WEST HAVEN, Conn. - Connor Degenhardt (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) was heading off Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium after a four-touchdown performance in his first game with the University of New Haven football program. However, his work was not done just yet.
Just a couple steps away from the Chargers' blue playing field, a father called out and asked the UNH quarterback to sign an autograph for his son. When the father mentioned that Degenhardt reminds his son of Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert, who also wears a blue No. 10 jersey, Degenhardt was grinning from ear to ear.
"There are always kids that look for autographs so that is a good feeling knowing I can be somebody kids might look up to and they might want to wear No. 10 in blue one day," said Degenhardt, who threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in New Haven's 30-14 win over Franklin Pierce in front of 2,859 fans in the Chargers' first game in more than 650 days.
"I like that comparison [to Herbert], that is who I would like to compare myself if I could ever be that athletic. That was a great feeling. I had never been to a game here so I didn't know what to expect from a game-day environment but this is awesome, the fans are super supportive, I was loud and everybody was really welcoming. It was a great experience and I am glad our first four games of the season are out on the Blue."
Degenhardt was 21 of 34 for 320 yards passing. He also ran for 32 yards with 26 of them coming on the game's first touchdown.
Ten different receivers caught passes led by Dev Holmes (Troy, N.Y./Troy) who had eight receptions for 149 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
"Great quarterback, a Patriot League guy, a smart guy and I look forward to the rest of the season with him," Holmes said.
Degenhardt, who threw for 2,372 yards and 14 touchdowns at Holy Cross in 2019, didn't arrive on campus until early July. Even before stepping onto the field in Saturday's 2021 season opener, he knew that the decision to come to New Haven was the right one to make.
"I feel like it is someplace that believes in me and that is a place I want to be," Degenhardt said. "Ever since I have been here, I have felt they have welcomed me into the family, I have a bunch of great friends here, the coaches have all been awesome. I feel like everybody believes in each other, I am so comfortable here and I definitely feel like I made the right choice."
Left guard Michael Wilson (Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Middletown South) and left tackle John Tyrrell (Bronx, N.Y./Iona Prep) helped to open up huge real estate on the final two plays of New Haven's first offensive drive. A 24-yard run by Jake Conlan (West Haven, Conn./Trinity-Pawling) was followed by Degenhardt's 26-yard touchdown scamper. Briant DeFelice (Massapequa, N.Y./Farmingdale) added the extra point to give the Chargers the 7-0 lead with 11:36 left in the first quarter.
An interception on the shadow of the goal line by Franklin Pierce's Trey Sejour kept it a one-score game. Franklin Pierce decided against keeping its offense on the field on 4th and 1 at the UNH 5 and then promptly missed a short field goal.
Degenhardt completed passes to four different receivers including a perfectly thrown pass to a well-covered Dev Holmes (Troy, N.Y./Troy) in the back of the end zone for the 33-yard touchdown to push the lead to 13-0.
The Ravens, aided by a pair of 15-yard penalties against New Haven, got on the board on a 22-yard run by EJ Burgess early in the second quarter.
Degenhardt split Marquis Adams and Jaden Clark to find Paul Cooper (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) for the 29-yard touchdown pass to push the lead to 20-7 with 6:41 left in the first half.
Franklin Pierce threatened to score again but Keoni Gaskin was thrown for losses on first and second down. On 4th and goal at the 5, the Ravens took a timeout and then passed on a short field goal to go for it. Quarterback Drew Campanale was under duress almost immediately by a trio of UNH defenders as another promising drive resulted in no points for the much-improved Ravens who lost to UNH 63-0 in 2019.
Degenhardt and Holmes connected again on a 48-yard touchdown on the Chargers' first offensive possession of the second half.
Franklin Pierce pulled back within 27-14 on Campanale's 43-yard touchdown pass to Burgess. The Ravens had a chance to make things a little more interesting when their next drive started at midfield but the New Haven defense forced a punt.
DeFelice wrapped up the scoring on a 24-yard field goal.
"We tried some new things, we got some different people and they do different things than other people have done in the past," New Haven coach Chris Pincince said. "We are still learning our players just like they are learning about this place and this environment."
Shamar Logan (Brooklyn, N.Y./Erasmus Hall High School), one of the top returnees for the Chargers, had a game-high 104 rushing yards. Ryan Hodgins (Flanders, N.J./Mount Olive) led New Haven with eight tackles. Khalim Cisse (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) added seven tackles including two tackles for loss.
Pincince was just glad to have a football game to be played after the global pandemic wiped out the 2020 season.
"I am happy that we played a lot of people," Pincince said. "Offensively, defensively and special teams, it was good that we got some new faces out there because we are going to need them. You pull your mask on every once in a bit. The fans can't come onto the field at the end of the game and you are reminded we are still in this pandemic time but it was good just to be able to be out there and play after such a long two years for these kids. We got back to a little bit of normalcy for three hours on a Saturday."
