GAME DAY INFORMATION |
DATE: November 13, 2021
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LOCATION: SODEXO Field
Rindge, N.H. |
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GAME DAY LINKS |
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO |
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THE FIRST LOOK
Despite securing the 2021 Northeast-10 Championship last weekend against Bentley, there is still a lot on the table in the Week 11 rematch against Franklin Pierce. With the Chargers fourth in this week's regional rankings, a win over Franklin Pierce would likely cement the Blue and Gold at least one home game in the upcoming NCAA Division II Championship which begins on Saturday, November 20.
GAME DAY FORECAST
Saturday's forecast in Rindge, N.H. has begun to clear up a bit, with an early chance for rain now moved to an increased chance but after dark. The gametime temperature is forecasted to be 56 degrees under cloudy skies with peeks of sunshine. The low of the day will be 28 degrees, which will come in the early morning hours. Winds will come out of the south at six miles per hour with gusts as high as nine mph. Sunrise on Saturday is at 6:37 a.m. and the sun will set at 4:27 p.m.
SCOUTING THE CHARGERS
Despite coming off the high of securing the first NE10 Championship since 2012, the Chargers need to come out like a championship team and not take any downs off. In last week's win over the Falcons, it was the Chargers defense and the offensive line that deserves much of the credit. Defensively, the Chargers held the Falcons to a measly 215 yards of total offense, while rattling off 394 yards of their own, including a season-high 286 rushing yards. The season-high on the ground should mostly be credited to the offensive line that opened up holes the titanic could've fit through. Leading the way defensively was senior Khalim Cisse (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) who finished with a team-high seven tackles, including 2.5 sacks, which led to him being named NE10 Defensive Player of the Week. Offensively, the Chargers were led by senior Zach Mauro (Woodbury, Conn./Nonnewaug) who racked up a career-high 175 rushing yards, while quarterback Connor Degenhardt (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) benefited the most from that yardage with three rushing touchdowns, while also passing for one. Defensively, the Chargers also picked off a pair of Bentley passes, giving them 15 interceptions for the season, which stands among the top-10 in the nation for total INT's.
SCOUTING THE RAVENS
Still winless on the season, Franklin Pierce averages just over 18 points per game, while surrendering nearly double that to their opponents. Despite that, the Ravens are not a team to overlook, having taken a pair of NE10 teams to overtime; Assumption and Pace. The majority of the Pierce offense comes from its running game where they are averaging 193.9 yards per game, with more than half of those yards coming from junior running back EJ Burgess who has racked up 1,154 net yards, which leads the Northeast-10. Burgess has also accounted for most of the Ravens touchdowns, with nine on the ground, while also catching one among his 23 receptions, which is second most on the team. In its passing game, the Ravens have relied on three different quarterbacks throughout the season, with sophomore Drew Campanale taking the majority of the snaps and passing for 682 total yards.
TRIPLE THREAT
For the a now third straight week, and the fifth time this season, a Charger took home an NE10 weekly honor with senior Khalim Cisse (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) earning Defensive Player of the Week accolades as announced by the conference office. The distinction comes after leading the Chargers defense with seven tackles, including 2.5 sacks in a 31-14 win over Bentley to secure the 2021 NE10 title, the first for New Haven since the 2012 campaign.
NEXT ON TAP
The Chargers will now await a potential postseason bid for the 2021 NCAA Division II Championship, with seven teams earning the honor from Super Region 1. The NCAA Selection show will take place on Sunday, November 14 at 5:00 p.m. and can be seen live on NCAA.com. Following the selection show, check NewHavenChargers.com for more information on the Blue and Gold's next opponent.
