Box Score

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University football team held a 26-19 lead going into the final quarter, but Bentley scored the final 17 points of the game to claim a 36-26 win over the Owls in the annual Homecoming game on Saturday.

Both teams moved to 3-4 overall and 3-2 in Northeast-10 Conference play with the result.

Trailing by seven points, Bentley had the ball to start the fourth quarter and comprised an 11-play, 65-yard drive to even the score at 26-26. The Owls punted on their next series and Bentley followed with a 14-play, 60-yard drive that culminated in a 21-yard field goal for a 29-26 Falcons lead.

Southern Connecticut got the ball back with just over three minutes to go, but an errant snap was recovered by Bentley at the Owls' 17. The visitors then added a touchdown on the first play of the series to make it a 36-26 final.

The Owls opened the scoring just 3:06 into the game. After a Bentley punt, SCSU struck on its first play from scrimmage, a 52-yard pass from Kevin Lynch (Medfield, Mass.) to Willie Epps (Norwalk, Conn.). The PAT was no good, which kept the score at 6-0 through the first quarter.

Bentley took the lead with a touchdown early in the second quarter and a successful PAT try.

SCSU answered with a six-play, 57-yard drive that was capped by a two-yard run from John Wiechman (Buxton, Maine). Christopher Hazelton (Bristol, Conn.) added the PAT to make it 13-7.

Bentley went back in front with a touchdown on its next drive. The Falcons led 14-13 at halftime.

The Owls outscored Bentley by a 13-5 margin in the third quarter to take a 26-19 lead through three quarters.

Lynch found Jerome Cunningham (Waterbury, Conn.) on a two-yard touchdown pass exactly four minutes into the third quarter to put SCSU ahead, 19-14. The Owls elected to go for two after the score, but Lynch's pass was intercepted by Don Hopkins at the goal line and returned the other way for two points.

A Bentley field goal later in the third quarter evened the score at 19-19. However, Southern Connecticut went back in front at 26-19 when Lynch hit Andre Privott (Middletown, Conn.) on a 3-yard score.

Wiechman led the ground attack with 75 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Lynch finished 11-of-22 for 189 yards and three touchdowns. Privott's four catches and 79 receiving yards led the wideouts. Sam-uel Johnson (Newark, N.J.) totaled 12 tackles and a sack to lead the defense.

The Owls are back in action on Oct. 23 when they travel to Stonehill in a 1 p.m. start.