LORETTO, Pa. (AP) Kimal Clark scooped up a fumble and returned it 18 yards with 1:45 remaining to lift Central Connecticut to a 27-20 win over St. Francis (Pa.) in the Northeast Conference opener for both teams on Saturday.

In a game of big plays, Clark turned in the final one after Adrian Mejia stripped the ball from DeMarcus McElroy.

The Red Flash (1-2, 0-1), which scored its first victory over an FBS last week against Kent State, tied the game at 20 after Fran Brown Jr. recovered a fumble in the end zone when Central Connecticut botched a handoff late in the third quarter.

The Blue Devils (2-1, 1-0) took a 20-14 lead with 25 seconds left in the first half on Brady Olson's 11-yard touchdown toss to Michael Plaskon.

After two Jack Barnum field goals gave CCSU the early lead, DaMario Crawford returned a kickoff 94 yards for St. Francis in the first quarter.

Olson ran 7 yards for a 13-7 CCSU lead in the second quarter. St. Francis went back on top on McElroy's 97-yard run, the longest rushing play for the program since 2021.

The game also featured Aidan Clark's CCSU-record 84-yard punt when the Red Flash's Aaron Tutino picked it up on the 1 and was tackled at the 3.

Olson was 21-of-42 passing for 163 yards. Elijah Howard rushed 23 times for 102 yards.

McElroy rushed for 124 yards on nine carries.

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