Complete Game Notes as a PDF

CITY BRAGGING RIGHTS AND MORE ON THE LINE
Winners of three in a row, the Southern Connecticut State University football team looks to maintain its hold atop the Northeast-10 Conference when it takes on New Haven on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Owls picked up a 54-26 win over the Chargers last year in the first meeting between the two teams since 2000. It was the first win for the Owls since 1998. Fans who can't make it to the game can follow all of the action with Don Boyle on the call at www.sportingnewsct.com

SLOWLEY POWERS THE OWLS
Junior running back Rashaad Slowley rushed for 202 yards on 16 carries in the win over Assumption. It was the second time in his career that he has rushed for more than 200 yards in a game and the fifth time that he has broken the century mark.

CHAFFIN IN UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY
Sophomore offensive lineman William Chaffin scored his first collegiate touchdown against Assumption when he recovered a fumble in the end zone for a score.

DEFENSE DOES THE JOB
Despite being on the field for nearly 20 minutes than Assumption, the SCSU defense was stellar against the Greyhounds. They held Assumption to 323 yards of total offense on 83 total plays. In addition, running back Herb Woodard was held to just 77 yards on 24 carries. The Owls also picked off two passes.

DOING MORE WITH LESS
The Owls attempted only 12 passes during their 43 plays in the win over Assumption. Quarterback Kevin Lynch finished 4-of-12 for 124 yards and a touchdown in the contest. The four completions were the fewest since Steve Armstrong had five completions against Merrimack in 2006, while the 12 attempts were the fewest since Armstrong went to the air 13 times against St. Anselm in that same season.

ECONOMICAL EPPS
Sophomore wide receiver Willie Epps had just two catches against Assumption, but he totaled 102 yards and a touchdown.

IS SOMETHING GOING TO GIVE?
The Owls' defense ranks tops in the Northeast-10 in points allowed, as they have merited just 20.2 per contest. New Haven ranks second in scoring offense, putting up an average of 33.8 points per game.

GETTING TOGETHER OFF THE FIELD AGAIN
For the second year in a row, the head coaches and team captains from both SCSU and UNH met for dinner in advance of their contest.

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR
Thanks to its win over Assumption last time out, SCSU has now posted a 29-2 mark in its last 31 regular season games that take place on or after Oct. 1.

CUNNINGHAM CATCHING ON
Sophomore tight end Jerome Cunningham has caught four passes in two of the last four contests for the Owls. He posted a career-high with 56 receiving yards and added his first career touchdown in the win over AIC.

WIECHMAN FINDS PAYDIRT
Senior running back John Wiechman scored his first two touchdowns of the year in the win over AIC. He led the Owls with 68 yards on 19 carries in the game.

LYNCH HEATING UP LATELY
Junior quarterback Kevin Lynch has been impressive over the course of the last four outings, as he has completed 66-of-104 (63.5%) of his passes. During that stretch, he has thrown for 960 yards and 10 touchdowns without an interception.

JOHNSON OFF TO A STRONG START
Junior linebacker Sam-uel Johnson has paced the defensive unit with 43 tackles in the first five games. He's also led the club in that department four of those contests. He had nine tackles - including six solo stops - in the season opener against Indiana (Pa.) and followed that up with 11 tackles and a sack against West Liberty. Johnson registered five stops and also tallied an interception and two fumble recoveries against Pace. He posted 10 stops and recovered a fumble in the win over AIC.

EARNING THE ACCOLADES
Thanks to his 10-tackle effort against AIC, Johnson was named Northeast-10 Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 27.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
The seven points allowed by the Owls in the win over AIC was the fewest by the team since a 56-0 shutout of St. Anselm on Nov. 18, 2008.

SACK IT TO ME
Southern Connecticut had a season-high four sacks in the win over AIC. Dan Lamberton had a sack and a half, while Ricky Kirk and Gavin Nelson each tallied a full sack. Ike Igbinosun added a half sack for the Owls.

IN THE WIN COLUMN WITH A VENGEANCE
The Owls picked up their first win of 2010 with a convincing 55-12 win at Pace. Five different players scored touchdowns for SCSU, who led 28-0 after one quarter and 42-6 at halftime.

A LONG TIME COMING
The longest touchdown pass in Southern Connecticut history had stood for 48 years, but that all changed on Sept. 18 when Jacob Jablonski connected with Carlton Staggars on a 92-yard scoring reception. Ironically, it was the first career completion for Jablonski and the first career reception for Staggars. The old mark of 87 yards - set on a scoring strike from Bob Griffin to Roger Milici came in a 28-21 win over Geneva during the 1962 season.

LIKE CRIS CARTER, ALL HE DOES IS CATCH TOUCHDOWNS
Let's just say that senior wide receiver Brian Tourtelott has a knack for finding the end zone. For his career, he has 11 receptions and five touchdowns. He hauled in the fifth of his career in the win over Pace.

