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NEC Offensive Player of the Week: Brett Griffis, Central Connecticut
NEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week: Jacob Staton, Central Connecticut
NEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week: Rafael Fasolino, LIU
NEC Special Teams Player of the Week: Will Johnson, LIU
NEC Rookie of the Week: Davon Smith, Jr., Central Connecticut
Previous NEC Releases: September 14 |
September 7 |
August 31 |
Preseason Poll Release |
Streaming/TV Package Release
NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brett Griffis, Central Connecticut
Quarterback, Fifth Year, 6-0, 195 lbs., Ashburn, VA/Broad Run (James Madison)
Week 3 Stats: 18-30 completions, 228 passing yards, 2 touchdown passes, 0 interceptions, 43 rushing yards, 15 carries, 1 rushing TD
Griffis was sensational for Central Connecticut, which took No. 1 Montana State to the wire but came up short, 35-30, in Bozeman on Saturday. Throwing for a season-best 228 yards, the Ashburn, VA native and James Madison transfer accounted for three Blue Devils’ touchdowns — two through the air and one on the ground — in the slugfest with the FCS’ top-ranked team. After a scoreless first quarter, Griffis broke the stalemate and put Central Connecticut in front with a two-yard run at the 12:48 mark of the second stanza. After the Cougars tied up the game before halftime, Griffis made it a 14-7 Blue Devils’ advantage with a 42-yard heave to senior wideout Eli Daniels with 12:46 to go in the third. His final scoring strike, a 15-yard throw to sophomore Damani Williams, pulled the Blue Devils within five inside the final minute of play. Central Connecticut’s first NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Offensive Player of the Week honoree added 43 rushing yards.
NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Jacob Staton, Central Connecticut
Linebacker, Junior, 6-1, 230 lbs., Hamden, CT/Loomis Chaffee
Week 3 Stats: 8 tackles (6 solo), 1 interception, 1 pass breakup
Staton was a menace at top-ranked Montana State on Saturday. The local product from Hamden, CT recorded eight tackles, including six solo stops, for Central Connecticut, which gave the Cougars a run for their money but came up short in a 35-30 slugfest. In addition to his season-best tackle total, Staton intercepted a pass in the end zone to preserve the Blue Devils’ 21-14 advantage in the third quarter. He is the first Blue Devil this season to take home NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Defensive Player of the Week distinction.
Rafael Fasolino, LIU
Linebacker, Redshirt Senior, 6-1, 205 lbs., Montrose, NY/Archbishop Stepniac
Week 3 Stats: 10 tackles (7 solo), 3.5 tackles-for-loss (9 yards), 1.0 sack (2 yards), 1 forced fumble
Fasolino was the anchor of an LIU defensive performance that limited the 22nd-ranked team in the nation to two touchdowns on Saturday. The redshirt senior running back recorded a season-high 10 tackles, including seven solo stops, for his second multi-tackle game of the season against Villanova. In addition, Fasolino contributed 3.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sack and a forced fumble in a back-and-forth battle that saw the Wildcats squeak out a 20-16 win in Brookville behind a late touchdown with 68 seconds left to play. Pushing Villanova back a total of 11 yards, his forced fumble at the Sharks’ two-yard line was good for an LIU touchback. He currently leads the NEC in tackles (35), tackles per game (8.8), solo tackles (27), tackles-for-loss per game (1.63) and tackles-for-loss (6.5). This is Fasolino’s second career NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Defensive Player of the Week award.
NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Will Johnson, LIU
Kicker/Punter, Senior, 6-3, 200 lbs., Collingswood, NJ/Paul VI (Rhode Island)
Week 3 Stats: 3-3 FG (34, 28, 29 yards), 1-1 PAT, 5 kickoffs, 224 kickoff yards, 44.8 yards per kickoff
Johnson turned in a perfect performance in LIU’s battle with the 22nd-ranked team in the nation on Saturday after he converted on each of his three field goal attempts and his lone PAT attempt. The senior kicker/punter put the Sharks in front of Villanova on two occasions, breaking open a scoreless deadlock with a 24-yard field goal with 2:36 left in the second quarter before giving his team a late 16-13 advantage with a 29-yarder with 2:44 remaining in the game. Despite the late lead, LIU’s hopes of pulling off the upset were diminished by a Wildcats’ touchdown throw with just 68 seconds left in the game. In addition, Johnson handled LIU’s kickoff duties, totaling 224 kickoff yards on five kickoffs. The Garden State product has converted on 5-of-6 field goal attempts this season to rank second on the circuit with an 83.3 field goal percentage. He is the second Shark in as many weeks to garner NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Special Teams Player of the Week distinction, following in the footsteps of sophomore punter Callum Brent.
NEC/ATLANTIC TOMORROW'S OFFICE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Davon Smith, Jr., Central Connecticut
Running Back, Sophomore, 6-0, 190 lbs., Baltimore, MD/Mervo
Week 3 Stats: 92 rushing yards, 19 carries, 4 receiving yards, 1 reception
Smith became the first player this season to repeat as NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Rookie of the Week, as the sophomore running back claimed the first honor of 2026 on Aug. 31 following a 105-kickoff yard performance against then-ranked No. 12 South Dakota. Smith came just shy of the century mark in rushing yards against a stiff competitor in Montana State, which entered the contest as the No. 1 team in the nation. The Baltimore native racked up 92 rushing yards on 19 carries for 4.9 yards per carry in the Blue Devils’ hard-fought 35-30 defeat in Bozeman. With 149 yards on the ground on 34 carries, Smith enters the week ranked second in the NEC with 49.7 rushing yards per game. The Blue Devils have had a stranglehold on the NEC Rookie of the Week award this season, claiming the honor three times in four weeks.
