Complete Game Notes as a PDF

THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
A stretch of three of four road contests, and six of eight games away from home to begin the 2011 season, finally concludes on Saturday for the Southern Connecticut State University football team as the Owls head to American International for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Fans who can't make it to the game can follow all of the action with live audio with Don Boyle on the call at www.sportingnewsct.com. Live Twitter updates will also be available through www.southernctowls.com, with live stats available through the AIC athletics website.

LAST TIME OUT
Trailing 17-7 at halftime, the Owls tallied 24 consecutive points and hung on late for a 31-29 win over Bentley on Saturday afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference play. The Owls led 31-17 before the Falcons connected on a pair of Hail Mary touchdown passes in the final 30 seconds to close within two points. However, the two-point try was knocked away by the Owls, securing the victory.
• Senior running back Rashaad Slowley added three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) for the Owls to boost his season total to 22. He finished with 102 yards on the ground and added four catches for 73 yards. Quarterback Kevin Lynch was 18-of-28 for 244 yards for the game, but finished 13-of-18 for 188 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. Willie Epps, Andre Privott and Jayson Holt all added three catches, with Epps also hauling in a touchdown that gave the Owls the lead for good.

OWLS FARE WELL IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
As a team, the Owls are currently ranked No. 8 nationally in rushing defense (81.3 yards per game) and No. 12 in scoring offense (39.3 points/game). SCSU is also No. 15 in average punt return yardage (15.0) and No. 16 in turnover margin (+1.00).
• Senior running back Rashaad Slowley (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) moved back into a tie for the Division II lead in scoring with a three touchdown effort against Bentley on Saturday. He is averaging 18.9 points per game for the Owls this year and has 22 total touchdowns. Slowley also ranks No. 5 in the nation in rushing yards per game (150.9) and No. 8 in all-purpose yards (182.6).
• Senior wide receiver Andre Privott (Middletown, Conn.) is 11th in average yards/punt return with 15.9. He is also 12th in all-purpose yards (169.4) per contest.

ALL-TIME AGAINST AIC
Southern Connecticut leads the all-time series against AIC by a 30-21-3 margin. The Owls have faced AIC more than any other opponent in program history. Central Connecticut (53 meetings) is the only other team that SCSU has faced more than 50 times.

OWLS CAN CLINCH A WINNING SEASON
Southern Connecticut can clinch a winning season with a victory over AIC on Saturday. Coming into the game, the Owls have posted 10 consecutive winning seasons and have 17 consecutive seasons with a final record at or above the .500 mark. In all, head coach Rich Cavanaugh has posted 18 winning seasons with the Owls.

COMEBACK KIDS...AGAIN
For the second time in three weeks, the Owls rallied from a double-digit halftime deficit to come away with a win. SCSU was down 14 points at Assumption earlier in the year before securing a 38-24 win. The Owls have actually trailed in four of their five victories so far this season, the lone exception being the 61-0 win over Pace.

TIGHT ENDS GETTING INTO THE ACT
Junior tight ends Jerome Cunningham (three catches) and Nick Mandich (two catches) combined for five receptions for 30 yards in Saturday's win over Bentley.

SLOWLEY CONTINUES TO SHINE
Senior running back Rashaad Slowley eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his collegiate career and has 1,056 yards on the year entering Saturday's game. Earlier in the year, he rushed for a career-high 288 yards on 34 carries and scored four touchdowns in the win over Assumption on Oct. 1. The 288 yard effort was the third-highest single-game showing in school history. Jarom Freeman's 418 yards against Bryant in 2007 is a NCAA Division II record, while Ellis Robinson also rushed for 303 yards against AIC in 1994.

AS A RESULT...
Slowley was named the Northeast-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this year on Oct. 3. He also earned the honor on Sept. 19 after his six-touchdown showing against St. Anselm.

KEEPING IT GOING
Slowley has now been honored by the Northeast-10 Conference for six consecutive weeks dating back to Sept. 12.

HAZELTON MOVES ATOP ALL-TIME PAT LIST
With five extra points on Oct. 1, senior Christopher Hazelton became the school's all-time leader in that department. He now has 123 PAT's and moved past Paul Boulanger, who had 114 in his SCSU career.

