Johnson's pick-6 preserves LIU win over C. Connecticut

NEW YORK (AP) Ayinde Johnson's 40-yard pick-6 with 52 seconds left helped Long Island blunt a Central Connecticut rally and the Sharks beat the Blue Devils 29-22 on Saturday.

It was the second-straight win for the Sharks (2-7, 2-3 Northeast Conference) who snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 50-49 double-overtime win against Duquesne last week.

Long Island, which joined the FCS ranks in 2019, now has won back-to-back contests in consecutive seasons.

The Sharks led 22-7 entering the fourth before the Blue Devils got back in it with a pair of sustained drives. An 11-play, 75-yard drive ended when Tre Gray ran it in from the 5 with 11:28 left to play, and Shon Mitchell's 1-yard run with 1:04 left concluded an 18-play, 81-yard drive that lasted nearly seven minutes.

Following the failed 2-point conversion, LIU led 22-20 before Central Connecticut recovered the onside kick. But Johnson promptly intercepted Mitchell and returned it for a score to seal it.

Nasir Smith ran for 127 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown for the Blue Devils (1-8, 1-4).

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