Box Score





NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University football team accumulated more than 500 yards of total offense and outscored Merrimack 19-6 during a key second half stretch en route to a 40-34 victory over the Warriors on Friday evening.

The Owls improved to 1-2 overall and 1-1 in Northeast-10 Conference play. Merrimack is now 1-2, 0-2 in league action.

Southern Connecticut used a balanced offensive attack and held a potent Merrimack offense in check for most of the evening. John Moscatel (Lexington, Mass.) rushed for a career-high 116 yards and totaled a career-high 225 all-purpose yards on the night. Fellow back Vaughn Magee (Mastic Beach, N.Y.) had 90 yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns before exiting with an injury.  Gary Williams (West Haven, Conn.) registered six catches for a career-high 163 yards and a touchdown. Vito Fornarelli (Colchester, Conn.) posted a career-best seven catches for 87 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Jacob Jablonski (Gales Ferry, Conn.)  finished 18-of-29 for 278 yards and two touchdowns.

The defense was led by Brian Wilcox (Jericho, Vt.) , who tallied a career-high 14 tackles. Seniors Mwamba Williams (Windsor, Conn.) and Sebron Woodley (Linden, N.J.) each had seven tackles.

The Owls never trailed in the contest. Magee opened the scoring with his first touchdown run, a four-yard scamper, that gave SCSU a 7-0 lead after a successful PAT from Jeff Groth (Shelton, Conn.). Merrimack countered later in the first quarter on a 24-yard pass from Joe Clancy to Justin Mount to tie the score.

Southern Connecticut went back in front just 74 seconds into the second quarter when Magee broke around the right side and went in from 18 yards out. Groth's PAT made it 14-7. Merrimack tied the game on its next drive on a 4-yard pass from Clancy to Jere Brown and a successful PAT.

Magee's third touchdown run of the game was a six-yard run on the ensuing drive that padded the lead to 21-14 after a Groth PAT. Merrimack tied the game with just 41 seconds left in the half on another strike from Clancy to Brown.

The Owls came out of the intermission by scoring the first 12 points of the second half. Jablonski hit Fornarelli on a 14-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive to give the Owls a 27-21 lead. Later in the quarter, Jablonski hit Williams on a deep ball down the middle, and Williams sprinted to the far pylon to extend the lead to 33-21.



The third touchdown connection of the night from Clancy to Brown made it 33-27 with just 23 seconds left in the third quarter. From there, the score stayed the same for most of the fourth quarter.

Merrimack pinned the Owls back to their own 2 with just over eight minutes to play, but SCSU assembled a 13 play, 98 yard drive over 6:40. The drive was culminated on a 1-yard plunge from Michael Johnson (Enfield, Conn.) on a fourth and goal play, and Groth's PAT made it 40-27.



The Warriors came down the field and cut the gap to six on a pass from Clancy to Shane Ferguson. Merrimack tried an onside kick, but it was illegally touched, and the Owls ran out the clock for the win.

Southern Connecticut returns to action on Sept. 27  for a road game at St. Anselm.