# 2018 Sacred Heart Pioneers football team

The 2018 Sacred Heart Pioneers football team represented Sacred Heart University as a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Mark Nofri, the Pioneers compiled an overall record of 7–4 with a mark of 5–1 in conference play, sharing the NEC title with Duquesne. Due to a head-to-head win over Sacred Heart, Duquesne earned the NEC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship plays. The Pioneers did not received an at-large bid. Sacred Heart played home games at Campus Field in Fairfield, Connecticut.

## Preseason
### NEC coaches poll

The NEC released their preseason coaches poll on July 24, 2018, with the Pioneers predicted to finish in sixth place. They did not place any players on the preseason all-NEC team.
| Predicted finish | Team |
| 1 | Central Connecticut |
| 2 | Duquesne |
| 3 | Bryant |
| 4 | Saint Francis |
| 5 | Wagner |
| 6 | Sacred Heart |
| 7 | Robert Morris |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 6:00 p.m. | Lafayette* | Campus FieldFairfield, CT | W 35–6 | 4,157 |
| September 8 | 3:30 p.m. | at Bucknell* | Christy Mathewson–Memorial StadiumLewisburg, PA | W 30–14 | 1,872 |
| September 22 | 6:00 p.m. | at Wagner | Wagner College StadiumStaten Island, NY | W 41–14 | 3,178 |
| September 29 | 1:00 p.m. | at Cornell* | Schoellkopf FieldIthaca, NY | L 24–43 | 3,620 |
| October 6 | 3:00 p.m. | Penn* | Campus FieldFairfield, CT | L 27–31 | 4,503 |
| October 13 | 6:00 p.m. | at Dartmouth* | Memorial FieldHanover, NH | L 0–42 | 3,138 |
| October 20 | 1:00 p.m. | at Central Connecticut | Arute FieldNew Britain, CT | W 28–25 | 5,117 |
| October 27 | 1:00 p.m. | Bryant | Campus FieldFairfield, CT | W 49–26 | 1,678 |
| November 3 | 12:00 p.m. | Robert Morris | Campus FieldFairfield, CT | W 38–7 | 1,556 |
| November 10 | 12:00 p.m. | at Duquesne | Arthur J. Rooney Athletic FieldPittsburgh, PA | L 24–28 | 1,304 |
| November 17 | 12:00 p.m. | Saint Francis (PA) | Campus FieldFairfield, CT | W 13–7 | 1,852 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingAll times are in Eastern time ||||||

## Game summaries
### Lafayette

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leopards | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Pioneers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |

### At Bucknell

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pioneers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 30 |
| Bison | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |

### At Wagner

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pioneers | 7 | 21 | 6 | 7 | 41 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |

### At Cornell

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pioneers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Big Red | 16 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 43 |

### Penn

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Quakers | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Pioneers | 0 | 0 | 21 | 6 | 27 |

### At Dartmouth

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pioneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Big Green | 21 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 42 |

### At Central Connecticut

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pioneers | 7 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| Blue Devils | 3 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 25 |

### Bryant

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 14 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 26 |
| Pioneers | 14 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 49 |

### Robert Morris

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colonials | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Pioneers | 21 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 38 |

### At Duquesne

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pioneers | 0 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
| Dukes | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |

### Saint Francis (PA)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Red Flash | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Pioneers | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |