Complete Game Notes as a PDF

HOMECOMING AWAITS
The annual Homecoming contest is up next for the Southern Connecticut State University football team as the Owls welcome American International on Saturday in a 1 p.m. start. SCSU enters the game with a two-game winning streak. Fans who can't make it to the game can follow the Owls with live video at http://www.sportingnewsct.com. There will also be live Twitter updates and live stats available through http://www.southernctowls.com.

LAST TIME OUT
Southern Connecticut scored the first 27 points of the game and never looked back in a 47-26 victory over Pace on Saturday afternoon. Quarterback Jacob Jablonski threw for a career-high 337 yards while completing 17 passes, three of which were touchdowns, on 23 attempts. Wide receiver Willie Epps tallied six catches for 180 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Junior running back Vaughn Magee hit the 100 yard mark for the fourth time in the past five games with 168 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns. In all, the Owls totaled 619 yards of total offense and 30 first downs in an impressive offensive showing.

THE LAST MEETING WITH AIC
Quarterback Kevin Lynch hit junior wide receiver Willie Epps for their third touchdown connection of the day with just three seconds left, as Southern Connecticut completed a furious fourth quarter rally to defeat American International on Oct. 22, 2011, 48-47. The Owls were trailing 47-35 with 4:59 remaining and had the ball back at their own 14 after forcing a fumble with the Yellow Jackets on the verge of going up by three scores.
• From there, SCSU put together a 13-play, 86-yard drive over the next 3:28, culminated by a 5-yard strike from Lynch to Epps. However, the PAT was no good.
• AIC recovered the ensuing onside kick and drove to the SCSU 30, but the Owls stopped the Yellow Jackets by inches on a 4th and 2 to get one more crack at it with 1:07 remaining. Southern Connecticut then marched 70 yards in seven plays with Lynch hitting Epps on a low strike with 3 seconds left to even the score at 47-47. Christopher Hazelton then added the PAT to provide the margin of victory.
• Rashaad Slowley finished with 141 yards on 30 carries and scored four touchdowns to set a new SCSU single-season mark. The old record was 25, set by Rashaan Dumas in 1998.
• Lynch finished 25-of-39 for 430 yards and three touchdowns. He finished just 13 yards shy of the SCSU single-game yardage record.
• Epps had seven catches for 118 yards and three touchdowns, while Andre Privott totaled six catches for 169 yards and also had 86 return yards on the day.

THE LAST MEETING IN NEW HAVEN
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. John Wiechman finished with 68 yards on 19 carries. Sam-uel Johnson led the Owls with 10 tackles.

ALL-TIME AGAINST AIC
Southern Connecticut leads the all-time series against AIC by a 31-21-3 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.

EPPS MOVING UP THE CAREER CHARTS
Wide receiver Willie Epps ranks among the all-time leaders at SCSU in several categories. He is currently second all-time in receiving yards (2,680), third in touchdown receptions (25) and sixth in total receptions (130). Last time out against Pace, he moved into the No. 2 spot in receiving yards and the No. 3 spot in touchdown receptions. Epps tallied six catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns against the Setters.

THAT TIME OF YEAR
SCSU has posted a 37-6 mark in its last 43 regular season games that take place on or after Oct. 1.

OFFENSE PILES IT ON
The Owls totaled 619 yards of total offense and 30 first downs in Saturday's win over Pace.

MAGEE AMONG THE NCAA LEADERS
Vaughn Magee enters the weekend ranked No. 8 in Division II with an average of 140 yards per game. That total is also No. 2 in the Northeast-10 Conference.

JABLONSKI HAS A CAREER DAY
Quarterback Jacob Jablonski set new personal single-game highs for touchdowns (three) and passing yards (337) in Saturday's win over Pace. He completed 17-of-23 passes on the afternoon.