#NECFB PRIME PERFORMERS (Week Three)
Brett Griffis, CCSU (QB, 5th-Yr)
Griffis was stellar for Central Connecticut, which gave No. 1 Montana State a run for its money before coming up short, 35-30, on Saturday. Throwing for 228 yards, the fifth-year quarterback accounted for three touchdowns — two through the air and one on the ground — as the Blue Devils built a 14-point third quarter lead. Griffis was also pegged the NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Offensive Player of the Week.
Navon Mitchell, CCSU (DB, 5th-Yr)
Mitchell gave Central Connecticut a 21-7 lead against the top-ranked team in the nation on Saturday with a 42-yard scoop and score. The fifth-year defensive back added three tackles in the hard-fought, 35-30 setback at Montana State.
Jacob Staton, CCSU (LB, Jr)
Staton helped Central Connecticut take No. 1 Montana State down to the wire on Saturday after he registered eight tackles, including six solo stops. The junior linebacker added a pass breakup and an interception in the end zone that allowed the Blue Devils to maintain their 21-14 lead in the third quarter. Staton was also named the NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
Jayden Earley, CSU (S, R-Jr)
Earley had nine tackles, including four solo stops, in Chicago State’s game at Butler on Saturday. The redshirt junior safety added 2.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sack and one pass breakup.
Chris Edmonds, CSU (RB, Jr)
Edmonds racked up 162 all-purpose yards at Butler on Saturday after he caught three balls for 74 yards while adding 88 rushing yards on nine carries. Putting the Cougars on the scoreboard in the opening stanza with a 74-yard touchdown run, the longest in the NEC this season, the junior running back also set the league standard for the longest touchdown catch this season when he hauled in a 77-yard pass from freshman quarterback Ashton Pannell.
Rafael Fasolino, LIU (LB, R-Sr)
Fasolino was a menace in LIU’s 20-16 setback to No. 22 Villanova on Saturday. Leading the Sharks in tackles for the third time in four games after recording a season-best 10, the redshirt senior linebacker pushed the Wildcats back nine yards with a tackle-for-loss. Fasolino was also named the NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
Ethan Greenwood, LIU (QB, Gr)
Greenwood eclipsed the century mark in both passing yards and rushing yards for the fourth time in his career when he threw for 113 yards and ran for 142 in LIU’s hard-fought defeat to No. 22 Villanova on Saturday. Registering the fourth-most rushing yards by an FCS quarterback in a game this season, the graduate quarterback is sixth in the NEC with 46.7 rushing yards per game.
Braylon Vincent, LIU (DB, R-So)
Vincent contributed a career-high seven tackles to an LIU defense that limited No. 22 Villanova to two touchdowns in a 20-16 setback on Saturday. The redshirt sophomore defensive back tied up the contest at 13-13 with 9:51 left to play after he returned his first career interception 50 yards for a touchdown.
Dylan Evans, MU (WR, Sr)
Evans caught for two touchdowns on Saturday after he hauled in a 64-yard pass in the first quarter and an eight-yarder in the third. The senior led all receivers with a season-best 105 yards in Mercyhurst’s 49-20 win over Glenville State.
Teddy McDuffie Jr., MU (LB, Jr)
McDuffie had himself a day in Mercyhurst’s 49-20 defeat of Glenville State after he registered five tackles, including 2.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sack. Pushing the Pioneers back a total of 19 yards, including 13 on his lone sack of the day, the junior linebacker added two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery to his résumé.
Frederick Borkey, NHVN (LB, Jr)
Borkey led all NEC players this past week with 12 tackles on Saturday after he registered seven solo stops and five assisted stops against Brown. In addition to recording a career-best effort in the category, the junior linebacker contributed a fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry.
Shamar Williams, WAG (DB, Sr)
Williams tied a career high effort in tackles on Saturday when he registered four solo and six assisted stops at Cal on Saturday. The senior defensive back added a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for the Seahawks.
#NECFB SLATE ROUTES (AROUND THE LEAGUE IN 9 SENTENCES):
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: Just five points separated Central Connecticut from No. 1 Montana State, marking the Cougars’ slimmest margin of victory against a non-conference regular season opponent in Bozeman since defeating Western Illinois, 26-24, on Aug. 30, 2018.
CHICAGO STATE: Freshman quarterback Ashton Pannell has thrown for multiple touchdowns in three of four games, including a pair of three-score efforts.
DUQUESNE: Opening the season at Air Force, Youngstown State and Washington State, Duquesne returns to action on Saturday for the Dukes’ home opener against Rio Grande (Ohio).
LIU: LIU grad student Ethan Greenwood became the third different FCS quarterback to throw for 100-or-more yards and run for 140-or-more yards in the same game vs. Villanova on Saturday.
MERCYHURST: Forcing three turnovers on downs and four three-and-outs, Mercyhurst’s defense also registered a pair of forced fumbles and three picks in Saturday’s win vs. Glenville State.
NEW HAVEN: Grad student Zaon Laney tops the NEC charts with 250 rushing yards and 62.5 rushing yards per game, while his 62 carries are 17 more than the next closest competitor in the league.
ROBERT MORRIS: More than doubling the total of the NEC’s next closest competitor in sacks (LIU - 1.75), Robert Morris is averaging a league-leading 3.67 sacks per game to rank fourth in the FCS in the category.
STONEHILL: Stonehill took on an FBS squad for the first time since making the transition to Division I when the Skyhawks visited Commonwealth State foe UMass on Saturday.
WAGNER: Wagner sophomore Shamar Williams is just one of nine FCS players this season to have multiple fumble recoveries to his name.
#NECFB EXTRA POINTS: