What a difference a coaching staff can make. Before Jim Fleming took over the Sacred Heart program, the Pioneers had eight consecutive losing seasons. In two seasons under the guidance of Fleming, Sacred Heart is 20-1, and this year the Pioneers won their first Northeast Conference title and will represent the league against MAAC champion Duquesne in the Eastern Athletic Conference College Bowl on Saturday in Pittsburgh.

"I'm extremely happy for the kids," said Fleming after his team beat Monmouth 44-14 for its 10th win of the season. "I'm just so extremely proud of the way that they prepared and the way they executed. Those kids just came on out and man, they played. I'm really happy about that."

Behind an offense that rolled up an astonishing 411.1 yards per game, Sacred Heart scored 30 or more points in all 10 games, establishing one of its many NEC records. The Pioneers, the highest-scoring team in the nation, had at least 40 points seven times.

Senior quarterback Justin Holtfreter threw three touchdown passes to senior wideout DeVeren Johnson as Sacred Heart rolled to the win over Monmouth, which needed to win to stay alive in the hunt for a bowl bid. Sacred Heart led 38-7 at halftime.

Notes, quotes, anecdotes

NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
ALBANY
After opening the season 5-0, marking the school's best start, the Great Danes lost three of their last five to finish 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the NEC. However, it marked the second time in four seasons that the Danes have won at least seven games. A veteran team with 15 seniors, Albany was led by a solid defense that not only forced 22 turnovers but also held opponents to 111.0 yards rushing per game (12th best in Division I-AA) and 19.9 points per game (22nd).

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE
The Blue Devils (2-7, 2-5) took a step back this season after winning four games in 2000. Their average points per game dropped from 17.4 last year to 16.2, and they gained an average of only 266 yards per game. Wide receiver Nick Dresko is one bright spot. Dresko led all NEC freshmen with 37 receptions for 531 yards and five touchdowns.

MONMOUTH
After not winning more than five games in any of the previous three seasons, Monmouth (7-3, 5-2) broke through with the help of an offense led by senior tailback Matt Merklinger, who finished his collegiate career with 2,158 yards, second in school history, and 35 touchdowns.

ROBERT MORRIS
The defending conference champions lost their first three games but won their last six and finished second with a 6-1 NEC record. Robert Morris featured one of the most well-balanced offenses in the conference, let alone Division I-AA, by averaging 411.1 yards per game. Junior tailback Sam Dorsett led the conference with 1,166 yards on 195 carries for an outstanding 6.0 average. Senior LB Reggie Chambers led the conference with 108 tackles.

SACRED HEART
The Pioneers missed winning their first conference title by one game last year, but this season the determined, veteran team left no doubt -- it won them all (10-0, 8-0). The secret to SHU's success is the play of quarterback Justin Holtfreter, who set an NEC passing record with 2,367 yards this season, surpassing Aaron Smith of Wagner, who set the previous mark last year. Sacred Heart's 41.9 points per game is tied with Eastern Washington for the best average in I-AA.

ST. FRANCIS (PA)
One of the most inept teams in the country, St. Francis endured its second straight winless season (0-10, 0-7) and has lost 23 consecutive games. St. Francis allowed more than 38 points per game, and opponents consistently rushed for more than 190 yards versus the Red Flash. The one bright spot was the play of sophomore defensive back Jimmy Landrom, who ranked 12th in the NEC in passes defended.

ST. JOHN'S
The Red Storm (1-9, 1-6) lost their last eight in what was the worst season in the program's 33-year history. The Storm's problems centered mainly around I-AA's weakest offense, which averaged only 202 yards per game and 63.5 yards rushing. It was not unusual for this team to score a late, meaningless touchdown to avert a shutout.

STONY BROOK
After a slow start, which included starting the season later than any other team in the NEC, the Seawolves were able to show some improvement from week to week. Stony Brook (3-6, 3-5) received solid play from junior linebacker Aden Smith, who set a school single-season record with 112 tackles and led the conference with 12.4 stops per game.

WAGNER
Wagner (3-6, 3-5) suffered through its first losing season since 1978 and finished fifth. It fell apart down the stretch, allowing almost 44 points per game in its final three games, and for the season it allowed 276 points compared to 215 last year, when it played two more games.

METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
CANISIUS
At least they won a game, which is more than Golden Griffins (1-9 overall, 1-6 MAAC) can say about last season. The same problems exist, unfortunately, for Canisius. Plagued by a defense that gave up more than 400 yards and 40 points per game, the Griffins placed in the bottom five percent of almost every major defensive category in Division I-AA. Quarterback Frank Fusco was respectable, averaging 164.1 yards of offense per game.

DUQUESNE
The Dukes (8-2, 6-0), who are 61-16 in the past seven seasons, continue to be one of Division I-AA's winningest programs. The reasons are clear
This team is dominant on both sides of the ball, with an offense that averaged 35.5 points per game (12th nationally) and a defense that limited opponents to 15.2 points per game (tied for sixth). Freshman quarterback Neil Loebig, who passed for 2,048 yards, and senior running back Josh Rue, who scored a career-high 15 touchdowns, led the offense. Duquesne (8-2, 6-0) is on its way to play the NEC's Sacred Heart in the Eastern Athletic Conference College Bowl.

FAIRFIELD
The Stags (5-5, 5-2) finished at .500 but were still three wins shy of equaling last year's record. The Stags' main problem was an inconsistent defense. Fairfield allowed 17 points or less in four games, but in five others it gave up an average of 38 points.

LA SALLE
La Salle (5-4, 2-4) was a streaky team that was done in by its offense. At times the offense looked sensational -- La Salle scored 48, 38 and 20 points in three victories. But it also scored seven points in four losses and was shut out twice.

