 Ben Nelson
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 Keith Heckendorf
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If the football Huskies have had one distinct advantage over any team this season, it has been through the air.
No team has been able to match or stifle the Husky passing attack, captained by junior quarterback Keith Heckendorf and senior wide receiver Ben Nelson, who have combined for 20 touchdowns. This week, they will face a team whose offense has surpassed their own.
The University of New Haven Chargers have one of the most dangerous offenses the Huskies will face, because they don’t feel the need to run. Head coach Randy Hedberg says his Huskies will be hard-pressed to stop their assault.
“I’m very impressed by their team speed on both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively,” he said. “They put a lot of points on a good Western Washington team last weekend and put a lot of yards up also.”
In fact, the 4-4 Chargers topped the Huskies school record for offensive output last week. In their 47-21 win, New Haven put up 690 total yards, besting SCSU’s 686. Junior quarterback Rob D’Innocenzio passed for 501 yards, 286 of them to his most reliable target, senior wideout Matt Marcks. If the Huskies have any advantage, it is in the turnover category. New Haven is only plus-1, while the Huskies are plus-10.
If the Chargers were to have their advantage, it would be in the return game. True freshman Kevin Nelson is 10th in the nation in punt returns, averaging 15.3 yards per return. The 5-foot-6, 160 pound back is shifty, slippery and just what the Huskies, who have had some problems being burned on punts this season, don’t want to see.
“It’s not that our coverage hasn’t been good in most cases, it’s just that we’ve got to be able to place the ball, get it deep in our kickoffs,” Hedberg said. “We’ve got to place it so we can cover down on him. It’s the same with our punts.”
New Haven’s record is deceiving at 4-4, and they’re not ranked in any of the Division II polls. But they have one of the tougher schedules in the country and have played five teams ranked in the AFCA Top 25 poll, with their opponents’ records totaling 64-26 so far.
The good news for the Huskies is that New Haven allows points almost as quickly as they give them up. The Chargers are averaging 28.9 points per contest, but are allowing 26.8. They have also allowed 34 sacks, a large number for any team. It’s fair to say that Saturday’s game will be a shootout and could be a candidate for the most entertaining game of the year
From the sidelines
- Junior quarterback Keith Heckendorf was named one of the 24 candidates for the Harlon Hill Trophy Tuesday, awarded to the Division II player of the year. Heckendorf currently leads all Division II quarterbacks with 31 touchdown passes.
Heckendorf is the third Husky to be nominated for the award, and the first since 1996, when running back Randy Martin was a top-eight finalist for the second year in a row. Running back Harry Jackson reached top-eight status in 1989.
The winner of the award will be announced at the 17th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Dinner, Dec. 13.
- Senior wide receiver Ben Nelson is third in Division II scoring. His 20 touchdowns and three two-point conversions give him 126 points, which trails running backs Kegan Coleman of Central Missouri St. and Ian Smart of C.W. Post, who both have 132 points.
