Complete Game Notes as a PDF

ANOTHER TOUGH TEST AWAITS
It's football under the lights at Jess Dow Field on Friday night as the Southern Connecticut State University football team plays its first home Northeast-10 Conference contest when Merrimack visits for a 7 p.m. start. Fans who can't make it to the game can follow the Owls with live video at www.sportingnewsct.com. There will also be live stats available through www.southernctowls.com and live Twitter updates at https://twitter.com/SCSU_Owls.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST MERRIMACK GAME
The Southern Connecticut State University football team scored the final 15 points of the game, but 24 straight second half points by Merrimack College provided just enough of a margin for victory in a  38-35 win over the Owls on Sept. 22, 2012 in North Andover, Mass.
• The Owls registered the final 15 points of the game but an onside kick with 1:59 remaining went out of bounds, and the Warriors ran out the clock from there.
• John Moscatel totaled 192 all-purpose yards and a touchdown on the day for the Owls. He hauled in a 44-yard touchdown pass, rushed for 67 yards and added 81 yards on kickoff returns.
• Sebron Woodley 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. On the ensuing two-point try, quarterback Jacob Jablonski hit tight end Jerome Cunningham on a successful two-point try.
• Merrimack opened the scoring just over three minutes into the game after the Owls missed a field goal on their opening drive. Southern Connecticut countered with a 12 play, 70-yard drive that culminated on an eight-yard pass from Jablonski to Cunningham.
• Devin Silverman added a field goal early in the second quarter to give the Owls a 10-7 lead.
• Merrimack went back in front on its next drive at 14-10, but SCSU scored the final 10 points of the half. Silverman connected on a 28-yard field goal to get the Owls within a point before Jablonski hit Moscatel on a 44-yard catch and run to put the Owls in front at 20-14 at the half.
• However, the Warriors came out with 24 straight points in the second half before SCSU made a late run.
• Vaughn Magee finished with 92 yards on the ground to lead the rushers. Jablonski completed 15-of-34 passes for 199 yards and two scores. Raymond Fagan and Cunningham each had four catches to lead the receivers.
• Mike Dunkley led the defense with 13 tackles.

ALL-TIME AGAINST MERRIMACK
Southern Connecticut leads the all-time series with Merrimack by an 8-7 margin.

JOHNSON FINDS PAYDIRT
Sophomore Michael Johnson scored his first collegiate touchdown in the game against LIU-Post.

WILCOX LEADS THE DEFENSIVE CHARGE
Junior linebacker Brian Wilcox had a career-high 10 tackles to pace the defense in that department against IUP. He followed that up with a 12 tackle performance in the game against LIU-Post.

MOSCATEL MAKES A QUICK IMPACT
Junior running back/wide receiver John Moscatel has filled a variety of roles for the Owls over the first two games. He registered 152 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns in the opener against Indiana, Pa. He finished with a career-high 86 yards rushing on 21 carries along with two scores. He also had 48 yards on kickoff returns and 18 yards receiving to total 152 all-purpose yards for the contest. For his efforts, Moscatel was named to the Northeast-10 weekly honor roll.
Last time out, Moscatel registered 150 all-purpose yards and one touchdown in the game against LIU-Post.

CROSSON CATCHING ON
After totaling three interceptions a year ago, Malcolm Crosson tallied his first pick of 2013 in the game against LIU-Post.

WILLIAMS MAKES HIS PRESENCE FELT
Junior Gary Williams is off to a strong start through the first two games of the 2013 season. He finished with four catches for 88 yards in the opener against IUP and added six catches for 72 yards against LIU-Post. Both totals were team-highs in the game against the Pioneers.

DEFENSE SPREADS THE WEALTH
Jonathan Balcacer, Mike Dunkley and Carlif Taylor each registered seven tackles against IUP.

KNOCK IT DOWN
Defensive back Mustaqiim Plair totaled four pass breakups against IUP in addition to his four tackles on the day.

