It was a tough loss for New Haven on Saturday, Nov. 18, as their 2023 season came to an end in Charleston, W.Va. A costly first quarter determined the outcome of the game as the Chargers played from behind for the entirety of the game against the University of Charleston.
Charleston was the only team to score in the first quarter, putting up 10 points to take an early lead. Mistakes began early as a tackle by running back Jayden Shrewd on the opening kickoff was wiped out by an offsides penalty. Starting their first drive near midfield, Charleston already had the advantage. The defense for New Haven held their ground with a pass breakup by defensive back Giye Jenkins and pressure from defensive lineman Davon Colon, forcing Charleston to settle for a field goal.
On the Chargers’ first possession, running back Christopher Ais got the ball inside the Charleston 40. Shortly after, offensive lineman Brody Peacock recovered the ball after a fumble from quarterback Daelen Menard and a false start pushed New Haven in 3rd-and-long. The missed opportunity for the Chargers proved costly after Charleston advanced their lead in the first quarter, using a fake punt to set up the touchdown from running back Chavon Wright. Freshman cornerback Jabron Solomon prevented Charleston from adding to their lead with an interception in the end zone.
Trailing by 24, the Chargers started to close the gap at the end of the first half as Menard connected with wide receiver Dev Holmes followed by a one-handed catch from tight end Kevin Foelsch to set up the 15-yard scoring pass from Menard to Holmes. This touchdown advanced the score to 24-7 going into the second half of the playoff game.
The Chargers closed the gap even further at the start of the second half after a kickoff return from utility Kha’lil Eason helped set up the nine-yard touchdown run by Ais. Charleston was quick to answer back, taking just three plays to go 54 yards with Wright capping the drive off with an 11-yard run. After falling behind 31-14, a 29-yard pass from Menard to Holmes set up the touchdown from tight end Dante DeLorenzo on a two-yard pass from Menard. However, this momentum was stopped short when Charleston wide receiver Tae Marrero returned the following kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. Shortly after, another touchdown run by Wright added to Charleston’s lead, leaving New Haven trailing by 24 at the end of the third quarter.
New Haven began their comeback attempt at the start of the fourth quarter with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Menard to Holmes that was followed by another touchdown for Charleston by Wright. The Chargers gave their final push with two touchdown passes from Menard to Foelsch and wide receiver Kasi Hazzard, along with two-point conversion passes to Hazzard and Holmes. These plays left New Haven trailing by eight with less than two minutes left in the game. The Chargers were unable to close the game within those two minutes, finalizing the score at 52-44.