Complete Game Notes as a PDF

HOMECOMING HAS ARRIVED
The annual Homecoming game takes place this Saturday as the Southern Connecticut State University football team looks for its third consecutive victory. Assumption visits Jess Dow Field for a 5 p.m. start.

ALL-TIME AGAINST ASSUMPTION
Southern Connecticut leads the all-time series with the Greyhounds by an 10-3 margin.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST MEETING
Assumption quarterback Trevor Vasey went up-and-over the top for a 1-yard touchdown with 1:15 remaining to provide the margin of difference as the Southern Connecticut State University football team lost a heartbreaking 13-12 decision to the Greyhounds on Oct. 4, 2014.
• Quarterback Raymond Catapano led all rushers for 20 carries for 127 yards and one touchdown on the ground, while connecting on 12-of-30 passes for 170 yards and one touchdown through the air. Robert Thomas led the receivers with four catches for 49 yards. Seth Sheridan had a team-high 64 yards on three receptions. Running back Jack Mallis also contributed 55 yards on 16 carries.
• Carlif Taylor recorded a team-high 11 tackles, while Michael Cerisano had nine tackles and a sack. Southern's defense held Assumption to only 218 yards on the afternoon.
• The Owls appeared on their way to a victory thanks to some fourth quarter heroics. Trailing 7-6 in the final frame, SCSU assembled a 12-play, 80-yard drive to take the lead. Facing a 4th-and-1 at the Assumption 22, Catapano faked the handoff and scampered 22 yards for the go-ahead score. The Owls elected to go for two points, but the conversion failed.
• Southern's defense then held Assumption on its next possession, and the Owls had a chance to run out the clock. However, SCSU was unable to convert a first down and was forced to punt. During that exchange, the Owls were called for an illegal kick, and after another penalty was tacked on against the Owls sidelines, Assumption was given the ball at the SCSU 5.
• The Owls' defense gave it one last surge, but Vasey extended the ball just over the goal line on a 4th-and-goal from the SCSU 1 for the eventual winning score.
• After a scoreless first quarter, Assumption took the lead with 4:13 before the intermission on a 17-yard touchdown run from De'Ontray Johnson. The PAT gave the visitors a 7-0 lead.
• Southern Connecticut put the only points of the third quarter on the board at the conclusion of an 11-play, 77-yard drive. That series was punctuated on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Catapano to Gary Williams. However, the ensuing PAT was blocked, and the Greyhounds hung on to the lead.

LAST TIME OUT
A pair of fourth quarter touchdown passes from Raymond Catapano  to Devante Jenkins served as pivotal plays in a 21-point rally as the Southern Connecticut State University football team downed Pace on Saturday, 21-7.
• Catapano entered the game late in the first half and finished 9-of-15 for 127 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Jenkins led all Owls' wideouts with five catches for 74 yards and two scores. Robert Thomas rushed for 108 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown.
• SCSU trailed 7-0 heading into the final quarter before finally getting on the board. Catapano connected with Jenkins on a 26-yard touchdown pass to close the gap to 7-6. However, a muffed hold kept the Setters in front by a point.
• The Owls' defense held Pace, and SCSU went ahead for good on its next drive. Marching 73 yards in eight plays, Catapano scrambled to find Jenkins on a 28-yard touchdown that put the Owls up 12-7. Catapano then hit Ryne Griesenauer on the ensuing two-point try for a 14-7 cushion.
• Thomas put an exclamation point on the win with a 10-yard touchdown scamper in the final minute to secure the win.
• Southern used a stellar second half on both sides of the ball to secure the win. The Owls outgained the Setters by a 255-79 margin in the final 30 minutes.
• Pace registered the only points of the first half, a 34-yard swing pass from Dan Anerella to Valentino Miles that turned into a touchdown.
• Jhaaron Wallace had 10 tackles and a sack to lead the defense. Kayjuan Bynum had eight tackles and two sacks. Brandon Pelzer and Jamie Holbrook each finished with seven tackles.

THOMAS EARNS NE-10 WEEKLY HONORS
Thanks to his career day against Pace last time out with 128 all-purpose yards, including 108 rushing yards, Robert Thomas was named to the Northeast-10 weekly honor roll on Monday.

YOUTH HAS BEEN SERVED
Plenty of new faces have seen their first significant collegiate action this year for the Owls. Thus far, a total of 20 student-athletes who are either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen have taken to the field this fall.

RAY "CATA-PULTS" THE OWLS TO VICTORY
Sophomore quarterback Raymond Catapano engineered a fourth quarter comeback for the Owls last time out against Pace. He tossed two touchdowns as part of the victory after coming into the game in the second quarter.

