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HOMECOMING ON THE HORIZON
The annual Homecoming contest is up next for the Southern Connecticut State University football team on Saturday as Bentley visits Jess Dow Field for a 1 p.m. start. Fans who can't make it to the game can follow the action with live video on www.sportingnewsct.com with Don Boyle on the call. In addition, there will be live stats available through the SCSU athletics website and live Twitter updates through the official SCSU athletic department feed.

ALL-TIME AGAINST BENTLEY
The Falcons lead the all-time series against the Owls by a 10-6 margin.

HALL PROVES A VERSATILE THREAT
Freshman Shaquan Hall had his best game as an Owl last time out against New Haven. He made an impact both as a wide receiver, rusher and returner in Saturday's game against New Haven with 149 all-purpose yards (31 receiving, 110 return, eight rushing) and a touchdown. He had a receiving touchdown and his biggest kickoff and punt returns of the day (54 and 27 yards, respectively) set up both Owls' touchdowns.

TWO OWLS EARN NE-10 WEEKLY HONORS
Shaquan Hall was named Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Week for his play against UNH, while Brian Wilcox was named to the NE-10 weekly honor roll.

KEEPING THEM OFF THE BOARD EARLY
Through the first five games of the year, the Owls' defense did not allow a point in the first quarter of play and has now merited just seven first quarter points through six games.

CERISANO TACKLES THE COMPETITION
Michael Cerisano has vaulted into the team lead with 60 tackles through the first six games of the year for the Owls.

HOLBROOK, WILLIAMS SACKING THE COMPETITION
Jaime Holbrook has a team-high 4.5 sacks this year, with fellow defensive lineman Zachary Williams right behind with four sacks for the Owls.

WILLIAMS LEADS THE WIDEOUTS
Senior Gary Williams has a team-high 22 receptions this year along with a team-high 248 receiving yards.

YOU DON'T SEE THAT EVERY DAY
Senior defensive lineman Zachary Williams served as the kickoff specialist for the Owls last time out against New Haven.

A PRETTY GOOD DEBUT
Freshman wide receiver Ryne Griesenauer had a fine collegiate debut with three catches for 39 yards against New Haven.

LAST TIME OUT
A run of 20 unanswered points proved to be the difference in the football game as Southern Connecticut State University dropped a 27-14 decision to the University of New Haven on Saturday afternoon.
• Freshman Shaquan Hall made an impact with 149 all-purpose yards (31 receiving, 130 return, eight rushing) and one touchdown on the afternoon. Quarterback Raymond Catapano completed 19-of-30 passes for 178 yards and one touchdown. Gary Williams paced the wide receivers with team-highs of six catches and 62 yards.
• Brian Wilcox registered 13 tackles to lead the defense, while Michael Cerisano had 11 stops.
• New Haven opened the scoring with an 11-play, 85-yard drive that took up most of the first quarter. The drive concluded with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Joey Bradley to Jonathan Badyna. The PAT made it 7-0.
• Hall then returned the ensuing kickoff 54 yards to give the Owls great field position. They cashed in four plays later when Julian Hayes scampered 15 yards for a touchdown. Jeff Groth added the PAT to even the score after the opening frame.
• The Chargers regained the lead on their next possession, marking the start of a run of 20 straight points. Trevor Officer's 20-yard touchdown run just 75 seconds into the second quarter made it 14-7 after the PAT. That was the score at halftime.
• The only scoring of the third quarter came on a controversial 17-yard pass from Bradley to Ty Headley, a play in which he appeared to fail to keep a foot in bounds for the score.
• The final UNH touchdown was a 53-yard strike from Bradley to Courtney Moshood just over four minutes into the final frame for a 27-7 cushion.
• Southern Connecticut added one late score at the end of a seven-play, 50-yard drive. Catapano found Hall on a six-yard catch and run for the touchdown. Groth's PAT made it a 27-14 final.

THE LAST MEETING WITH THE FALCONS
A second half rally came up short for the Southern Connecticut State University football team on Nov. 2, 2013, as the Owls fell to Bentley by a 24-19 final.
• John Moscatel had 190 all-purpose yards for the Owls. He had 17 rushes for 95 yards and added another 95 yards on returns. Vaughn Magee rushed 17 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Brandon Basil was 15-of-30 for 172 yards and his first collegiate touchdown. Vito Fornarelli totaled 60 yards on the ground along with a team-high five receptions for 45 yards.
• Bentley opened the scoring just 51 seconds into the game on a 73-yard touchdown pass from Danny Guadagnoli to Jeff Hill. The Owls answered on their next drive with a 36-yard field goal from Devin Silverman to cut the gap to 7-3.
• A 28-yard field goal from Bentley's Michael Baron extended the lead to 10-3 later in the first quarter. Guadagnoli found Hill on a 21-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to pad the lead to 17-3 after a made PAT.
• The Owls closed the gap to seven points at the break. Basil capped a 13-play, 62-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to Travis Cusson. It was Cusson's first collegiate touchdown reception and Basil's first collegiate touchdown pass.
• The only scoring of the third quarter was a 22-yard field goal from Silverman that cut the gap to 17-13 with just 70 seconds left in the frame.
• Bentley pushed the lead to 24-13 early in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run from Guadagnoli. The Owls countered with a 46-yard drive that was punctuated by a one-yard run from Magee.
• Brian Wilcox led the Owls with seven tackles, while Zachary Williams added five tackles and two sacks.

