FCS 2019 PREVIEW: Central Connecticut Football Should Remain In NEC Title Contention

HERO Sports welcomes you to "Three-a-Days", where we will preview every single one of the 126 FCS programs, with three teams being released each day from June 17 to July 28. Then, we'll preview all 13 conferences from August 1-4. Today, we present … Central Connecticut.

We'll leave no stone left unturned when it comes to giving the FCS diehards all they could ask for this offseason. Learn about every program in the country, with HERO Sports.

[divider]MORE FCS FOOTBALL:

[divider]

Central Connecticut (6-5 IN 2018)

Northeast Conference (CCSU finished 3rd in 2018)

COACH: Ryan McCarthy At School: 1st Year Overall: 1st Year
LAST FCS POSTSEASON: 2017 (1st Round)
2018 OFFENSE: 33.8 ppg. (20th in FCS)
2018 DEFENSE: 25.5 ppg. (41st in FCS)
KEY GAME: Nov. 23 @ Duquesne: A day before the FCS playoff committee announces the 24-team bracket, this NEC matchup could be a huge one. Duquesne won the conference and the auto-bid in 2018. The Dukes look to be preseason favorites. If CCSU is where it wants to be on Nov. 23, this game could decide the conference championship. The Blue Devils lost this game 38-31 in the 2018 regular-season finale.

SUM IT UP: A year after reaching the playoffs, the Blue Devils fell short and went 4-2 in NEC play. The last game was a heartbreaker, losing by a touchdown to Duquesne, who finished 5-1 in the conference and earned the auto-bid en route to a playoff win against Towson. CCSU was right there on the postseason edge and no doubt is hungry to get back under first-year head coach Ryan McCarthy. Former HC Pete Rossomando resigned this January to become the OL coach at Rutgers. McCarthy, CCSU's offensive coordinator, was quickly named the interim head coach for this season.

The first thing McCarthy has had to address this offseason is the passing game to remain a well-balanced team. Quarterback Jacob Dolegala is getting a shot in the NFL as an undrafted free agent for Cincinnati. His top three pass catchers from 2018 are also gone. However, the running game, which averaged 223.6 yards a game last year to rank 21st in the FCS, is going to be special. Top rusher Aaron Dawson returns after running for 896 yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore. Plus, the offensive line unit is looking mighty strong. Three All-NEC o-linemen are back: J'Von Brown, Connor Mignone and Cole Phelps. Brown is a HERO Sports Preseason Second Team All-American.

Defensively, there is a good chunk of productivity that CCSU needs to replace, but the level of talent the Blue Devils do bring back is impressive. Only four of the top 11 tacklers from last year return. The top two tacklers, DJ Exilhomme and Tre Jones, are still around, though, and Tajik Bagley is as good as it gets in the secondary

OUR TAKE: The Blue Devils look strong to keep their record above .500 again. But it's where they finish in the NEC standings that is most important. Their two conference losses last year were painfully close: 28-25 to Sacred Heart and 38-31 to Duquesne. Those two squads were right ahead of CCSU with 5-1 NEC records. The Blue Devils have to go on the road to face them both in 2019. Losing an NFL quarterback and some playmakers on offense isn't easy to overcome. But this program has gained a lot of national respect with how it has turned things around these last couple of years, and we expect CCSU to once again be in contention for a conference title.

[divider]SUBSCRIBE: HERO Sports FCS Podcast
COUNTDOWN: The Best Player in FCS Who Wears Each Number, 1-99

[divider]

TOP RETURNEE: OL J’Von Brown (HERO Sports Preseason Second Team All-American)
THE FOUNDATION: OL Connor Mignone (All-NEC First Team); DB Tajik Bagley (All-NEC First Team, 50 tackles, 1 INT, 9 PBUs); DB DJ Exilhomme (All-NEC First Team, Leading tackler with 74); LB Tre Jones (63 tackles, 4.5 sacks); RB Aaron Dawson (All-NEC Second Team, 896 yards rushing, 13 TDs); TE Arthur Gilmore Jr. (All-NEC Second Team, 16 catches for 223 yards and 4 TDs); OL Cole Phelps (All-NEC Second Team);
THE QUOTE: “There’s no question we wanted Ryan to be the guy. He has the respect of the coaching staff and the players. That’s why you have a plan in place in these situations because when you’re a successful program, other schools are going to want your coaches.” — CCSU athletic director Brian Barrio told the New Britain Herald

First day in pads means we start practice with some pop #ForksUp #RollDevils pic.twitter.com/EprTYznWow

— CCSU FOOTBALL (@CCSUfootball) March 29, 2019