Complete Game Notes as a PDF

THE ROAD TRIP CONTINUES
The second contest in a three-game road swing to start the 2011 season continues on Saturday for the Southern Connecticut State University football team. This week, the Owls travel to West Liberty State for a 1 p.m. start. Fans can follow all of the action with Don Boyle on the call at www.sportingnewsct.com.

LOOKING BACK AT THE 2011 OPENER
A furious second half comeback allowed the Owls to claw back from a 28-0 third quarter deficit, but Central Connecticut returned an onside kick back for a touchdown with 2:25 remaining to secure a 35-21 win on Sept. 3. Southern Connecticut received two touchdown rushes from Rashaad Slowley and a touchdown pass from Kevin Lynch to Jerome Cunningham to close within a score late. The Owls defense allowed only two sustained touchdown drives by the Blue Devils and also forced two interceptions.

OWLS LOOKING TO RETURN THE FAVOR
In last year's meeting between the two clubs in New Haven, West Liberty jumped out to a 14-0 lead and eventually went on to a 49-35 win over the Owls. Southern Connecticut closed the gap to eight points in the third quarter, but was stopped twice on the 1-yard line while bidding for the tying touchdown. Kevin Lynch set a new SCSU single-game record with 30 completions in the contest and threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns along the way. Willie Epps added four catches for 151 yards, with Andre Privott hauling in seven catches for 100 yards.

THIS ONE COULD HAVE NCAA RAMIFICATIONS
Despite the fact the both clubs dropped their season opener last week, this week's game should hold extra importance for NCAA purposes down the road. Both squads are perenially NCAA playoff contenders, and this in-region, non-conference matchup may play a role for NCAA selection come November.

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.

THE OWLS' LAST TRIP TO WEST VIRGINIA
Southern Connecticut is hoping for a similar result as its last trip to West Virginia back in 2008. That time, in a game at West Virginia Wesleyan, Kevin Lynch came off the bench to engineer a fourth quarter comeback in a 26-21 victory. The Owls quarterback connected with Johnny Lee on an eight-yard touchdown pass with 7:33 remaining to give SCSU the win.

KEEPING EVERYONE INVOLVED
Seven different receivers caught passes in the opener at CCSU. Andre Privott led the way with six receptions for 61 yards.

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.

HIT THE ROAD
The opener marks the first of three straight games on the road for the Owls, who will not play at home until Sept. 23. Southern Connecticut has six road games in 2011 and just four home games.

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.

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.

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.

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 enters 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.

DONNELLY COLLECTS FIRST COLLEGIATE SCORES
Sophomore wide receiver Sean Donelly posted his first two touchdowns as an Owl in the win over Merrimack.

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.

HAZELTON SETS NEW CAREER-HIGH
Junior kicker Christopher Hazelton connected on all three of his field goals against New Haven and also matched a career-high with a 37-yarder.

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.

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.

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR
SCSU has now posted a 32-4 mark in its last 36 regular season games that take place on or after Oct. 1.

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.

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. 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 Sept. 17 for their Northeast-10 Conference opener at Saint Anselm.