AMONG THE NE-10 LEADERS
• Devante Jenkins is first in the league with nine touchdown receptions.
• Jenkins also ranks second in the league with 35 receptions and fifth in the league in receiving yards/game.
• The Owls have three of the top 10 leaders in sacks. Kayjuan Bynum has leaped into the league lead with seven sacks.  Kameron Tedder is tied for seventh in the league with four sacks, while Jamie Holbrook is 10th  with 3.5 sacks.
• Rob Nittolo is third in the league with nine touchdown passes.

ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS FOR BYNUM
Kayjuan Bynum had one of the finest defensive performances in SCSU history in the win over Stonehill. He became the first Owl in seven years to notch at least three sacks in a game, with the last being Andrew Pratt against AIC in 2008. In addition, no Owl had forced multiple fumbles in a game since Daniel Allen accomplished the feat against Pace in 2010.

TWO OWLS CAPTURE NE-10 WEEKLY HONORS
By virtue of their efforts in the win over Stonehill, Kayjuan Bynum (Co-Defensive Player of the Week) and Robert Nittolo (Rookie of the Week) earned weekly honors from the Northeast-10 Conference.

...AND WEEKLY ECAC HONORS TOO
Kayjuan Bynum (Defensive Player of the Week) and Robert Nittolo (Rookie of the Week) were also recognized by the ECAC as Division II weekly standouts as a result of their play against Stonehill.

BYNUM ADDS ANOTHER HONOR
In addition to his NE-10 accolades, Kayjuan Bynum was also tabbed as a HERO Sports Defensive Stud of the Week.

USA COLLEGE FOOTBALL LAUDS PAIR
USA College Football named Robert Nittolo as its Division II Offensive Rookie of the Week, while Kayjuan Bynum was named to the weekly honorable mention defensive unit.

A FEW FIRSTS FOR THE OWLS...
• Evan Nelson made his debut against Stonehill and was a perfect 4-for-4 on extra points.
• Delmont Araujo blocked his first punt as an Owl against Stonehill. It was the third blocked punt for the Owls in the last two seasons.
• Seimou Smith and Austin Jones each had their first touchdown receptions as Owls against Stonehill.
• Jared Moorer and David Spears each had their first career sacks, while Brandon Pelzer had his first career fumble recovery.
• The seven team sacks for the Owls against Stonehill were the most since 2008, when SCSU had eight in a game against Bentley.

OWLS SPREADING IT AROUND
Eleven different receivers have recorded a reception for the Owls through the first six games of the year.

MOSCATEL MAKES A STRONG RETURN
Prior to Sept. 25, John Moscatel's last appearance as an Owl came in the second-to-last game of the 2013 season against AIC. After being sidelined due to injury since then, he returned for the New Haven game and picked up right where he left off. In total, he registered 173 all-purpose yards (40 rushing, 17 receiving, 116 return) on the evening.

TURNOVERS MADE IT TOUGH
SCSU could have easily been 2-1 through its first three games if not for some trouble with turnovers. The Owls had eight giveaways (five fumbles, three interceptions) in those games. Two fumbles in the opener against Gannon directly led to 13 points for the visitors. Two more fumbles, including an errant snap that resulted in a safety, led to all 15 Bentley points in the game on Sept. 19.

A FORMER OWL MAKING GOOD
Jerome Cunningham registered his first catch with the New York Giants in the Sept. 20 game against the Atlanta Falcons.

JENKINS NARROWLY MISSES SCHOOL MARK
Wide receiver Devante Jenkins hauled in 11 receptions against Bentley, one shy of the school record. He finished with 110 yards, including a touchdown.

MAKING A QUICK IMPACT
A quick look at the final stats from the 2015 season opener reveals plenty of new faces who fared well in their Owls' debuts.
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Rob Nittolo, a transfer from James Madison, completed 24-of-38 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns.
• Junior Devante Jenkins, a transfer from El Camino College, hauled in a team-high seven catches, along with three touchdowns. He led the Owls with 84 receiving yards.
• Sophomore linebacker Vasilios Grigorakos, a transfer from Maine, had a team-high seven tackles along with  half a sack.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE...
The Owls accomplished several feats that hadn't taken place in several years in the opener against Gannon.
• With three touchdown receptions, Devante Jenkins became the first Owls' player to catch three touchdowns in a game since Willie Epps did it against West Liberty in 2010.  
• The three touchdown passes from Robert Nittolo marked the first time an Owls' quarterback tossed three touchdown passes in a game since Jacob Jablonski did so against Pace in 2012.
• The blocked extra point by Ahmed Hourani was the first for an Owl since 2011, when Gavin Nelson did it against Stonehill.

