CCSU 2007 Schedule Highlighted by Trip to I-A Western Michigan

[aceinthehole]

Blue Devils will play six home games and five on the road in 2007

March 29, 2007

New Britain, CT - Second year head coach Jeff McInerney and the Central Connecticut football team released its 2007 schedule today. The Blue Devils will play six home games and five games on the road, returning to an 11-game schedule for the third straight season. Highlighting the 2007 schedule is the first-ever game versus a Division I-A opponent for Central Connecticut. CCSU will travel to Kalamazoo, Michigan to play Western Michigan University, a member of the Mid-American Conference, on Saturday, September 22 at 7 p.m. The game will mark the first-ever game for an NEC team versus a Division I-A opponent. The Blue Devils, who finished last season 8-3 overall, open the season on Thursday night, August 30 on the road at Towson University at 7 p.m.

http://ccsubluedevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/032907aaa.html

08/30/07 at Towson
09/08/07 vs. Merrimack
09/15/07 vs. Southern Connecticut St.
09/22/07 at Western Michigan
10/06/07 at Saint Francis (PA)*
10/13/07 vs. Robert Morris
10/20/07 at Wagner*
10/27/07 vs. Monmouth*
11/03/07 vs. Sacred Heart*
11/10/07 at Stony Brook
11/17/07 vs. Albany*

*NEC games

[TexasTerror]

Still shocked by the Western Michigan game...

Apparently, they were in such a big jam as it related to scheduling if they had to bring in a team that does not count towards their bowl eligibility. Hawaii is is a pickle and would probably be willing to help WMU out... :)

[UNHWildCats]

can someone sit down with Abany and CCSU and figur out when there game is cause the teams websites contradict the others. ALbany says Sept 29 CCSU says Nov 17

[danefan]

Haha. Awesome. I have to imagine the NEC schedule might have changed since CCSU added Western Michigan. Central is probably pushing for a bye week to recoup after that sure to be debacle.

I will say this, Coach Ford does not like bye weeks, but if any week works for both squads its that week. Albany coming home from Montana and CCSU from Western Michigan.

[aceinthehole]

Haha. Awesome. I have to imagine the NEC schedule might have changed since CCSU added Western Michigan. Central is probably pushing for a bye week to recoup after that sure to be debacle.

I will say this, Coach Ford does not like bye weeks, but if any week works for both squads its that week. Albany coming home from Montana and CCSU from Western Michigan.

Dane, I wouldn't be sure its going to be a debacle. The same thing was said about us vs. GSU, or you guys vs. Delaware. IMO the game is no more difficult that traveling to Montana to face the Griz. The FBS subclassification is "sexy," but with a new coaching staff in Kalamazoo, anything is possible. I'm not saying we are going to win, but I don't think we are heading out there with the intent of collecting a check and getting embarassed.

I also might guess the NEC chose to move the CCSU/UA game to the end of the season becasue it could be for the conference championship. It adds some excitment and suspense to the conference schedule. Who knows maybe both teams are ranked by then and its a battle for an at-large spot. :)

[appfan2008]

pretty nice looking schedule

[Seawolf97]

xthumbsupx Good looking schedule! Good luck with Western Michigan! See you on November 10th

[RabidRabbit]

Nice Step-up CCSU! good luck with the tougher schedule. xnodx xnodx

[aust42]

Good luck. All of FCS brethren will be routing for Central CT to upset W. Michigan!

[aceinthehole]

Some notes on the schedule from the New Britain Hearld:

"We were able to do it with the help of (Senior Associate Athletic Director) Mike Ansarra, he called around to get a 1-A game," CCSU coach Jeff McInerney said. "One of the thing that hurts us is that we're not fully funded so that they can't count it as a win."

Central had trouble scheduling some Division 1-AA opponents from bigger conferences, some of whom may have been worried about the high risk/low reward that comes with playing a rising program like Central.

The Blue Devils are hoping to continue their relationship with the MAC conference, and would like to schedule another game with someone in the 2008 season.

CCSU hosts Albany on November 20, in a game that moved from earlier in the season so that CCSU could have a week off after playing its first Division I game.

For now Central will focus on the Great Danes and the rest of the NEC field, but for the long term, the Blue Devils are thinking big.

"We'd love to play UConn, but I don't think they're interested because of the situation where it doesn't help us," McInerney said. "In football if you're going to make money you have to play games. That's how you'll support the wagon, you have to play up."

The Blue Devils are hoping that games like the Western Michigan tilt become a financial windfall for the program, but they also want to get some victories that will raise the team's prestige level.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18147621&BRD=1641&PAG=461&dept_id=17739&rfi=6
------

And more details from the Hartford Courant:

The guarantee for traveling to Kalamazoo, Mich., is expected to be about $225,000. Last season Central got about $70,000 when it played, and won 17-13, at Division I-AA Georgia Southern. A similar payday is expected from Central's season opener Aug. 30 at I-AA Towson, which was 7-4 last season.

"It's part of building our program," said McInerney, whose team went 8-3 in his rookie season at Central. "Our plan over the next five years is to play one game against a I-A team and one against a I-AA playoff-caliber team every year."

Central will be the first Northeast Conference team to play a I-A opponent. Western Michigan (8-5) lost 27-24 to Cincinnati in the International Bowl on Jan. 6.

http://www.courant.com/sports/hc-centralfoot330.artmar30,0,6480196.story?coll=hc-headlines-sports

[UAalum72]

Some notes on the schedule from the New Britain Hearld:
CCSU hosts Albany on November 20, in a game that moved from earlier in the season so that CCSU could have a week off after playing its first Division I game. ????
That's a Tuesday. should it be the 17th?

And let's correct that 'Divsion I' nomenclature!

[aceinthehole]

????
That's a Tuesday. should it be the 17th?

And let's correct that 'Divsion I' nomenclature!

He does have the date wrong. The CCSU/UA game is scheduled for Sat., Nov. 17th.

He is a very good reporter, but he must have missed the "-A" I'm sure a friendly reminder would fix that.

Both look like typos to me. :)
---

I do think its interesting that both the WMU and CCSU release, the Courant, and the Hearld are still using the old designations. Personally, I don't have a problem using I-A and I-AA, becasue I think few casual fans understand the new nomenclature. It seems many newspapaers and athletic departments have yet to buy into the FBS and FCS desiginations.

[andy7171]

I'll be rooting for you as soon as September comes!

[aceinthehole]

Also, from the Hartford Courant:

Hairston Impressive

Running back Justise Hairston had his pro day and didn't disappoint the eight NFL teams on hand.

Hairston, 6 feet, 222 pounds, had the highest vertical jump (39 inches) to date for a running back. He also had top-five efforts in the broad jump (10 feet, 4 inches); the short shuttle (4.11 seconds); and the three-cone drill (6.91). Hairston ran two 40-yard dashes in 4.53 and 4.58 seconds.

"I was happy with the numbers, but you can always do better," Hairston said.

Hairston, a first-team Division I-AA All-American, could be a late-round pick in next month's NFL draft. He would be the first Central player ever selected.

The Jaguars, Bengals, Eagles, Packers, Patriots, 49ers, Browns and Falcons were at Central. Giants running backs coach Jerald Ingram has visited Hairston at Central.