GAME DAY INFORMATION DATE: November 19, 2022 LOCATION: Ram Stadium Shepherdstown, W.V. GAME DAY LINKS LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

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THE FIRST LOOK
For the second straight year and the third time in the last four seasons, the New Haven football team is headed to the playoffs. This time around the Chargers will begin their quest for a national title against the reigning Super Region 1 champion Shepherd Rams in Shepherdstown, WV.

INSIDE THE SERIES
New Haven and Shepherd meet for just the third time in the history of the two programs. The Chargers hold a perfect 2-0 record against Shepherd, meeting in the 1992 and 1993 seasons. Both previous meetings came as the regular season finale in those seasons. Among the two wins was a 55-0 shutout in the second meeting, while all combined the Chargers outscored Shepherd 104-23.

SCOUTING THE CHARGERS
Making its third postseason appearance in the last four seasons, and second-straight, the New Haven football team enters Saturday's NCAA Division II playoff first round game with high hopes of advancing to the regional semifinal round for a third straight time. All season long, defense has been the name of the game for the Blue and Gold, forcing 19 turnovers in the regular season (14 interceptions, 4 fumbles). Additionally, New Haven's defense has been stingy in third down situations, holding opponents to just 28 percent (39-of-139) which is 13th best in the nation for third down defense. The run game defense has also been a highlight for the Blue and Gold as the 75.1 per game average surrendered by New Haven is 10th best in all of NCAA Division II. Overall, New Haven has held six opponents under 50 yards rushing, including a season low of three yards by AIC. Leading the Chargers defense is David Onyemem (Dracut, Mass./Central Catholic) who enters the postseason with 69 tackles, including 12 for loss, a pair of fumble recoveries, an interception and two forced fumbles. Offensively, it has been sophomore running back Christopher Ais (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) who has put up four 100+ yard games this season, including his most recent outing, a career-high 191 yards against SCSU. For the season, Ais leads all NE10 running back with an average of 102.8 yards per game which ranks 17th in all of NCAA Division II, while his 1,028 rushing yards is the 22nd most in the nation and the fifth most in a single season at New Haven. The man marshalling all of that offense for the Chargers is graduate quarterback Connor Degenhardt (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) who enters this weekend against the Rams with 2,044 passing yards and 28 touchdowns, while adding five more touchdowns in the ground game. His 28 touchdowns is tied for the sixth most in a single season at New Haven and is eighth among all Division II QB's this season.

SCOUTING THE RAMS
Coming off of their only loss of the season, the Rams enter the NCAA playoffs as a favorite to advance from Super Region 1 to the final four in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Overall, Shepherd closed out the regular season with a 10-1 record, that loss coming in the PSAC championship last weekend against Indiana (Pa.) who earned the top seed in Super Region one with that victory. Leading the Rams on the season is the PSAC's offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Tyson Bagent, and PSAC Coach of the Year Ernie McCook. As a team, Shepherd has put up some impressive numbers all season long and stand third in all of NCAA D2 in passing offense with their average of 334.1 yards per game. Bagent has accumulated the majority of those yards as he have 3,567 to his credit to go along with 35 touchdown passes. Defensively, the Rams are holding opponents to just 85.6 yards per game on the ground (20th best in D2), while their total offense of 508.5 yards per game is the second best in all of D2. 

NEXT ON TAP
The winner of the first-round matchup between seventh seed New Haven and second seed Shepherd will advance to the Super Region 1 semifinal round to face the winner of third seeded Assumption and sixth seeded Slippery Rock. That second round game is scheduled for Saturday, November 26 at a home field determined by the Super Region 1 committee.