WIDEOUTS PROVE PRODUCTIVE
Five different Owls had receptions against IUP. Vito Fornarelli posted a career-high five catches and added a touchdown in an 80-yard effort. Gary Williams posted new single-game highs in receptions (four) and receiving yards (88). Carlton Staggars, John Moscatel and true freshman Travis Cusson each contributed two catches on the day.

IN SEASON OPENERS
The Owls are now 35-30-1 all-time in season openers. The 2013 season was the 66th in program history.

CAVANAUGH RANKS AMONG NCAA'S BEST
Head coach Rich Cavanaugh enters the 2013 season ranked tied for No. 4 among all Division II active football coaches with 167 victories.

AMONG THE KEY OFFENSIVE RETURNERS
Six starters are back on the offensive side of the ball for the Owls. Quarterback Jacob Jablonski enters his second season as the team's starter. He threw for 1,675 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago. Vaughn Magee rushed for 1,141 yards en route to All-Conference and All-Region laurels in 2012. The wideouts are led by Carlton Staggars, who had 20 catches for 266 yards and two touchdowns a year ago. John Weiss shifts from fullback to tight end, while seniors Dominick Diglio and Kyle Empey lead the offensive line.

AMONG THE KEY DEFENSIVE RETURNERS
The Owls have a host of players who saw action as starters at one time or another in previous years, bolstered by a strong front four. Mwamba Williams was an All-Conference pick a year ago, while Zachary Williams, A.J. Marsiglia and Carlif Taylor have also been starters in their careers. Mike Dunkley leads all returners with 58 tackles from a year ago, while Dunkley and Malcolm Crosson each posted a team-high three interceptions last year.

DOW NAMED TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
Jesse L. "Jess" Dow, the founder of the intercollegiate athletic program at Southern Connecticut State University and its first head football coach, was inducted posthumously into the College Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2013 on August 28 in Atlanta.
• A native of Tona, Texas, Dow joined the Southern faculty in 1946 when there were just 25 men enrolled. He established the intercollegiate football program, for which he is best known, in 1948 and went on to become one of the nation's outstanding football coaches.
• In 18 years as the Owls' head football coach, from 1948-65, Dow enjoyed 16 winning seasons, including Southern's only unbeaten, untied campaign in 1956.  His teams lost only once in a season seven different times (1949, 50, 51, 53, 55, 58, 59) and his 1959 team participated in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Playoff Bowl semifinal.
• After winning the Eastern Football Conference title and being named "Coach of the Year" in the EFC in 1965, the league's inaugural season, Dow retired as football coach to devote full-time duties as director of athletics, a position he held until retiring Jan. 31, 1975. He completed his career as the winningest college division coach in New England with a 108-40-6 won-lost-tied record for a winning percentage of .730.
• Dow was twice selected as Coach of the Year, in 1950 and 1953, by the Connecticut Sports Writers Alliance.  The Alliance also honored him with the coveted Gold Key following his retirement from coaching.
• He also received one of the nation's highest honors athletically when he was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame for his contributions to college athletics.
• Southern's outdoor athletic facility, Jess Dow Field, was dedicated in his honor in 1988, and he was among the first class inducted into the Southern Alumni Sports Hall of Fame.
• Dow, a professor emeritus of Health and Physical Education, didn't limit his coaching to football. He also guided Southern teams in basketball, baseball, track and golf in his 28-year career. He had an outstanding record as Southern's golf coach with a 49-23 won-lost record over his final six seasons.
• Dow attended West Texas State University, where he was named a Little All-America fullback in 1937. He joined the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League for three seasons following his graduation.
• During World War II, Dow served in the U.S. Navy for three and a half years, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
IN THE NORTHEAST-10 PRESEASON POLL
Southern Connecticut was selected sixth in the Northeast-10 preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
The Owls have welcomed 28 newcomers to the team since the conclusion of last year.