THAT TIME OF YEAR
SCSU has posted a 34-5 mark in its last 39 regular season games that take place on or after Oct. 1.

THE LAST GAME AGAINST AIC
The Southern Connecticut State University football team jumped out to a 21-0 lead and never looked back in a 28-7 triumph over American International College in a nationally televised game on the CBS College Sports Network on Sept. 23, 2010. Kevin Lynch finished 20-of-30 for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Willie Epps led the receivers with five catches for 71 yards, while Jerome Cunningham had four catches for 56 yards.

THE PICK SIX TREND
The Owls have returned an interception for a touchdown three times in the last 10 games dating back to last season. Most recently, Kamal Mgaresh went 53 yards for a pick six against Assumption on Oct. 1. Earlier in the year, Steven Teague did the honors against West Liberty. Last year, Josh McWilliams accomplished the feat against Stonehill on Oct. 30, 2010. Prior to that, however, SCSU had not returned an interception for a touchdown since the 2007 season.

NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE
The 61 point margin of victory in the shutout over Pace was the largest margin in any Owls' shutout in school history. SCSU defeated Geneva, 60-0, in 1961, for the old mark.

PICK 'EM
Southern Connecticut has already recorded 16 interceptions in the first seven games of the 2011 season, which surpasses the team's total of 11 from all of last year. Steven Teague and Michael Escobar each have three interceptions to lead the way.

PITCHING ANOTHER SHUTOUT
The shutout against Pace was the 86th in program history, but the first since 2008 for the Owls, when they blanked St. Anselm. In all, SCSU had gone 27 games between shutouts.

SLOWLEY MOVES UP THE SCSU CHARTS
Rashaad Slowley has moved into sixth place on the school's all-time career rushing list with 2,932 yards. Brandon Toles sits in fifth place all-time with 3,035 yards.

SLOWLEY WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE
With three games remaining in the regular season, Rashaad Slowley stands three touchdowns short of matching the SCSU single-season record in that department. Rashaan Dumas tallied 25 touchdowns in 1998.

SACK IT TO ME
Southern Connecticut has tallied 15 sacks thus far on the season, including five in the win over Pace. Senior Ikponmwosa Igbinosun leads the team with five sacks thus far on the year.

A TOTAL DEFENSIVE EFFORT
Sixteen players have already recorded double digit tackles on the season for the Owls, with 11 posting at least 20 tackles so far on the year and nine with 30 or more stops. Davel Campbell leads the way with 45 stops, while Jack Petion is next with 42 tackles.

IT HAD TO HAPPEN EVENTUALLY
Southern Connecticut finally merited its first rushing touchdown of the year in the game against Assumption.

JABLONSKI SEES STREAK END
Over the course of the New Haven and Assumption games, sophomore quarterback Jacob Jablonski had completed 8-of-8 passes for 84 yards. He was 3-of-3 for 35 yards against Assumption and finished 5-of-5 for 49 yards against New Haven. However, that consecutive completion streak came to an end with an incompletion on his only attempt against Bentley.

QUARTERBACKS EFFICIENT AGAINST PACE
The quarterback duo of Kevin Lynch and Jacob Jablonski were effective in the Owls' win over Pace. Lynch completed 13-of-15 passes for 213 yards and a season-best four touchdowns, while Jablonski set new career-highs in completions, attempts and yards after a 5-for-9, 79 yard effort.

SLOWLEY STANDS ALONE
Senior running back Rashaad Slowley etched his name in the SCSU record book with a school single-game record six touchdowns in the win at St. Anselm. He scored on runs of 11, 7, 4, 12, 5 and 3 yards. Five different individuals - Larry Kane, Rashaan Dumas (twice), Darrin Davis, Brandon Toles and Jarom Freeman - had all previously scored five times in a game. Slowley finished with 205 yards on a career-high 35 carries.

HAZELTON MATCHES, SETS CAREER HIGHS
Senior placekicker Christopher Hazelton matched a career-high with 13 points in the win over Pace. He hit on 7-of-8 extra points and field goals of 33 and 44 yards. The 44-yarder was a career-high, easily outdistancing the old mark of 37 yards. He also scored 13 points against Pace last year.

