Football Hosts Southern Connecticut on Saturday 1 PM

 

WORCESTER, MASS. - Assumption looks to win its fifth straight contest when the Hounds host Southern Connecticut State on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Multi-Sport Stadium. Saturday will also be Military Appreciation Day, and all past or present members of the military will receive free admission to the contest. For more information about the day, click here.

 

Assumption is 4-1 and coming off a 54-9 victory over AIC on Sept. 29. The Hounds led just 10-3 through the first five minutes of the second quarter, before scoring three touchdowns over the last ten minutes for a 31-9 lead at the half. Assumption added 21 more points in the third and came away with with a safety in the fourth to secure the 54-9 victory. The team finished with 578 yards of offense, with 377 through the air and 201 on the ground. Cody Williams threw for 360 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for a score. The pass defense held AIC to 6-of-24 for 110 yards and no touchdowns. Deonte Harris caught eight passes for 168 yards and two scores. 

 

Assumption has won six straight against Southern Connecticut, though the Owls have made the Hounds work for each victory. Last year they held Assumption to its lowest regular season point total, a 25-8 contest in New Haven. Assumption led just 11-0 at the half and added two touchdowns in the second half to come away with a 25-8 victory. The Hounds had only 12 first downs and 287 yards of offense while Southern racked up 368 yards of offense, including 219 on the ground. Marc Monks threw for 115 yards with two interceptions while Cole Tracy made all three of his field goals.

 

Assumption currently ranks second in the nation, averaging 49.2 points per game. Against AIC they surpassed the 50-point mark for the second time this season in the 54-9 win over AIC. It is the 13th time in the past four seasons the Hounds have gone over 50 points. Overall Assumption has scored at least 20 points in 25 straight games and at least 17 points in 48 consecutive contests. 

 

Assumption fell behind 26-0 in its season-opener against Kutztown, however, since that deficit the Hounds have outscored their opponents 246-58. In four conference games they own a 125-33 edge in the first half of games, for an average lead of 31-8 at the half. Assumption has also scored a point in 19 consecutive quarters.

 

Cody Williams threw for a career-best 360 yards and five touchdowns in Assumption's win over AIC, completing 27 of 34 passes on the day. The 360 yards is the fifth highest single-game total in program history, while the five touchdowns is tied for the second-highest mark. Williams' 27 completions tied the school record, held jointly by Andrew Kupec (2010) and Chad Carges (1999).

Saturday's game against AIC marked the fourth time in five games Cody Williams has rushed and thrown for a touchdown. The senior currently ranks third in the NE10 in passing yards (1119) and second in passing touchdowns with 12, while also ranking second in the NE10 in rushing touchdowns with five, to go along with 172 rushing yards. Williams has had at least one rush of more than ten yards in all five games this year.

 

Junior wide receiver Tighe Beck had a career performance against AIC. The junior caught three passes for 46 yards, with all three going for touchdowns. The three touchdowns tied the school record, most recently matched by Ashton Grant, who did it three times throughout his career. Beck had one reception last year, but has 10 for 104 yards and four touchdowns this season.

 

Assumption ranks third in the NE10, averaging 207 rushing yards per game on the ground. The Hounds' top three running backs, Doug Santos, Kellum and Khaleed Exum-Strong have combined to rush for 770 yards (154/gm) while averaging 5.8 yards per carry as a group.  Assumption leads the NE10 with 18 rushing touchdowns.

 

Senior Tyis Boykin has come on strong his senior season, tying for the team lead in receptions with 22 after totaling 25 through his first three years. Of his 22 catches, 13 have been for a first down and the 14th was his lone touchdown.

 

After not recording a catch in the opening two games, sophomore Kyle Sonnie has at least four receptions in each of the past three games. He has totaled 13 catches for 173 receiving yards and two touchdowns.  

