NEC Coaches Preseason Football Poll: Duquesne At No. 2 And RMU At No. 3

You can change people’s outlook of your program after 10 wins and a FCS playoff appearance. On Monday, the Sacred Heart Pioneers received six out of seven first-place votes to be the preseason favorite to win the 2014 Northeast Conference (NEC) title.

It should be noted that the seventh slot in the preseason poll has produced the last two NEC champions. The Wagner College Seahawks started the trend back in 2012 and Sacred Heart followed it up last fall.

Also, in the four years during which the NEC has had an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs, the preseason favorite has not once captured the postseason bid. Besides Sacred Heart in 2013 and Wagner in 2012, Albany won the title in 2011 and Robert Morris in 2010.

Duquesne, which shared the league crown with the Pioneers last season but lost the head-to-head matchup, claimed second place in this year’s poll. The Dukes claimed the other first-place vote.

The RMU Colonials are in third place, followed by the the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils, the Wagner Seahawks, the Bryant University Bulldogs, and the Saint Francis University Red Flash.

Five Dukes were named to the NEC preseason team: sophomore placekicker Austin Crimmins from Ebensburg, Pa.; junior offensive lineman Dan Buchholz from Malvern, Pa.; junior defensive lineman Zach Zidian from Boardman, Ohio; sophomore linebacker Aaron Reed from McKees Rocks, Pa.; and senior defensive back Rich Piekarski from Hudson, Ohio.

Duquesne head coach Jerry Schmitt is in his 10th year and returns 16 position starters: seven on offense and nine on defense this fall.

For the Colonials, they captured four spots on the preseason squad, starting with senior cornerback and return specialist Antwan Eddie from Homestead, Fla., who earned two spots.

Joining Eddie was senior defensive lineman Forrest Mason from Union Bridge, Md.; and senior wide receiver Duane Mitchell from Monroe Falls, Ohio.

RMU first-year head coach John Banaszak has 10 starters returning and 20 letterwinners from last year’s squad. Banaszak is just the second coach in the program’s 21-year history.

All seven NEC teams will be in action during Week 1 of the 2014 NCAA FCS schedule. The Robert Morris Colonials will kick it off by hosting Eastern Kentucky at Joe Walton Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. The remaining six league members will open on Saturday, Aug. 30.

2013 NEC Football Standings (Including contests through 11/30/2013)

1) Sacred Heart * – 4-2 in NEC / 10-3 overall
1) Duquesne – 4-2 in NEC / 7-4 overall
3) Robert Morris – 3-3 in NEC / 5-6 overall
3) Saint Francis – 3-3 in NEC / 5-6 overall
3) Bryant – 3-3 in NEC / 5-7 overall
6) Central Connecticut – 2-4 in NEC / 4-8 overall
6) Wagner – 2-4 in NEC / 3-8 overall

*Won head-to-head tiebreak for conference title