CATAPANO EARNS PAIR OF WEEKLY ACCOLADES
By virtue of his 297 all-purpose yards effort against Assumption, freshman quarterback Raymond Catapano was named both the Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Week and the ECAC Division II Rookie of the Week.

CERISANO MAKES IT THREE IN A ROW
Linebacker Michael Cerisano was named to the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll for the third week in a row following his performance against Assumption.

PAIR NAMED TO NE-10 WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Michael Cerisano and Dion O'Joe were both named to the Northeast-10 weekly honor roll for their play against AIC. It was the second straight week that Cerisano earned the honor.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE...
The Owls accomplished several feats that hadn't taken place in several years in the game against Pace.
• Justin Potts' blocked punt was the first for the Owls since Josh McWilliams did so in the 2009 season opener against Indiana, Pa. - a stretch of 53 games.
• Jonathan Balcacer's punt return touchdown was the first for the Owls since Andre Privott returned a punt for a score during the 2011 Homecoming Nor'easter game against Stonehill - a stretch of 25 games.
• Southern's two punt return touchdowns against Pace marked the first time since November 5, 2005. In that game, Jim Lukowiak returned two punts for scores (81 and 91 yards). It had been 90 games since the Owls had returned two punts for touchdowns.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE...TAKE TWO
Until the Saint Anselm game, Southern Connecticut had not played an overtime contest since the first week of the 2003 season against Merrimack. The Owls won that game by a 33-27 final, but had played 119 games since then without going to extra time.

CAREER DAYS FOR CERISANO, THOMAS
Sophomore linebacker Michael Cerisano posted a career-high 16 tackles along with two sacks in the win over Pace. Running back Donald Thomas accumulated 124 yards on the ground on 13 carries, a career-high total. For their efforts, both were named to the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll.

RUNNING INTO A FLOCK OF OWLS
Southern Connecticut held Pace to just 16 yards rushing on 32 carries. The Owls rushed for 269 yards.

WIN NO. 1 FOR GODEK
Head coach Tom Godek collected his first win in that capacity against Pace after 82 victories while serving as the team's offensive coordinator during the previous 13 seasons.

AN IMPRESSIVE DEBUT
Freshman quarterback Raymond Catapano entered the Saint Anselm contest on the third offensive series and took the reins from there. In total, he completed 17-of-24 passes for 192 yards and also rushed 20 times for 55 yards with a touchdown. 

CATAPANO RECEIVES NE-10 WEEKLY HONORS
By virtue of his performance against St. Anselm, Raymond Catapano was named to the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll.

CAREER-HIGH DAY FOR TAYLOR
Senior captain and defensive lineman Carlif Taylor recorded a career-high 11 tackles in the game against St. Anselm.

BYNUM NAMED TO NE-10 WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Sophomore linebacker Kayjuan Bynum was selected to the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll for his play in the Owls' season opening contest at Gannon.

IN SEASON OPENERS
The Owls are 35-31-1 all-time in season openers. The 2014 season was the 67th in program history.

THREE OWLS EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Three members of the Southern Connecticut State University football team – seniors John Moscatel, Carlif Taylor and Brian Wilcox – were recognized with preseason All-America honors from USA College Football and preseason All-Conference honors from the Beyond Sports Network.

TAYLOR SELECTED AS OWLS' CAPTAIN
Senior defensive lineman Carlif Taylor will serve as the Owls' captain during the 2014 season.

TWO OWLS ON CURRENT NFL ROSTERS
Former Owls' standouts Ike Igbinosun and Jerome Cunningham were both in NFL training camps this summer with the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants, respectively. Igbinosun was signed by the Bills to their practice squad at the conclusion of training camp. This will mark his second year in a row with the Bills after also serving as a part of their practice squad last year. Cunningham also signed with the Giants' practice squad during the first week of September.

IN THE NORTHEAST-10 PRESEASON POLL
The Southern Connecticut State University football team has been selected No. 7 in the Northeast-10 Conference preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches.
1. American Int'l – 81 (9)
2. New Haven – 68
3. Stonehill – 67 (1)
4-tie. Assumption - 47
4-tie. Merrimack - 47
6. LIU Post - 44
7. So. Connecticut - 37
8. Bentley - 31
9. Saint Anselm - 19
10. Pace – 9
( ) – indicates first-place votes

THE 2014 SCHEDULE
The Owls have 11 games scheduled for the 2014 campaign. The year opens with a road game at Gannon on Sept. 6. In total, the opponents have been set for the first 10 dates of the year, with SCSU playing five home and five road games. In addition, the Northeast-10 Conference will once again host its championship weekend on Nov. 15.