MAGEE IMPRESSES AGAINST THE SETTERS
Redshirt freshman Vaughn Magee, seeing his first collegiate action as a running back, led the Owls with 95 yards on 15 carries in the win over Pace.

WE'RE LIVING HERE IN ALLEN-TOWN
Senior captain Daniel Allen had a stellar effort in the win over Pace. He registered five tackles, two sacks and forced two fumbles in the game.

HAZELTON DIALS LONG DISTANCE
Junior kicker Chris Hazelton connected on a career-long 37 yard field goal in the win over Pace. His previous best of 32 yards coincidentally also came against Pace last year.

HITTING ALL THE TARGETS
Southern Connecticut quarterbacks completed passes to 11 different receivers against Pace. Even quarterback Kevin Lynch managed to complete a pass to himself after it was batted down at the line of scrimmage in the first quarter. Redshirt freshman Carlton Staggars and sophomore Robert Moores also both registered their first collegiate catches in the game.

MAKING THE MOST OF IT
Wide receiver Willie Epps has registered 13 catches through the first five games of the year. However, six of them have gone for touchdowns. Among the regulars, Epps also leads the team with 88.2 receiving yards per game. He is first in the Northeast-10 Conference in yards/catch (33.9) and ranks third in receiving yards per game.

AERIAL ASSAULT BY LYNCH
Junior quarterback Kevin Lynch etched his name in the Owls' record books against West Liberty. He set new Southern Connecticut single-game records with 30 completions and 46 attempts in the game. Lynch finished the day with 376 passing yards and three touchdowns on the day. The old mark of 45 attempts was set by Len Maiocco against Springfield in 1987. Steve Armstrong held the old mark of 28 completions, set against Merrimack in 2007.

AND AS A RESULT...
Lynch was named to the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll on Sept. 13.

A DYNAMIC DUO
Wide receivers Andre Privott and Willie Epps both reached the 100-yard plateau against West Liberty. Epps had four catches for 151 yards and three touchdowns. Privott hauled in seven passes for 100 yards. It marked the first time that two Owls' receivers hit the 100 yard mark in the same game since Chris Bergeski and Privott did it against West Chester in a 2008 first round NCAA playoff game.

TRIFECTA
Epps became the first Owl to secure three touchdown passes in the same game since Jim Lukowiak did so against Pace during the 2004 season.

HOLT BACK IN THE FOLD
Jayson Holt, who missed most of last season due to injury, returned to the Owls' lineup against West Liberty and had two catches for 14 yards. He followed that up with a catch for 25 yards in the win at Pace.

UTILIZING THE BACKS
Tailbacks John Wiechman and Rashaad Slowley both set new career-highs for receptions in a game against West Liberty, as both hauled in four passes in the game. Coincidentally, the previous career high for each was two catches.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS
The Owls had success with their punt and kickoff return units against West Liberty. Andre Privott had four punt returns for 82 yards, while true freshman #J.W. Forte# finished with five kick returns for 107 yards in his Owls' debut.

NEWCOMERS MAKE A QUICK IMPACT
Junior linebacker Gavin Nelson registered eight tackles, including two for loss, in his debut with the Owls against IUP. He also forced a fumble in the game. Fellow linebacker Chevar Rankins had six stops for the Owls in his SCSU debut. Kamal Magaresh tallied an interception and broke up three passes against West Liberty.

STOPPING A STREAK
The Owls' defense prevented West Liberty quarterback Zach Amedro from extending a NCAA record streak of 300-yard passing games. The run ended at 14 when the Owls kept him to 242 yards through the air.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
Quarterback Kevin Lynch completed passes to eight different receivers in the season opener against IUP.

DONNELLY JUMPS RIGHT INTO THE FRAY
Sophomore wide receiver Sean Donnelly registered his first four catches as an Owl against IUP. Donnelly led the Owls in that category and totaled 28 receiving yards.

SCSU PICKED FIRST IN NE-10 PRESEASON POLL
The Owls were selected first in the Northeast-10 Conference preseason poll for the fourth consecutive year in a vote of the league's coaches.

A PRESENCE IN THE AFCA POLL AGAIN
Southern Connecticut received six votes in the first American Football Coaches Association poll of 2010.

ALL-AMERICA HONORS COMING ALREADY
Two Owls - seniors James Economou and John Wiechman - were named preseason All-Americans by various media organizations. Wiechman was selected by www.d2proday.com, while Economou took home honors from Consensus Draft Services.

THE CAPTAINS
Seniors Daniel Allen, Richard Kirkland and John Russell, along with junior Kevin Lynch, will serve as team captains for the Owls this fall.

THIRTEEN OWLS RECOGNIZED WITH NE-10 HONORS
Thirteen members of the SCSU football program were honored by the Northeast-10 Conference in its year end laurels. Four players earned First-Team All-Conference honors - Jarom Freeman (RB), Greg Tuba (OL), Eric Holter (DL) and Martin Manson (CB). Seven players were named to the Second-Team - Jeff Querusio (OL), Daniel Allen (DE), Richard Kirkland (CB), John Wiechman (RB), Rashaad Slowley (RB) and Pete DiGangi (TE). In addition, wide receiver Willie Epps was named to the All-Rookie Team.
• In terms of major awards, Tuba was chosen as the Offensive Lineman of the Year.