KEEPING TRACK OF THE WILLIAMS'
Southern Connecticut has five players on its 2013 roster with the last name Williams - Alexander (Freshman, Defensive End), Gary (Junior, Wide Receiver), Mwamba (Senior, Defensive End), Tyler (Redshirt Freshman, Offensive Lineman) and Zachary (Junior, Defensive End).

MALLIS EARNS NE-10 ALL-ACADEMIC HONORS
Junior running back Jack Mallis was named to the Northeast-10 Conference Football All-Academic Team for his efforts on the playing field and in the classroom in 2012. Mallis was a versatile performer for the Owls last fall who contributed both at running back and on special teams.

STOUTLAND JOINS ALUMS IN NFL COACHING RANKS
Former Southern Connecticut State University football student-athlete and assistant coach Jeff Stoutland was named the offensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles this past February. Stoutland joined the Eagles after serving in the same role at the University of Alabama for two years, where he helped the Crimson Tide win consecutive BCS National Championship games. Stoutland joins former Owl student-athlete and coach Kevin Gilbride, the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants, as SCSU alums currently on NFL coaching staffs.

TEN EARN CONFERENCE HONORS
Ten members of the Southern Connecticut State University football team – seniors Jack Cooper and Willie Epps, juniors Vaughn Magee and Mwamba Williams and freshmen Jake Ceresna, Malcolm Crosson, Jamie Holbrook, Dequane June, John Parsons and Kameron Tedder - were awarded with year-end honors from the Northeast-10 Conference, as selected by the league's coaches. Cooper was a First-Team All-Conference honoree, while Epps, Magee and Williams were all tabbed for the Second-Team. Ceresna, Crosson, Holbrook, June, Parsons and Tedder were named to the league's All-Rookie Team.

MAGEE NAMED ALL-REGION
Vaughn Magee was awarded with All-Region honors from Don Hansen's Football Gazette at the conclusion of the year. Magee, a Third-Team selection, led the Northeast-10 Conference in rushing with 1,141 total yards and eight touchdowns and his 126.8 yards/game average was also tops in the league. Magee also totaled 12 receptions for 99 yards.

MAGEE RANKS AMONG NCAA RUSHING LEADERS
Vaughn Magee finished the year ranked No. 11 in all of Division II in yards/game.  He averaged 126.8 yards per game.

EPPS SELECTED TO NATIONAL BOWL GAME
Willie Epps was selected to play in the National Bowl Game on December 9 in Allentown, Pa. Epps capped his career by earning All-Conference accolades for the third consecutive year after leading the Owls' wide receivers in catches (39), receiving yards (665) and touchdowns (four). He finished his career ranked second all-time at Southern Connecticut in receiving yards (2,868), third in touchdown receptions (26) and fourth in receptions (147). Epps was also named a preseason All-American as well as an All-ECAC pick during his career with the Owls.

CUNNINGHAM TAKES PART IN NFL SUPER REGIONAL COMBINE
Jerome Cunningham was selected to participate in a NFL Super Regional combine at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas from April 6-8. Cunningham was a four-year member of the squad and three-year starter at tight end for the Owls. He recorded 61 catches for 690 yards and seven touchdowns in his career. Cunningham was also previously recognized as a selection to the Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll for his work in the classroom.

FARING WELL IN THE CLASSROOM
The Owls had 33 selections to the Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll during the course of the 2012-13 academic year. Student-athletes must achieve a 3.0 semester grade point average or higher to earn the honor.

MAGEE BREAKS THE 1,000 YARD MARK
With 83 yards on the ground against Bentley on Nov. 3,  running back Vaughn Magee surpassed the 1,000 yard mark for the season. He finished with 1,141 yards on the year.

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 on Sept. 28, 2012, 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.

ON DECK 
Southern Connecticut is back in action on Sept. 27 for a 7 p.m. road game at St. Anselm.