MAGEE KEEPS IT GOING
Vaughn Magee posted his fourth effort with at least 100 yards in the last five games with a 168-yard performance in the win over Pace. He totaled 26 carries and two touchdowns.

BACKFIELD CONTINUES TO PROSPER
Sophomore Jack Mallis rushed for 47 yards on six carries and his first career touchdown against Pace. Freshman Dequane June finished with 50 yards on eight carries and caught one pass for 14 yards in his Owls' debut.

NORKETT RESPONDS IN NEW ROLE
Already one of the top special teams tacklers on the club, freshman Douglas Norkett finished with four kickoff returns for 105 yards in Saturday's win over Pace. He also posted two tackles on special teams.

MAGEE PUTS HIS NAME IN THE RECORD BOOK
Vaughn Magee was already having a good day on the ground through three quarters of the win against St. Anselm. His accomplishments in the final 15 minutes, though, made the day a truly memorable one. Magee totaled 187 yards in the fourth quarter alone to set a new Division II record for yards in a quarter. The old mark of 184 yards in a quarter was set by Stefan Logan of South Dakota in a game against Truman on Sept. 3, 2005.

MAGEE NETS TRIO OF HONORS
For his cumulative efforts against St. Anselm, Vaughn Magee was named the Northeast-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week, as an Offensive Player of the Week by the Beyond College Sports Network and as the weekly Division II/III Gold Helmet Award winner by the New England Football Writers' Gridiron Club of Greater Boston. He became the first Owl to win the latter award since Jarom Freeman in 2007.

OWLS DOMINATE THE NCAA RUSHING RECORDS
Thanks to Vaughn Magee's performance against St. Anselm, Southern Connecticut now has the NCAA Division II individual single-game, single-half and single-quarter records. Previously, Jarom Freeman rushed for 246 yards in the first half of a Nov. 2, 2007 game against Bryant in which he finished with 418 yards to set new Division II marks in both of those categories.

JABLONSKI SPREADS IT AROUND
Quarterback Jacob Jablonski completed passes to eight different receivers against St. Anselm, en route to a career-high 292 yards through the air. He also tossed two touchdowns.

TARGETS POST NEW CAREER HIGHS
Jayson Holt and Jerome Cunningham both set personal single-game career highs with totals of 56 and 68 receiving yards, respectively, in the win over St. Anselm.

SAFETY DANCE
The Owls recorded their first defensive safety since 2010 in the game against St. Anselm. SCSU had a safety on special teams last year in the win over Stonehill when Sam-uel Johnson returned a blocked PAT back the other way.

MAGEE'S ST. ANSELM EFFORT NEAR THE TOP
Vaughn Magee's 297 yard effort was the second-best single-game rushing effort in Division II this year. Brandon Schoen of Ohio Dominican rushed for 298 yards the week prior in a game against Grand Valley State. Magee's performance was also the third-best single-game total in SCSU history, behind Jarom Freeman's aforementioned 418 yard effort against Bryant in 2007 and Ellis Robinson's 303 yard showing against AIC in 1994.

MOSCATEL MAKES A MARK
Seeing his first significant action in the backfield, John Moscatel totaled 192 all-purpose yards and a touchdown for the Owls against Merrimack. He hauled in a 44-yard touchdown pass, rushed for 67 yards and added 81 yards on kickoff returns. He was named to the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll for his efforts.

WOODLEY OPPORTUNISTIC ON 'D'
Sebron Woodley has played an integral role in the Owls defense as of late. He had a career day against Merrimack, as he returned a fumble 90 yards for a score, while also adding an interception for the Owls. The fumble return came in the closing minutes, when, on a 4th down play,  the Owls' defense knocked the ball loose. Woodley scooped it up and broke through two arm tackles to go the distance the other way. He also had six tackles in the game. Against St. Anselm, Woodley had eight tackles, seven of which were solo stops.

FAGAN FIGURES IN ON OFFENSE
Wide receiver Raymond Fagan had career-highs of four catches and 46 yards against Merrimack. His four receptions tied for the team-high in the contest.

