WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Senior quarterback Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) threw for 324 yards and Josiah Shumaker (Ledyard, Conn./Ledyard) returned an interception 62 yards to the house to lead the University of New Haven football team in its season opener at Division I Bryant University on Saturday.

Patterson's 324 yards for Patterson is the eighth time in his career he has thrown for more than 300 yards as he completed 26 of his 46 pass attempts. He also led the rushing efforts with 29 yards including a 20 yard run which was the longest pick up on the ground by any Charger on the day.

Patterson relied on 10 targets overall on the day with graduate student transfer Ju'An Williams leading all with 167 yards on 12 catches. Junior Damon Rodgers (Charlotte, N.C./Cheshire Academy) followed him with 70 yards on four catches while also hauling in one of the three TD passes from Patterson on the day. Brett Huber (Milford, Conn./Foran) and Ryan McCarthy (Montclair, N.J./Bergen Catholic) also hauled in scoring passes.

Shumaker's pick six in the fourth quarter, which pulled New Haven within 11 was the defensive highlight of the day while he also contributed a trio of tackles. The returned interception by Shumaker is the first time a Charger has returned a pick for a score since Mark Clements (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest / Worcester Academy) did so against Southern Connecticut in the season finale in 2016.

Sophomore Mcprecia Remy (Brooklyn, N.Y./Millwood) and senior Jordan Francklin (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross) led the Chargers with seven tackles a piece, with Remy a part of the lone sack of the day for the Blue and Gold. Closely following on their heels was C.J. Fitzpatrick (Pearl River, N.Y./Saint Joseph Regional) who closed out the day with seven tackles, while Markel Johnson (Jersey City, N.J./Lincoln) joined Remy on the one sack.

­­FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

After going down early in the game 7-0, the Chargers answered right back on their opening drive, going 66 yards to knot the game at seven. Patterson completed all five of his pass attempts in the 13 play drive, the most important of which was the last one hauled in by McCarthy from three yards out to even the contest.

The longest pass of the drive for Patterson was an 18 yard connection with Williams which set New Haven up with first and goal from the seven yard line. From there a pair of rushing attempts gained four yards, one from Chris Liggio (Mount Laurel, N.J./Holy Cross) and three from McCarthy before Patterson returned to the air to find the junior running back near the sideline for the score.

New Haven wasn't able to muster much off its next drive, but got the ball back with 16 seconds left before the first intermission to set up a second quarter opening drive.

SECOND QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

New Haven opened the second quarter with the ball and maintained the possession for more than six minutes before an interception thwarted a third and goal attempt from Patterson. Prior to that, the senior quarterback had completed five of his seven pass attempts, including the longest of the drive, a 35-yard completion to Williams, the first of two for more than 30 yards to Williams.

The Chargers did close out the half with a scoring drive that put the deficit at two touchdowns prior to the break. The drive, which took just 3:21 was the longest scoring drive of the day for the Blue and Gold as they started at their own nine yard line.

New Haven got right to work in the drive with Joel Monteiro (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) picking up 13 yards on the ground, but it was the longest completion of the day from Patterson that kept the drive alive and helped set up the scoring opportunity. That catch went for 36 yards to Williams.

Needing to pick up four yards on third down, the Chargers turned to the end zone as Patterson connected with his junior wide receiver Rodgers leaving just 19 seconds on the clock before the intermission.

THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

New Haven was held scoreless on its first two drives of the second half before the first field goal in a Blue and Gold uniform from transfer Francis Palmer (Brewster, N.Y./Trinity-Pawling) provided the only points of the quarter for New Haven.

On its opening drive, the Chargers were set up with first and goal from the 10 yard line after a 20-yard keeper from Patterson, but on the ensuing play, the senior quarterback was intercepted in the end zone.

After Bryant scored its lone points in the third quarter on a touchdown, the Chargers responded with a seven play, 69 yard drive that ended in Palmer's 26-yard field goal. Among the highlights of the drive were back-to-back passes of 28 and 29 yards each to Bryan Coney (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck) and Rodgers, respectively.

FOURTH QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

New Haven opened up the final quarter in style breaking up a drive that Bryant continued to keep alive with short runs when Shumaker jumped in front of a Price Wilson pass, picking off the attempt at his own 32 yard line. The junior defensive back returned that pick 62 yards to the house to put Bryant on edge, trailing by 11, 34-23.

The Bulldogs would respond on the next drive, however the Chargers answered back with 3:08 remaining in the game when Patterson completed a 61 yard, eight play drive with a six yard pass to Brett Huber (Milford, Conn./Foran). Patterson followed that up with a second-straight complete pass as he found Bryan Coney (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck) to his right converting the two-point conversion which resulted in the final margin, 41-31.

The Chargers would get the ball back with 59 seconds remaining, but despite three completed passes, were unable to convert in the final seconds.

UP NEXT

New Haven jumps into Northeast-10 action next time they take the field when they visit Pleasantville, N.Y. for a date with the Pace Setters. Pace is coming off of a season-opening win on the road at PSAC foe Millersville, 23-10. Kick off at Pace Stadium is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.