New Haven vs Marist

Trailing by 11, New Haven's offense finally found its rhythm. Duffy hit Thomas Troy for a 50-yard gain, setting up a 35-yard Quigley field goal at 10:57 to make it 21-13. Then, with 1:32 left in the third quarter, Duffy connected with Nate Burleson II on a 46-yard touchdown pass that sliced the lead to 21-19. The extra point was missed, leaving the Chargers still trailing by two.

New Haven's defense — which held Marist to just 160 total yards all night — forced a three-and-out. Duffy then orchestrated the game-winning drive, converting a key 11-yard pass to Dom Grguric on fourth-down territory and later hitting Burleson for a 32-yard gain to reach the Marist 25-yard line.

After a missed 41-yard field goal attempt, the defense forced a turnover on downs when Israel Bey sacked Mannino, giving the ball back to Duffy at midfield. A 27-yard completion to Glaudin set up Quigley's decisive 19-yard field goal with 4:07 remaining. Marist's final possession ended when Irv Briggs sacked Mannino for an 8-yard loss on fourth down.

AJ Duffy (QB, New Haven): 311 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. Surpassed 2,500 career passing yards during the game. Also added 35 rushing yards. His ability to bounce back from the early pick-six defined the comeback.

Issac Glaudin (WR, New Haven): A season-high seven receptions for 99 yards and the 39-yard touchdown that kept the Chargers within reach before halftime.

Liam Quigley (K, New Haven): Three field goals — 38, 35 and the game-winner from 19 yards — accounting for 10 of New Haven's 22 points.

Nate Burleson II (WR, New Haven): Two catches for 78 yards and a 46-yard touchdown, averaging 39 yards per reception.

Marist defense/special teams: Scored two touchdowns (Caldwell pick-six, Garmont blocked punt recovery) and held New Haven to 3 points through the first 20 minutes. Caldwell's interception return was the first of his career.

The 418–160 total-yardage disparity tells the real story. New Haven owned a 35:48 to 24:12 time-of-possession edge and 19 first downs to Marist's six. Marist's offense generated just 70 passing yards and 90 rushing yards, with Mannino under constant pressure. Yet Marist led for most of the game thanks to two non-offensive touchdowns totalling 25 yards plus a blocked punt. New Haven's 6–69 penalty yardage cost them field position repeatedly, and the missed extra point after the Burleson touchdown meant the Chargers needed a field goal rather than a PAT to take the lead.

New Haven opens its season 1-0 and will host Stonehill College on Saturday, September 5 at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium. The Chargers showed resilience in a game that could easily have slipped away. For Marist (0-1), the defensive and special-teams scoring is a positive sign, but the inability to move the ball on offense — just six first downs all game — is a clear area of concern heading into their next matchup.

A game that was far more one-sided than the score suggests. New Haven dominated yardage and possession but nearly threw it away with special-teams miscues and a pick-six. Duffy's composure and the Chargers' defensive front (two sacks, constant pressure) turned what was shaping up as an upset into a narrow but deserved escape.