IONA
The Gaels (4-5, 3-3) were a surprisingly good road team this year, winning three of five away from home. That is in stark contrast to last year, when the Gaels lost all five road games on their way to a 4-7 season. Fittingly, Iona capped its season with a 30-16 road victory over St. John's on Nov. 16.

MARIST
The Red Foxes (3-6, 2-4) had their moments this year; they were mostly bad, but some were good. Give Marist some credit. After averaging less than 10 points per game in the first six games, Marist scored 38 and 24 points in consecutive games. While this failed to dramatically improve the Red Foxes' overall standing in Division I-AA, they do have something to build on.

ST. PETER'S
St. Peter's (10-1, 6-1) had the quietest 10-win season of any team in the country. Its one loss, which came against Duquesne on Sept. 8, cost the team a shot at the conference title. But that loss turned around the team's season. St. Peter's won its next nine games and was led by a defense that allowed 42 points.

SIENA
This is just a bad football team. Siena (1-8, 1-6) had the conference's most inept offense, and that is saying a lot because Canisius is also a member. In the final weeks of the season Siena all but collapsed, scoring 26 points in its last four games.

IVY LEAGUE
BROWN
The Bears (6-3, 5-4) were able to stay competitive in the Ivy League for most of the season thanks to the running of Michael Malan, one of the most productive backs in school history. Last year, Malan rushed for a team-high 1,213 yards and five touchdowns on 245 carries. This year, he again eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark by rushing for 1,059 yards on 177 carries in one less game.

COLUMBIA
The Lions ended their season on a sour note last week, losing to crosstown rival Fordham 41-10. It was only the first loss in the last five meetings for Columbia, which owns a commanding 8-2 series advantage. On the year, Columbia (3-7, 3-4) was betrayed by a defense that allowed the most points in the Ivy League (32.6 points per game), and its offense was mediocre (20.6 PPG). But at least the Lions had as many wins overall as last season, and they increased their conference victory total from one to three.

CORNELL
The Big Red, which finished 2-7, 2-5 after winning five games last season, had probably the biggest dropoff of any Ivy League team. The problems were on defense, where the Big Red gave up 219 points in seven league games. Opponents averaged 432 yards and more than 30 points per game against Cornell. One example: Columbia, which finished with only one more win, was able to rush for 246 yards and pass for 282 yards in its 35-28 win at Cornell.

DARTMOUTH
The Big Green (1-8, 1-6) was ruined by turnovers -- only one team in Division I-AA was more careless with the ball (St. Francis, Pa.). Dartmouth was able to force 10 turnovers but was victimized for 30.

HARVARD
Its seniors had never beaten Princeton or Yale. The Crimson had not finished undefeated in more than 85 years. Now all three of those goals have been met after the Crimson (9-0, 7-0) ran the table in the Ivy League. This team was sensational in almost every aspect. While the defense was overshadowed by the offense, the Crimson defense was the best in the league. The ball bounced the Crimson's way on more than one occasion, but coach Tim Murphy's team was a resilient group that had to come from behind more than once to keep its record unblemished. Senior quarterback Neil Rose completed 127 of 198 passes for 1,830 yards and 15 touchdowns.

PENNSYLVANIA
The Quakers (8-1, 6-1) finished one win shy of earning a share of the Ivy League title, but that does not mean the season wasn't a success. Penn was led by a defense that had only one bad game -- the 28-21 loss at Harvard -- and an offense that was carried on the legs of Kris Ryan. One of the top all-purpose backs in the nation, Ryan rushed for 1,304 yards and had 177 receiving yards as well. A consistent performer, Ryan stepped up in big games. With the conference title on the line, Ryan rushed for 138 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries versus Harvard.

PRINCETON
Like most of the lower-echelon teams in the Ivy League, the Tigers (3-6, 3-4) had a poor defense was horrendous for most of the season. Running against the Tigers was usually the best move; they gave up an average of more than 170 yards per game.

YALE
The Elis, like Cornell, took a terrible tumble this season. After winning seven of 10 in 2000, Yale could muster only a 3-6 record that included just one Ivy League victory.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"This game swings on a lot of things. We faked a punt and we didn't get it. We just didn't make enough plays to win the game." -- Yale head coach Jack Siedlecki after losing to Harvard.

ODDS AND ENDS
Sacred Heart has a chance to become only the second team in NEC history to finish a season undefeated. Robert Morris accomplished the feat last season. Sacred Heart is just one of three I-AA teams that are still undefeated. ... Stony Brook played its final game at Seawolves Field, an 18-year-old facility that will be replaced by a new, 8,000-seat stadium next season.

Strategy and personnel

TOP QB PERFORMANCE
Robert Morris's Tim Levcik completed 152 of 267 passes for 2,110 yards and 22 touchdowns. Levcik, who had a solid season for the Colonials last year, improved his game in almost every category this season.

TOP RB PERFORMANCE
Penn's Kris Ryan rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the second straight year.

TOP WR PERFORMANCE
Sacred Heart's DeVeren Johnson finished his record-setting season by catching 84 passes for 1,114 yards, placing him seventh in Division I-AA and first in the NEC single-season record books. Johnson broke the record set by Monmouth's Anthony Galella, who had 1,044 yards in 1998. Brown's Chas Gessner, who caught 83 passes for 1,182 yards, was a close second.

TOP DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE
St. Peter's finished first in I-AA in total defense (157.7 yards per game), scoring defense (8.2 points per game), rushing defense (66.2 yards per game) and most opportunistic defense (forced 20 fumbles and 27 interceptions).

TOP SPECIAL TEAMS PERFORMANCE
Monmouth's Jay Roach continues to be one of the best kick returners in the country. He averaged 25.0 yards on 17 returns and scored one touchdown.

-- Peter Hayes/The Sports Xchange
Copyright (C) 2001 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.