BURSTING ONTO THE SCENE
After totaling just three catches in his collegiate career previously, junior Vito Fornarelli had three catches for exactly 100 yards in the game against St. Augustine's. Both figures were career highs. He followed that up with three more catches  against Merrimack.

TWO SENIORS POST NEW CAREER-BESTS
Tight end Jerome Cunningham hauled in a single-game best five passes against St. Augustine's. His previous high was four catches, set on three separate occasions. Linebacker Jack Cooper notched 10 tackles, besting his old high of eight set last year against Bentley.

HOLT GETS TOUCHDOWN NO. 1
Senior wide receiver Jayson Holt hauled in his first touchdown reception as an Owl, a 6-yard catch, in the game against St. Augustine's.

PUNTER PINS THEM DEEP
Redshirt freshman Bobby Lippincott had a strong day punting the football against St. Augustine's. He averaged 41.4 yards per boot on five attempts, three of which were inside the Falcons 20 yard line.

COOPER CAPTAINING THE CHARGE
Senior linebacker Jack Cooper leads the club with 45 tackles on the season.

ON THE AIR
Fans can follow all Southern Connecticut football games on the web at www.sportingnewsct.com. Don Boyle will provide live audio coverage of all road games, while all home contests will feature live video at no charge for fans.

THE HARMONY CLASSIC
Southern Connecticut State University, in conjunction with the NAACP of Connecticut, hosted the 'Harmony Classic' at the football contest between the Owls and St. Augustine's University. The event embraced the NCAA Division II Community Engagement mission to develop students and communities by actively engaging in shared experiences and the NAACP's mission to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.The day's events featured an array of activities, including a Healthfair, Tailgate competition, NAACP Voter Registration and a Greek Fraternity and Sorority Step and Strolling Exhibition.

STEPPING INTO THE FIRE
Redshirt freshman Bobby Lippincott made his first collegiate start against Stonehill following an injury to Jacob Jablonski in the opener. Lippincott completed 15-of-33 passes for 163 yards in the contest.

BROCKENBERRY NETS FIRST CAREER PICK
Junior Aaron Brockenberry had his first career interception against Stonehill.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE
The Stonehill result marked the first time that SCSU had been shut out in 128 games, the longest such streak in school history. You have to go back to September of 2000, a 20-0 loss to Stony Brook, for the last time that the Owls were blanked.

STAGGARS TAKES ON INCREASED ROLE
Wide receiver Carlton Staggars is third on the Owls in receptions (16) and in receiving yards (222) through the six games of the year.

CUNNINGHAM A STRONG TARGET
Senior tight end Jerome Cunningham leads the Owls with 24 receptions and is second with 268 receiving yards this season. He had his first touchdown catch of the year in the game against Merrimack and added one against Pace.

JABLONSKI TAKES THE REINS UNDER CENTER
Junior quarterback Jacob Jablonski made his first collegiate start in the opener at IUP. He completed 9-of-12 passes for 62 yards and a touchdown and also rushed five times for 20 yards in the contest.

LIPPINCOTT SHOWS HIS VERSATILITY
Redshirt freshman Bobby Lippincott made his collegiate debut against IUP and fared well in two roles. As a quarterback, he was 5-of-10 for 83 yards. In addition, he punted seven times for an average of 35.7 yards per kick.

STAGGARS LIKES THE END ZONE
After hauling in a 6-yard touchdown reception in the opener at IUP, Carlton Staggars could say that his first two collegiate catches both went for scores. He also had a 92-yard reception - the longest touchdown in program history at the time - back in 2010 against Pace. Staggars added two more catches against the Crimson Hawks and totaled a team-high 46 receiving yards on the day.

DEFENSIVE BACKS POST STRONG STATS IN OPENER
Junior Aaron Brockenberry had a team-high 13 tackles against IUP, while Dion O'Joe posted 11 tackles and forced a fumble.