TWO WITH OWLS' TIES EARN WALSH FELLOWSHIPS
Current Owls' defensive coordinator Jon Shelton and former Owls' All-American and nine-year NFL veteran Jacques Cesaire were among the individuals who earned Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship this summer. The annual program is administered by the NFL Management Council and NFL Player Engagement. Shelton was on the sidelines with the Philadelphia Eagles, of whom former Owls' captain Jeff Stoutland is now an assistant coach, while Cesaire joined the staff of his former club, the Chargers.

A FAMILIAR FACE TAKES THE REINS
Tom Godek '88, a former Owls' captain and the team's offensive coordinator for the last 13 seasons, was formally named as the sixth head football coach in the history of the Southern Connecticut State University program on April 4.
• The 2010 Division II/III Assistant Coach of the Year by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston, Godek took the Owls' offensive attack to new heights during his tenure as offensive coordinator. A total of 68 players on the offensive side of the ball have been recognized with All-Northeast-10 honors since Godek joined the staff in 2001.
• In addition, the Owls have shattered numerous offensive marks along the way. Since his arrival, the club accumulated new season highs for total yards, rushing yards, passing yards, touchdowns scored and points scored, along with a new program record for total offense in one game.
• As a student-athlete, Godek suited up for the Owls from 1984-87 and was a two-time All-New England selection. As a senior, he served as team captain and was an All-ECAC pick.
• Prior to joining the staff at his alma mater, Godek coached for seven seasons (1994-2000) at American International. While with the Yellow Jackets, Godek helped the club win four division titles en route to four consecutive Northeast-10 Conference Championship appearances. AIC claimed the conference title on two occasions. He also coached two NE-10 Offensive Linemen of the Year, along with 1999 Harlon Hill Trophy runner-up Kavin Gaillaird.
• He replaces Rich Cavanaugh, who retired at the conclusion of the 2013 season. The succession of Owls' coaches includes: Jess Dow (1948-65; 108-40-6), Harry Shay (1966-75; 47-44), George DeLeone (1976-79; 15-24), Kevin Gilbride (1980-84; 35-14-2) and Cavanaugh (1985-2013; 170-131-1)

THREE EARN ALL-AMERICA HONORS
Three members of the Southern Connecticut State University football team – juniors John Moscatel, Carlif Taylor and Brian Wilcox – were recognized with All-America honors from USA College Football at the conclusion of the season. Wilcox was named to the First-Team, while Moscatel was a Third-Team pick. Taylor earned Honorable Mention laurels.

OWLS RANK AMONG FINAL NCAA STAT LEADERS
The Owls finished the 2013 season ranked among the NCAA statistics leaders in several categories, while two members of the team also ranked individually.
• On the individual front, John Moscatel closed the year ranked No. 8 for all-purpose yards per game, while Brian Wilcox was No. 15 in solo tackles
• As a team, the Owls closed the year in the top 25 in Division II in six categories. They were No. 14 for time of possession and No. 20 in pass sacks allowed, They also ranked No. 22 in fewest penalty yards per game, rushing defense and fumbles lost and were No. 24 in tackles for loss allowed.

WILCOX NAMED ALL-ECAC
Linebacker Brian Wilcox named All-ECAC for his play during the 2013 season. Previously an All-Northeast-10 Conference selection, Wilcox became just the third player in school history to amass more than 100 tackles in a season and the first since 1996. In total, the middle linebacker recorded 111 stops, which was third in the Northeast-10. 

FOUR EARN CONFERENCE HONORS
Four members of the Southern Connecticut State University football team – senior Dominick Diglio and  juniors John Moscatel, Carlif Taylor and Brian Wilcox - were awarded with year-end honors from the Northeast-10 Conference, as selected by the league's coaches. All four were selected to the Second-Team.

EPPS SELECTED TO NATIONAL BOWL GAME
For the second year in a row, Willie Epps was selected to play in the National Bowl Game on December 8 in Miami. Epps capped his career in 2012 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.

AMONG THE KEY DEFENSIVE RETURNERS
Five of the top six tacklers from 2013 are back for the Owls this fall. Brian Wilcox is the top returning tackler from a year ago. He made 111 stops a year ago. Carlif Taylor (54 tackles), Mike Dunkley (42 tackles), Jonathan Balcacer (38 tackles) and  A.J. Marsiglia (37 tackles) are also back.

ON DECK
The Owls are back in action on Oct. 25 for a road game at Stonehill.