 

Deonte Harris became just the third Assumption receiver to surpass 200 catches this past weekend. He finished with season-highs of eight receptions and 168 yards, giving him 207 catches for 2,594 yards. Harris also currently ranks second in program history with 25 touchdown catches. David Canney '11 owns the school records for receptions (239) while Ashton Grant is first in receiving yards (3,204) and touchdowns (36). 

 

Deonte Harris ranks first among all active Division II players and third among all active NCAA Players with 5,557 all-purpose yards. For his career he has averaged 139 all-purpose yards per game and has scored 41 total touchdowns in his career (25 Rec, 8 PR, 5 KR, 3 Rush). The 41 TD is fourth among all active Division II players.

 

 

Assumption was held without an interception for the second time this season, however, still lead the NE10 with eight INT. Last year the Hounds led the nation with 26 interceptions. Since the beginning of the 2017 season they have recorded interceptions in 14 of 18 games. 

 

Against AIC, Assumption had 23 different players record a tackle, the third time the team has had at least 20 players with a tackle. Through five games Assumption doesn't have anyone ranked in the top-25 of the NE10 in total tackles, though they do have 16 players with at least ten tackles. Bryce Jacob leads the team with 28 tackles while Kaleb Silva has 27 and Joe Kim has 25.

 

Assumption's defense on kick return and punt return this year has been a key reason for their success. On a nation-leading 37 kickoffs, opponents are averaging just 15.8 yards per return, 16th in the nation. No team has posted a kick return longer than 36 yards. 

 

Sophomore Jacob Tondel has been perfect for the Hounds this year, making both his field goal attempts and connecting on all 34 of his extra points. He currently leads the NE10 in scoring with 40 points. Dating back to the start of the 2017 season, Tondel and Cole Tracy kickers have combined to make 101 consecutive extra points. 

 

Last weekend the Assumption punt return defense downed two punts at the one-yard line, one of which eventually led to a safety. On 19 punts this season, the defense has allowed just four to be returned for an average of 7.3 per return with a long of 16 yards.

 

Junior Seamus Wallace has come through with consistent punting for the Hounds this year, averaging 37.2 yards on 19 punts. Of his 19 punts, only four have been returned and two have been fair caught. The 19 punts are also the fewest of any team in the NE10.

 

Sophomore linebacker Antoine Williams has come into his own after not seeing action in any during 2017. Over the past four games he has 21 tackles, including a career-best ten tackles in the win against Pace on 9/21.

 

Sophomore defensive back Jeremiah Edwards has stepped up in his first season as a starter. He currently ranks fifth on the team with 24 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for a loss. Assumption's other starting corner, classmate Carlins Platel has ten tackles, two interceptions and four pass break ups.

 

Jared Vargus' safety in the fourth quarter against AIC was the third time this year Assumption scored on defense or special teams. Last year they led the nation with 14 touchdowns from defense or special teams (6 PR, 4 INT, 3 KR, 1 FUM), recording at least one in 10 of 13 games. 

 

Assumption boasts one current NFL player in New York Giants tight end Scott Simonson. Simonson is in his fifth year as a pro and first with the Giants after being named to the 53-man roster on Sept. 1. Simonson spent his first year with the Oakland Raiders, appearing in five games. He moved on to the Carolina Panthers from 2015-17, where he played in the Super Bowl against Denver.

 

Former Assumption great Cole Tracy made his debut for LSU in September as a graduate student transfer and has been lights out for the Tigers in helping them move from No. 25 to No. 5 this year. He currently ranks third in the FBS with 12 field goals. He has been named the Special Teams Player of the Week twice already this year and has more field goals than any active kicker in college football with 80. His 80 field goals are also good for 11th in NCAA history for any division. During his career at Assumption from 2015-17, Tracy set every school kicking record and ranks second all-time in NCAA DII history with 68 field goals. In 2017 he won the Fred Mitchell Award as the top non-FBS kicker after making 27 of 29 attempts in 2017, along with all 67 extra points.