TUBA NAMED ALL REGION, ALL-NEW ENGLAND
Senior offensive lineman Greg Tuba was named an All-Region performer by Don Hansen's Football Gazette in 2009. In addition, he was also named as an All-New England honoree. 

ALL-ECAC HONORS PREVALENT AGAIN FOR SCSU
Four student-athletes - Jarom Freeman, Martin Manson, Greg Tuba and Christopher Hazelton - were recognized as All-ECAC picks last fall.

SCORING APLENTY AGAINST SAINT ANSELM
Southern Connecticut scored 71 points in its regular season finale against Saint Anselm, the third highest single-game total in school history.

OWLS FARE WELL IN THE CLASSROOM
Thirty-two members of the football squad were honored as Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll selections during the 2009-10 academic year.

CHARETTE COLLECTS ACADEMIC LAURELS
Spencer Charette was named to the Northeast-10 Conference Football All-Academic Team for his efforts in the classroom and on the playing field in 2009.

SLOWLEY NEARLY SETS A MARK
Sophomore running back Rashaad Slowley finished the year with a yards/carry average of 7.9, the second highest single-season total in school history. Tom Sacramone, who rushed for 8.2 yards/carry in 1955, still holds the mark.

OFFENSE CLICKED LATE IN THE YEAR
The Owls scored at least 42 points in five of their last six games in 2009.

CONGRATS TO COACH CAV
Head coach Rich Cavanaugh recorded win No. 150 with the Owls in the 42-14 victory over Stonehill. At the conclusion of the year, he ranked tied for 11th among active Division II coaches and was also 41st all-time in wins.

POST-SEASON SHOWCASES FOR THE OWLS
Seniors Jerome Pinckney, Martin Manson and Jarom Freeman were all tabbed to play in the East Coast Bowl following the conclusion of the year. In addition, Manson and Freeman were selected for the Cactus Bowl.

OWLS FINISH RANKED NO. 9 IN ECAC RANKINGS
The Owls finished the year ranked No. 9 in the ECAC Lambert Meadowlands Division II poll. To be eligible for the Lambert Meadowlands Award, a school must be located in the East or play half of its schedule against eligible Lambert teams. The territory includes New York, New Jersey, New England and Pennsylvania, while teams in the bordering states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia and the District of Columbia qualify if half of their schedule features eligible teams.

THE WINS KEEP ON COMING
With the win over Stonehill, the Owls extended their streak to 16 consecutive seasons with a record at or above .500. The last time that SCSU posted a season with a losing record was back in 1993. In addition, the Owls also posted their ninth consecutive winning campaign.

MANSON GETS THE JOB DONE
Senior Martin Manson became just the second player in Owls history to collect Northeast-10 Conference honors in each of his four seasons. He joined Sir Snowden, who reached that feat from 2001-04. Manson signed a contract with the Hamilton TigerCats of the Canadian Football League following the season.

FREEMAN JOINS ELITE COMPANY
Senior tailback Jarom Freeman became just the 10th player in Northeast-10 Conference history to record at least 3,000 rushing yards for his career. He finished the year ranked seventh on the all-time list for 3,360 yards.

CAPTAIN KIRK (LAND)
Richard Kirkland tallied three interceptions in the last four games of 2009 for the Owls, including a pair against Bentley.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
SCSU has posted a 25-8 (.758) record at Jess Dow Field over the past six seasons.

ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END
Southern Connecticut saw its streak of 26 regular season wins on or after Oct. 1 come to an end against Bentley last season. Prior to that, the last loss took place on Oct. 15, 2004, a 14-7 loss to C.W. Post. Otherwise, the only four losses for the Owls after Oct. 1 the last four years had been in the NCAA playoffs.
CENTURY CLUB GAINING MEMBERS
After not having an occurrence of two Owls rush for 100 yards in the same game over 17 games, the duo of Jarom Freeman and Rashaad Slowley accomplished that feat twice in four games from Sept. 11-Oct. 2. The pair both broke the century mark in the games against Pace and New Haven.

BATTLING OUT OF THE CORNER
Martin Manson became the first Owl in over a year to record a two interception game in the win over UNH. The stretch actually spanned 15 games dating back to the 2008 season opener, when Kyle Sandberg picked off three passes in the win over West Virginia Wesleyan. Coincidentally, Richard Kirkland also picked off two passes in the game against Bentley in the next outing.

SCORE EARLY, SCORE OFTEN
In 2009, Southern Connecticut outscored its opponents by a 109-49 margin in the first quarter and a 220-100 tally in the first half.

DEFENSE HOLDING THE FORT DOWN
SCSU merited only 14.3 points per contest in its six wins in 2009.

ON DECK
The Owls host Bentley on Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. in the annual Homecoming contest.