When the first few practices were held on the blue and gold turf at DellaCamera Stadium a year ago, quarterback Connor Degenhardt (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) and Khyon Fitzpatrick (Union, N.J./Paramus Catholic) were still adjusting to the new surroundings and getting to know their teammates.

After playing starring roles in the University of New Haven's run to the Northeast-10 championship and a spot in the 2021 Division II playoff field, those uncertain early steps seem like a distant memory.

It's impossible to watch the Chargers practice without seeing how much more at ease Degenhardt and Fitzpatrick look as they prepare for their second season at New Haven.

"I think it has made a world of difference," Degenhardt said. "This year when you watch our film from the first two days of camp this season as compared to last season, it doesn't even look like the same offense. We are really able to hit the ground running, we have all the fundamentals down for the most part, we know each other, we were competing all spring so we are worlds ahead of where we were at this point last season."

Many of the skill positions are manned by the same players for New Haven. Degenhardt is joined by veteran running back Shamar Logan (Brooklyn, N.Y./Erasmus Hall High School) and tight end Kevin Foelsch (Ramsey, N.J./Ramsey). Dev Holmes (Troy, N.Y./Troy) and Paul Cooper (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) lead the list of returning receivers.

"There is nothing like it. We train year-round for opportunities like this," said Degenhardt, who threw for 2,122 yards with 18 touchdowns and just four interceptions to go with 15 touchdown runs. "I think we have 40 guys here this summer who were here at 6 a.m. every day working out, running, lifting weights, the guys just waiting for this opportunity to be out here on the Blue.

"For us older guys, it means a lot. This is my last season of eligibility, so I am just trying to enjoy every single second of this and not take any of it for granted because I love being out here."

The defense will need to replace seven of the top 11 tacklers from a season ago. Fitzpatrick (68 tackles, five interceptions), Devonte Myles (Yonkers, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) and Isaac Etienne (Winterhaven, Fla./Auburndale) all return in the secondary. Some new players will emerge in the front seven with a strong group of transfers expected to make an early impact. A talented freshman class got valuable experience in 2021 and could have larger roles in the upcoming season.

"I'm definitely excited knowing that we have a lot of people coming back trying to prove a point," Fitzpatrick said. "We are trying to prove a point as a team to let everybody know that we are not to be played with. Everybody comes to practice with that same mentality."

That mentality was evident during the summer when 30-40 players worked out together.

"It feels like we've been preparing for the whole year just to get to this point and finally getting back to playing football," New Haven coach Chris Pincince said. "So much else goes into college athletics and building a roster, getting them here so I guess when you finally get 140 guys back on campus, it is good to get to work."

With so many players on the roster, there are two practice sessions each day so the staff can evaluate players.

"There are split practices for the first six days and all we are doing is evaluating the individuals, putting them out there and see who can do different things for us," Pincince said. "It will take 18 practices before we finalize which 70-75 guys are still going to travel with us during that first weekend."

When the team met for preseason camp in 2021, the focus was on leading the Chargers to the conference title. While that is still a goal in 2022, the expectations are a little higher.

After beating conference rival Bentley in the NCAA opener, New Haven lost at Kutztown 10-7. The memories of that loss have not subsided.

"It can't happen again and it won't happen again," Fitzpatrick said.

"I feel like everybody comes to practice with the same mentality.

"That is definitely a bad taste in our mouth and we definitely don't want that taste again. We are trying to taste a victory, we want a national championship and that is what everybody says every day, when we break it down, we say 'Natty, boys.'"

Degenhardt said that during the early morning runs, if any of the players who stuck around lacked motivation, all it took was a reminder of how the 2021 season ended to fix that issue.

So what did Degenhardt and his teammates learn from the season-ending loss?

"We learned that we have a long way to go," Degenhardt said. "We have to be more physical, we have to be better as an offense, we have to be able to put up more points, we have to be more efficient. That is something that you think about every day during those 6 a.m. runs when you don't want to push anymore, you don't want to run that last sprint, you just think of that feeling walking off that field at Kutztown knowing that we could have won that game and could have still been playing that next week. It was definitely a great motivating factor for the offseason."

If the Kutztown game was still on their mind, so is a rematch against Bowie State in the Sept. 3 season opener. Bowie State came to New Haven and rolled to a 27-13 win. Having a game at Bowie State kicking off this season certainly helps in the motivation department. There will be little time admiring the accomplishments during a 10-win season in 2021.

"We had a special team with great players and we really came together and did a great job in league play," Degenhardt said. "Looking back on it, we are all proud of what we did, but we understand that this is a new group and a very talented group. We have to reset, refocus and we have bigger goals this season. We are really looking at seriously competing for a national championship, making a run and being on that national stage."