MAGEE MAKES AN IMPACT
Sophomore running back Vaughn Magee set a new career-high with 110 yards on just six carries in the win over Pace. He also scored two touchdowns in the contest.

TWO TALLY FIRST COLLEGIATE CARRIES
Redshirt freshmen Jack Mallis and Brian Wilcox each made the most of their first collegiate career carries against Pace. Mallis totaled four rushes for 20 yards, while Wilcox had three carries for 20 yards. Mallis also posted three special teams tackles in the game.

WILLIAMS DOES IT AGAIN
Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Zach Williams tallied his second interception in the last three games in the contest against Pace.

OWLS NAMED DIVISION II DEFENSE OF THE WEEK
SCSU was recognized as the 'Defense of the Week' by the Beyond College Sports Network after forcing eight turnovers in the 27-19 win at West Liberty.

PRIVOTT HEATING UP
Wide receiver Andre Privott set new career-highs with 10 receptions and 155 receiving yards in the win against St. Anselm. His effort against the Hawks marked the first time that an Owls' wide receiver had double digit receptions since Marcus Ganthier hauled in 11 passes against Bryant in 2006. He followed that up with an eight-catch, 136 yard effort in the win over Pace that included a touchdown.

AND FOR HIS EFFORTS...
Privott was named to the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll on Sept. 19..

WE LIKE IKE
Ikponmwosa Igbinosun recorded a team-high seven tackles, including 2.5 for loss, along with a sack, in the win at St. Anselm.

WEST VIRGINIA'S GOOD FOR WINS
Southern Connecticut has ventured to West Virginia twice in the last four years and has returned with wins on both occasions. In 2008, the Owls defeated West Virginia Wesleyan, while this year, SCSU defeated West Liberty.

A GREAT SHOWING, BUT NOT THE RECORD
It may be hard to believe, but the Owls six interceptions against West Liberty did not set a new school record. SCSU has twice tallied eight interceptions in a game - against Brooklyn in 1951 and Fordham in 1980. Four of those interceptions in the 1980 Fordham game were recorded by Steve Bush, currently a member of the Miami Dolphins coaching staff.

SLOWLEY ECLIPSES 2,000 YARD MARK
Thanks to his effort against West Liberty, senior tailback Rashaad Slowley went over the 2,000 yard mark for his career. He now has 2,932 yards heading into this weekend.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
Eight different receivers tallied receptions in the win at West Liberty, including the first collegiate catch for Vito Fornarelli. Seven different receivers caught passes in the opener at CCSU. The Owls also had seven different players record a catch against St. Anselm and Pace.

ZACH ATTACK
Redshirt freshman Zachary Williams made a key impact in the win at West Liberty. He tallied both his first collegiate sack and first collegiate interception in the contest.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
Graduate studente Dy'onne Crudup made his presence felt in his Owls' debut against West Liberty. He totaled 77 yards on returns as well as one catch for 15 yards. Crudup, a New Haven native, played his first three years at Temple.

HOLT STEPPING UP
Wide receiver Jayson Holt is currently fourth on the club with 19 receptions so far this year.

EPPS CONTINUES TO DO THE JOB
Willie Epps has moved into the second spot on the team in receptions. He's currently hauled in 28 passes for 506 yards and six touchdowns, which ranks tops among wideouts.

PRIVOTT CONSISTENT THUS FAR
Senior Andre Privott posted nearly identical performances in the first two games of the 2011 season. He had six catches for 61 yards in the opener at CCSU and followed that up with six catches for 63 yards against West Liberty. The reception and yardage figures were team-highs in both contests. Privott leads the Owls with 43 receptions and 567 receiving yards so far this year.

SLOWLEY SETS TWO NEW HIGHS IN OPENER
Senior tailback Rashaad Slowley set a new career-high with 27 carries in the season opener. His old best was 22 carries against New Haven last year. Slowley also matched a career-high with 34 receiving yards in the game.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Sophomore defensive back Mustaqiim Plair recorded his first collegiate interception in the opener at CCSU.

IN SEASON OPENERS
The Owls are now 35-28-1 all-time in season openers. The 2011 season opener was the 64th in program history.

