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INTO THE FINAL STRETCH
The Southern Connecticut State University football team returns to action on Saturday when it travels to North Andover, Mass. for a 1 p.m. start against Merrimack. Fans who can't make it to the game can follow the action with live audio on www.sportingnewsct.com. In addition, there will be live stats available through the Merrimack athletics website and live Twitter updates through the official SCSU athletic department feed.

ALL-TIME AGAINST MERRIMACK
The Owls lead the all-time series with the Warriors by a 9-8 margin.

LAST TIME OUT
The Southern Connecticut State University football team dropped a 28-3 decision to LIU-Post on Saturday in a Northeast-10 Conference contest.
• Southern Connecticut honored its 11 seniors before the game. Of that group, Brian Wilcox had 13 tackles in the game, while Zachary Williams had seven tackles and two sacks. Wide receiver Gary Williams had five catches for 70 yards, both team-highs.
• The Owls opened the scoring with a 12-play, 54-yard drive that took 6:22 of the first quarter. The drive concluded with a career-long 43-yard field goal from Jeff Groth  to make it 3-0.
• However, LIU-Post came back to score on its next drive for a 7-3 lead. The Pioneers added two more touchdowns in the second quarter to build a 21-3 cushion at the break. The visitors tacked on a third quarter touchdown to extend the lead to 28-3, the eventual final.

THE LAST MEETING WITH THE WARRIORS
In what turned out to be the final game in the career of longtime Owls' head coach Rich Cavanaugh, the Southern Connecticut State University football team scored the first 21 points of the game. However, host Merrimack outscored the Owls by a 35-3 margin the rest of the way to claim a 35-24 win during the 2013 Northeast-10 Championship weekend.
• Running back Jack Mallis finished with a career-high 109 yards on the ground along with a touchdown. Carlton Staggars amassed a career-high 137 yards on six catches, one of which was a touchdown.
• Defensively, Brian Wilcox had 11 tackles and a sack. He became just the third player in program history to eclipse 100 tackles in a season.
• The Owls jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the game. Southern Connecticut opened the scoring in the first quarter with a six-play, 52-yard drive that was capped by a nine-yard run from Mallis. Devin Silverman added the PAT to extend the lead to 7-0.
• SCSU needed just 133 seconds to build its lead to 21-0 early in the second quarter. Brandon Basil hit Staggars on a 63-yard touchdown reception only 12 seconds into the second quarter to make it 14-0 after the PAT. Then, on the next Merrimack possession, Mike Dunkley returned an interception 55 yards back for a touchdown and a 21-0 lead.
• Merrimack scored the final 13 points of the quarter to close to 21-13 at the half. After an Owls' interception, Joe Clancy hit Zach Ingalls on a 19-yard touchdown reception. Artis Holt then returned a SCSU interception 47 yards for a score later in the frame.
• SCSU extended its lead to 24-13 on a 23-yard field goal from Silverman midway through the third quarter.
• However, the Warriors scored the final 22 points of the game to post the victory.

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT WEEK...
There are still plenty of variables in play for the Northeast-10 Championship weekend on Nov. 15. What is known is that the Owls can finish no higher than seventh with a win over Merrimack. SCSU can also finish no worse than ninth. The No. 7 finisher will host the No. 8 finisher and the No. 9 finisher will host Pace in the final game of the year.

WILCOX CLOSING IN
Linebacker Brian Wilcox is making a push to finish his career ranked among the top-five all-time at SCSU in tackles. He  s currently seventh with 211 career stops.
1. 426, J.R. Ferguson, 1993-96
2. 413, Steve Lawrence, 1989-92
3. 303, Andrew Pratt, 2006-09
4. 245, Dexter Alexander, 2002-05
5. 238, Bob Gibson, 1985-88 
6. 222, Marcel Dumas, 1991-94
7. 211, Brian Wilcox, 2010-present

GROTH DIALS LONG DISTANCE AGAIN
For the second time in as many weeks, placekicker Jeff Groth connected on a career-long field goal. After hitting from 41 yards against Stonehill, he followed that up with a 43-yard field goal against LIU-Post.

AMONG THE NE-10 LEADERS
Several Owls rank among the conference leaders in a variety of categories:
Tackles: Michael Cerisano (fourth), Brian Wilcox (sixth)
Sacks: Zachary Williams (second)
Tackles for Loss: Zachary Williams (second)
Receptions: Gary Williams (10th)

SENIOR SENDOFF
The LIU-Post contest served as the final regular season home game for the Owls' 11 seniors - Jonathan Balcacer,  Julian Hayes, Jack Mallis, A.J. Marsiglia, Dion O'Joe, Mustaqiim Plair, Carlif Taylor, John Weiss, Gary Williams, Brian Wilcox and Zachary Williams.

THREE EARN WEEKLY ECAC HONORS
By virtue of their efforts against Stonehill, Ray Catapano (Rookie of the Week), Brian Wilcox (Defensive Player of the Week) and Jeff Groth (Special Teams Player of the Week) all earned weekly honors from the ECAC.

PLENTY OF TIME OF POSSESSION
The Owls' offense recorded a season-high time of possession mark against Stonehill, holding the ball for more than twice as long as the Skyhawks. SCSU had the ball with 41:55, compared to 18:05 for Stonehill. In total, the Owls have held the edge in time of possession in six of eight games so far this year.

GROTH DIALS LONG DISTANCE, EARNS NE-10 HONOR
Junior kicker/punter Jeff Groth hit a career-long 41-yard field goal in the win over Stonehill. He also averaged a season-best 41 yards per punt on seven punts en route to NE-10 Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

PICK' EM
Brian Wilcox became the first Owl since Jack Cooper in the 2012 season finale at Stonehill to return a pick for a score in the win over Stonehill this year. He also became the first Owl to register two interceptions in a game since Mike Dunkley recorded two at Saint Anselm in 2013.

SOMETHING ABOUT STONEHILL
Coincidentally, the last time that the Owls picked off four passes in a game came in the 2012 season finale against Stonehill.

CATAPANO REMAINS CONSISTENT
Freshman quarterback Raymond Catapano was named the Northeast-10 Rookie of the Week for his play in the win over Stonehill. He completed a season-best 70-percent of his passes on the day and totaled 188 yards without committing a turnover.

CERISANO TACKLES THE COMPETITION
Michael Cerisano has vaulted into the team lead with 80 tackles for the Owls.

WILLIAMS VAULTS INTO SACK LEAD
With two sacks against LIU-Post, defensive lineman Zachary Williams now leads the Owls with seven sacks, while Jaime Holbrook has 4.5 on the year.

WILLIAMS LEADS THE WIDEOUTS
Senior Gary Williams has a team-high 37 receptions this year along with a team-high 396 receiving yards.

YOU DON'T SEE THAT EVERY DAY
Senior defensive lineman Zachary Williams has served as the kickoff specialist for the Owls in each of their last four games.

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

HALL PROVES A VERSATILE THREAT
Freshman Shaquan Hall had his best game as an Owl 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.

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 will play their final game of 2014 on Nov. 15 against an opponent TBD.