The Northeast Conference released its slate of matchups to be featured on ESPN3. Saint Francis’ games against in-state rivals Robert Morris and Duquesne will be featured on the network.
The Red Flash will travel to meet the Colonials on October 8 at Joe Walton Stadium. The matchup will kickoff at 3 p.m. SFU defeated Robert Morris, 21-0, for its fourth straight win in the rivalry.
Saint Francis will meet Duquesne on Friday, October 21 at 7 p.m. on Homecoming weekend. It will be the Red Flash’s first home night game since September 24, 2011 when they played the Dukes, also at 7 p.m. This year’s game will be a rematch of what served as the NEC Championship game last season, in which the Red Flash fell 30-20.
The Red Flash’s other three home games, against Malone (October 1, 1 p.m.), Bryant (October 15, Noon) and Central Connecticut State (November 12, 2016), will appear on NEC Front Row.
All 11 games last season were broadcasted, with six games on NEC Front Row, three on ESPN3, one on CAASports.TV and one on the SoCon Digital Network.
The Red Flash, led by Head Coach Chris Villarrial, went 7-4 last season for its first winning record since 1992. SFU finished with a 4-2 mark in the Northeast Conference and won all five home games. Villarrial was selected as NEC Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the STATS FCS National Coach of the Year award.
Saint Francis returns 17 starters from last season, including All-Americans Lance Geesey (Harrisburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and Lorenzo Jerome (Sunrise, Fla./J.P. Taravella), as well as All-NEC selections Christian Eubanks (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg), Samuel Freireich (Austin, Texas/Westlake), Jimmy Marks (Middletown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) and Wesley Nagaseu (Waipahu, Hawaii/Waipahu).