IN SEASON OPENERS
The Owls are now 35-29-1 all-time in season openers. The 2012 season was the 65th in program history.

CAVANAUGH RANKS AMONG NCAA'S BEST
Head coach Rich Cavanaugh entered the 2012 season ranked No. 5 among all Division II active football coaches with 164 victories.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
The Owls have welcomed 40 newcomers to the squad since the end of last season.

IN THE NE-10 PRESEASON POLL
SCSU was selected second in the Northeast-10 Conference preseason poll, as voted by the league's coaches.

TWO NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Seniors William Chaffin and Willie Epps were both named preseason All-Americans by USA Football News and the CDFL/D2 vs. NAIA Senior Bowl. 

IN THE PRESEASON AFCA POLL
The Owls recieved six votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Preseason Coaches Poll. 

ALUMS CARRYING THE CHAMPIONSHIP FLAG
Two former SCSU football student-athletes captured championships as coaches this past winter. Kevin Gilbride, offensive coordinator for the New York Giants, won his second Super Bowl title in the past four years as the Giants defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. In addition, Jeff Stoutland, offensive line coach for the University of Alabama, helped the Crimson Tide win the 2012 BCS National Championship.

AMONG THE KEY DEFENSIVE RETURNERS
Linebacker Jack Cooper is the top returning tackler from a year ago. He made 48 stops a year ago. Classmate Steven Teague posted 40 tackles last season and tied for the team-high with three interceptions. Teague also broke up five passes.

OWLS CLINCH 11TH STRAIGHT WINNING SEASON
Southern Connecticut clinched its 11th straight winning season with a victory over AIC on Oct. 22. The Owls have now posted 18 consecutive seasons with a final record at or above the .500 mark. In all, head coach Rich Cavanaugh has posted 19 winning seasons with the Owls.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SEASON IN THE BOOKS
The Owls enjoyed a 2011 campaign in which they posted their 11th consecutive winning season and finished with a 7-3 overall mark.

FOUR OWLS NAMED ALL-ECAC
The Owls had four student-athletes - Michael Escobar, Christopher Hazelton, Ike Igbinosun and Rashaad Slowley -  recognized with year-end honors from the Eastern College Athletic Conference as Division II Football All-Stars.

TWO NAMED ALL-REGION
Defensive lineman Ike Igbinosun and running back Rashaad Slowley were named to both the All-Region and All-New England teams for their play during the 2011 season.

EVERYBODY'S ALL-AMERICANS
Sam-uel Johnson, Andre Privott and Rashaad Slowley were named All-Americans for their play in 2011. The trio was all recognized by www.d2proday.com. In addition, Slowley was also selected an All-American by Don Hansen's Football Gazette, the Beyond College Sports Network and www.d2football.com.

OWLS NAMED 2011 ECAC TEAM OF THE YEAR
Southern Connecticut was selected as the 2011 ECAC Team of the Year for their play during the season.

NINE NAMED ALL-CONFERENCE
Nine members of the Southern Connecticut State University football team - William Chaffin, Willie Epps, Michael Escobar, Christopher Hazelton, Ike Igbinosun, Sam-uel Johnson, Andre Privott , Chevar Rankins and Rashaad Slowley - were tabbed for the All-Northeast-10 Conference team at the conclusion of the season. Chaffin and Epps both return this fall.

HOLT STEPS UP
Wide receiver Jayson Holt enjoyed a breakout year in 2011. He finished third on the club with 25 receptions for 197 receiving yards for the Owls.

SLOWLEY A HARLON HILL AWARD FINALIST
Rashaad Slowley was named a finalist for the 2011 Harlon Hill Award, given annually to the top Division II football player in the nation.

ON DECK 
Southern Connecticut is back in action on Oct. 19 for a home game against Assumption. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Jess Dow Field.