saint Anselm, Greenfield came one extra point short of tying New Haven's all-time record of 11 conversions. He connected on 10-of-10 attempts. In week two against Pace, Greenfield booted a 64-yard punt late in the fourth quarter to seal the late-game shutout for UNH. The punt was the longest of his career and the first punt over 60 yards since the Chargers returned to the gridiron in 2009. The last punt longer than 64 yards came in 2002 when Lars Anderson kicked a 65-yard punt on Sept. 21 at Indiana (Pa.). The Chargers' longest punt ever belongs to John Cerra, who booted a 75-yard punt against Southern Connecticut State in 1996.
THE COACHES
The 2012 Liberty Mutual Division II Coach of the Year and three-time Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year, Peter Rossomando is in his fifth season as head coach for the Chargers, although he was hired in January of 2008 to start rebuilding the program. In four short years, Rossomando has brought the Charger football program back into the national spotlight as one of the premier programs in Division II. He previously spent seven seasons at the University at Albany and five seasons at UNH, as an assistant under current Oakland Raiders offensive line coach Tony Sparano. After more than two decades as an assistant coach for the Falcons, Thom Boerman was named the head football coach at Bentley University on December 8, 2008. He succeeded Peter Yetten, who retired after the 2008 season following 30 years at the helm, and will enter the 2013 season with a career record of 27-12.
THREE OF A KIND
Head coach Peter Rossomando has gradually worked his way up the all-time wins list at the University of New Haven over the last five seasons. With New Haven's win at SCSU, the fifth-year head coach became the third coach in program history to cross the 40-win plateau. Mark Whipple (1988-93) is the winningest coach with a 48-17 record in his six seasons, while Tony Sparano (1994-98) is second on the list, and now just one ahead of Rossomando, with a 41-14 all-time record.
|
Coach |
Wins |
Losses |
Ties |
Pct. |
Years |
|
Mark Whipple |
48 |
17 |
0 |
0.738 |
1988-93 |
|
Tony Sparano |
41 |
14 |
1 |
0.741 |
1994-98 |
|
Peter Rossomando |
40 |
13 |
0 |
0.755 |
2009-Pres. |
GAMEDAY FORECAST
The forecast for Saturday afternoon in West Haven, Conn. has temperatures in the low 50s and winds out of the west up to 10 mph. The skies look to be partly cloudy.
UP NEXT
New Haven returns to Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium for its 2013 season finale on Saturday, Nov. 16 in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship Weekend. UNH will host the No. 4 seed in the 3/4 matchup with kickoff at 12 p.m.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
The Beyond Sports Network (BSN) recognized the New Haven offensive line and running back Mike DeCaro as national players of the week during week four. Punter Anthony Greenfield and defensive back Carlos Lozada were both named to the teams during week three. BSN recognizes national award winners for the top performances in the FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III, and NAIA. The Beyond Sports Network staff hands out awards for Offensive Line of the Week, Defense of the Week, Offensive Players of the Week, Defensive Players of the Week, and Special Teams Players of the Week.
THREE-TIME AS GREAT
Against Pace in week two, Ronnie Nelson, Anthony Greenfield and Joey Bradley all threw touchdown passes in the Chargers' 65-0 victory - the first time three different players threw scoring strikes since Nov. 5, 2011. Ryan Osiecki, Ronnie Nelson and Brice DeRosa helped lead UNH to another 60-plus point performance and win over Pace. This season, four different players have thrown passes for the Chargers, including DeeJay White who tossed a 41-yard strike against LIU Post.
THE REMAINING SCHEDULE
Bentley University will round out the regular season for the Chargers on Saturday, Nov. 9 at DellaCamera Stadium. UNH and Bentley have also met every year since 2009 and the Chargers hold a 3-1 record against the Falcons. For the second straight season, the NE-10 Conference will host a championship weekend on Saturday, Nov. 16. The Chargers have clinched the No. 3 seed and will host either Merrimack or Assumption in the 3/4 matchup next Saturday, Nov. 16 at DellaCamera Stadium. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m.
A WIN FOR THE AGES
In week three's 70-26 victory at Saint Anselm, the Chargers set one program record, but many more numbers were the most since 2009 when the Chargers' return to the gridiron. The win also ranked among the best in NCAA Division II this season, tying for fifth place in points scored, coming in second in total offense and third in rushing yards. Here's a complete list:
Individual
 Most rushing yards - Mike DeCaro, 205
 Most total offensive yards gained - Ronnie Nelson, 483 (*all-time record)
 Most all-purpose yards - Mike DeCaro, 286
 Most extra point conversions - Anthony Greenfield, 10
Team
 Most rushing yards - 509
 Most yards per rush (min. 20 attempts) - 9.6
 Most rushing touchdowns - 7
 Most total offensive yards - 821
 Most all-purpose yards - 907
 Most points scored - 70
 Most touchdowns - 10
NE-10 PRESEASON RESULTS
The No. 12 University of New Haven football team has been selected to finish second in the Northeast-10 Football Coaches' Preseason Poll, which was released today by the conference office. The nationally-ranked Chargers received three of 10 first-place votes. The three-time defending Northeast-10 Champion, New Haven garnered 73 total points on the preseason ledger. American International was tabbed as the favorite by the conference's 10 head coaches, collecting five first-place tallies to edge the Chargers with 75 total points. Bentley nabbed 61 points, LIU Post had 60 – including the two remaining first-place votes – and Merrimack rounds out the top half of the poll with 44 points. Southern Connecticut, Stonehill, Assumption, Saint Anselm and Pace rounded out the preseason poll.
2013 Northeast-10 Football Coaches Preseason Poll
    1. American International – 75 (5)
    2. New Haven – 73 (3)
    3. Bentley – 61
    4. LIU Post – 60 (2)
    5. Merrimack – 44
    6. Southern Connecticut – 42
    7. Stonehill – 41
    8. Assumption – 24
    9. Saint Anselm – 21
    10. Pace – 9
    * - first-place votes in parentheses
COMPLETE NEW HAVEN GAME NOTES (PDF)
