#6 – FB: Central
Connecticut State at Robert Morris (RMU 37-31) – 10/20/12
The 2012 Northeast Conference football season turned out to be one of the more amazing seasons in recent memory. There were many football games in contention for the Top 12 NEC Games of 2012 list, including several just by the Robert Morris contingent alone. The Colonials had eight games decided by seven points or less, going 4-4 in such contests. Robert Morris entered this particular game at 0-3 in conference play, after a loss at Bryant the previous week. The Bulldog loss was another thriller of a game that made our “Best of the Rest” list. On the other side, Central Connecticut started the season at 0-5 overall, dropping their first two conference contests against Wagner and Sacred Heart along the way. However, the Blue Devils would come in on a positive note, picking up their first win in their Homecoming game the previous week, 38-31. Central would pick up a season high 495 yards in the victory. Despite the win, the Central defense allowed 31 points or more for the sixth straight game to start the 2012 season.
The October 20th Central Connecticut State/Robert
Morris game was an exciting mid-season college football game that both teams
needed to have and couldn’t afford not to get. To their credit, as you’ll see
in the highlights and read in this recap, both teams played exactly like that,
leaving it all on the field. This highly competitive and highly entertaining
football game falls at the halfway point, #6 on our Top 12 NEC Games of 2012
list.
Both teams came out swinging, trading scores in the first
half. After Robert Morris struck first on a one yard touchdown run by Ryan
Thermil in the first quarter, Central answered with a 3 yard touchdown run by Darius
Lee, set up by a Rob Hollomon 73 yard run on the previous play. Then, after Robert
Morris regained the lead on another Thermil one yard TD run, Central took over
at their own nine yard line, ultimately cashing in on a 75 yard touchdown pass
by quarterback Andrew Clements to Matthew Tyrell to knot things up at 14 just a few plays later.
Out of the halftime break, Robert Morris possessed the ball
for the first 4:55, the longest drive for either team all day, going 11 plays and
44 yards to get a 38 yard field goal from Greg Langer. With 3:14 remaining in
the third quarter, the Colonials took over at their own 43. On the very first play,
Colonials quarterback Jeff Sinclair found Donte Jeter for a 57 yard TD. Even
though the extra point was blocked, Robert Morris still managed to extend their
advantage to 23-14. On the ensuing kickoff, Rob Hollomon took charge and took it
to the house, going 96 yards to the end zone, to get Central within 23-21.
On the following possession, RMU saw a punt attempt blocked,
allowing the Blue Devils to take over in prime real estate, at the Robert Morris
25 yard line. Five plays later, Clements completed a six yard touchdown pass to
Anthony Julbes to give CCSU their first lead of the afternoon, 28-23, with 13:34
remaining in regulation. After a Robert Morris three and out, the Blue Devils
got the ball back and drove for a Juan Duque 24 yard field goal to extend the
Central edge, 31-23, with 10:19 to play.
The next chance Robert Morris had with the football,
Sinclair made his first major mistake, heaving the ball downfield, only to get
intercepted. Fortunately, the Tyrell Holmes pick happened downfield, giving the ball to
Central, but deep in their own territory. The Blue Devils weren’t able
to make anything out of the turnover, and after a three and out, punted the football away.
Robert Morris took over at their own 47, and on the first play received a
huge boost with a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty tacked on to a
Sinclair 6 yard run. After a Central offsides penalty brought Bobby Mo five
yards closer, Sinclair found Jeter for the second time on the day, this time
from 27 yards out, for the touchdown. With 5:41 remaining, and facing a 31-29
deficit, the Colonials had no choice but to go for two. Sinclair found Deonte
Howard for the successful conversion to draw even once again. Sinclair was hit
as he threw, but his short throw was easily caught by a wide open Howard in the
end zone.
On the next Central possession, Andrew Clements made a
costly mistake on 3rd and 22, throwing an interception to Marcelis
Branch at the Blue Devil 38. Taking over on the short field with under five
minutes to play, the Colonials kept the ball on the ground for six straight
rushing plays, with the sixth being a 2 yard Howard score to put the Colonials
in the driver’s seat 37-31. The extra point was blocked, meaning that now
Robert Morris would need to turn to their defense to keep Central out of the
end zone for the final 1:44, as a TD and an extra point would now be enough for
a CCSU win.
The Blue Devils started at their own 28 yard line with all
three timeouts at their disposal and conducted an epic drive of 12 plays, and
59 yards to get to first and ten from the RMU 13 yard line in the final
seconds. After a rushing loss of a yard on first down resulted in Central
calling their final timeout with nine seconds showing on the clock, the Blue
Devils would have 3 downs to get the ball in the end zone from the RMU 14. The
first try was a Clements incompletion to Denzell Jones, the second an
incompletion to Hollomon, setting up one final play – fourth and 11 from the
14. Clements fired toward Denzell Jones at the far side pylon. Jones appeared
to reel in the ball, but turned away from all camera angles as he fell to the
ground, allowing the fans at home to not get a clear look at the play deciding
the entire game. Fortunately, there was an official right there at the goal
line to make the call. The official called incomplete pass at the goal line,
ending this gridiron thriller 37-31 in favor of Robert Morris.
The two teams combined for 851 yards and 68 points. Colonials
senior signal caller Jeff Sinclair conducted his fifth career fourth quarter or
overtime game winning drive, which tied the program record. Sinclair passed for
214 yards and two touchdowns. Both were scored by receiver Donte Jeter, who
also caught 103 yards on the afternoon. For Central, it was a career day for
Rob Hollomon, who ran for 208 yards, scored on a 96 yard kick return touchdown,
and finished with 377 all-purpose yards. Box Score
NEC Front Row Highlights
Robert Morris Game Recap
CCSU Game Recap
Previous Top 12 NEC Games of 2012:
#7 – MLAX: Mount St. Mary’s vs. Robert Morris (MSM 16-15,
OT) – 5/4/12
#8 – SWIM: Day Four of the NEC Swimming Championships (SFU
748-747) – 2/25/12
#9 – BASE: Wagner at Fairleigh Dickinson (FDU 4-3, 12
innings) – 4/7/12
#10 - WSOC: LIU-Brooklyn vs. St. Francis, 2012 NEC Women’s
Soccer Final (LIU 1-0) – 11/4/12
#11 – WVB: Robert Morris at Sacred Heart (SHU 3-2) –
10/13/12
#12 (tie) – WBB: Central Connecticut State at St. Francis
(SFU 86-83, 2OT) – 2/20/12
#12 (tie) – WBB: LIU-Brooklyn at Monmouth (MU 55-54) –
2/25/12
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