SCSU PICKED SECOND IN NE-10 PRESEASON POLL
The Owls were selected second in the Northeast-10 Conference preseason poll, one point out of the top spot. SCSU had been picked as the preseason favorite in each of the previous four seasons.

A PRESENCE IN THE AFCA POLL AGAIN
Southern Connecticut received 14 votes in the first American Football Coaches Association poll of 2011.

ALL-AMERICA HONORS COMING ALREADY
Two Owls - senior Kevin Lynch and junior Willie Epps - were named preseason All-Americans by various media organizations. Both took home honors from Consensus Draft Services, while Lynch was also recognized by www.d2football.com.

FIVE OWLS NAMED ALL-ECAC
The Owls had five student-athletes - William Chaffin, Willie Epps, Sam-uel Johnson, Richard Kirkland and John Wiechman -  recognized with year-end honors from the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference as Division II Football All-Stars in 2010.

SEVEN NAMED ALL-CONFERENCE; FOUR RETURN
Seven members of the Southern Connecticut State University football team - Daniel Allen, William Chaffin, Willie Epps, Sam-uel Johnson, Richard Kirkland, Andre Privott and John Wiechman - were tabbed for the All-Northeast-10 Conference team at the conclusion of the season.

OWLS FINISH STRONG
The Owls won their final three games of the 2010 season and scored at least 45 points in each of the three contests.

CHARETTE TABBED FOR ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE
Junior offensive lineman Spencer Charette was named to the Northeast-10 Conference Football All-Academic Team for his work in the classroom. It was the second year in a row that he earned the honor.

OWLS FARE WELL IN THE CLASSROOM
Twenty-five student-athletes were named to the Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll for their work in the classroom during the fall, 2010 semester.

LYNCH BACK UNDER CENTER
Kevin Lynch fared well in his first full season under center in the fall. As a junior in 2010, he threw for 2,468 yards and 24 touchdowns while completing 59.7 percent of his passes.

NOTHING BULLISH ABOUT THIS DEFENDER
Sam-uel Johnson enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2010 that saw him earn All-ECAC and All-Conference honors. He led the club with 76 tackles (40 solo), while also posting three sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

YOU THROW IT...THEY'LL CATCH IT
The Owls have their top five receivers, and six of the top seven from a  year ago, coming back for 2011. Willie Epps was second in the league in receiving yards (970) and touchdown receptions (nine) and led the league with an average of 26.9 yards per catch. Andre Privott tallied 35 catches for 561 yards. Jerome Cunningham, Nick Mandich and Sean Donelly all had at least 14 receptions last year.

SLOW (LEY) AND STEADY WINS THE RACE
Tailback Rashaad Slowley has led the Owls in rushing in each of the past two seasons. An All-Conference pick in 2009, Slowley finished with 871 yards in 2010. He entered the 2011 season with 1,876 career rushing yards.

A RECORD SETTING DAY AGAINST MERRIMACK
The Owls' record book underwent a bit of a transformation on Nov. 6 thanks to several outstanding individual efforts against Merrimack. Junior quarterback Kevin Lynch threw for a school record 443 yards and matched a school mark with six touchdowns. Steve Armstrong had held the mark of 436 yards, set back in 2005 against Bryant. Armstrong and Mike Abate both also previously tossed six touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Willie Epps tallied 254 receiving yards in the contest as well, which broke the old mark of 241 yards set by Jeff Cupe in 2003. The duo also hooked up on a 97-yard touchdown reception, which broke the old mark of 92 yards set earlier this year.

OH SO CLOSE
Prior to the 23-22 loss to New Haven on Oct. 9, the last time that the Owls dropped a one-point decision was in 2008, a 13-12 loss to AIC. The last time that the Owls won a one-point decision was in 1995 when they had three such wins - consecutive wins over Montclair State (15-14) and Rowan (21-20) followed by a 24-23 win over C.W. Post later in the year.

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

A DYNAMIC DUO
Wide receivers Andre Privott and Willie Epps both reached the 100-yard plateau against West Liberty last year. 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.

ON DECK
The Owls return to action on Oct. 29 when they host Stonehill in the annual Homecoming contest.