RUNNING AT A HIGH TEMPO
Southern Connecticut ran 90 offensive plays in the opener, the first time that the Owls hit that number since a 2006 contest against Central Connecticut.

JENKINS NAMED TO NE-10 WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Devante Jenkins was named to the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll for his efforts in the season opener. He also earned the same honor for his play in the game at Bentley.

THE CAPTAINS
Southern Connecticut State University football coach Tom Godek has announced team captains for the 2015 season. Wesley Crowell and Kameron Tedder will serve as captains, with Vasilios Grigorakos, Louis DiRienzo and Devante Jenkins serving as alternate captains. 

IN SEASON OPENERS
The Owls are now 35-32-1 all-time in season openers. The 2015 season was the 68th in program history.

IN THE NORTHEAST-10 PRESEASON POLL
The Southern Connecticut State University football team has been selected No. 9 in the Northeast-10 Conference preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches.
1. LIU Post - 74 (4)
2. AIC - 74 (2)
3. Assumption - 65 (2)
4. New Haven - 62 (2)
t-5. Saint Anselm - 41
t-5. Stonehill - 41
7. Bentley - 38
8. Merrimack - 29
9. So. Connecticut - 20
10. Pace - 10

OWLS WELL-REPRESENTED IN NFL RANKS
Southern Connecticut continues to figure prominently within the National Football League. With regards to current players, Jerome Cunningham (New York Giants) is on the team's 53-man roster, while Carlif Taylor (Dallas) and Ike Igbinosun (Jacksonville) were both in preseason camps this summer. In addition, three former Owls are currently serving as coaches – Chris Palmer (Senior Offensive Assistant, Buffalo Bills), Jeff Stoutland (Offensive Line Coach, Philadelphia Eagles) and Tim Holt (Assistant Offensive Line Coach, Oakland Raiders).

THE 2015 SCHEDULE
The Owls currently have 11 games scheduled for the 2015 campaign. The year opens with a home game against Gannon on Sept. 5. 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. 14.

WILLIAMS NAMED ALL-ECAC
Defensive lineman Zachary Williams named All-ECAC for his play during the 2014 season. Previously an All-Northeast-10 Conference selection, Williams registered a career-high 51 tackles in his final season as an Owl and lead the team in sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (19). He ranked second in the Northeast-10 in tackles for loss and third in sacks.

FIVE EARN CONFERENCE HONORS
Five members of the Southern Connecticut State University football team – senior Carlif Taylor, Zachary Wiliams, Brian Wilcox and freshmen Raymond Catapano and Shaquan Hall were awarded with year-end honors from the Northeast-10 Conference, as selected by the league's coaches. Taylor, Williams and Wilcox were named All-Conference, while Catapano and Hall were tabbed for the All-Rookie Team.

FOUR OWLS SELECTED TO NATIONAL BOWL GAME
Kyle Empey, A.J. Marsiglia, Carlif Taylor and Brian Wilcox were selected to play in the National Bowl Game on December 7 in Miami. 

HALL NAMED FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN
Shaquan Hall was named a Freshman All-American by USA College Football for his performance on the gridiron this past fall. Previously named a Northeast-10 Conference All-Rookie Team selection, Hall made an impact on special teams and at wide receiver. He had 13 receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns, along with eight rushes for 77 yards and a rushing touchdown. As a return man, he had 25 total returns for 512 yards.

AMONG THE KEY OFFENSIVE RETURNERS
The Owls will mix old and new faces when looking to find the end zone. At the quarterback position, Raymond Catapano and Michael Eckrote both have seen significant time in their careers thus far, but will be pushed for time by redshirt freshman Rob Nittolo, a transfer from James Madison. Donald Thomas is the leading returning rusher, as his 4.8 yards per carry last year was tops among running backs. Shaquan Hall (13 catches) and Robert Thomas (12) catches are the top returning receivers.

AMONG THE KEY DEFENSIVE RETURNERS
Southern's leading tackler a year ago, Michael Cerisano (98 tackles) returns as a key part of the Owls' defense. The defensive line remains strong with the return of Jamie Holbrook and Kameron Tedder. In addition, key secondary returners include Gavin Harley (38 tackles), Justin Potts (33 tackles) and Brandon Martin (27 tackles).

ON DECK
The Owls are back in action on Oct. 24 for a road game at St. Anselm. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m.