Complete Game Notes as a PDF

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
After two straight games at Jess Dow Field, the Southern Connecticut State University football team hits the road to face Saint Anselm this Saturday at 12 p.m.

ALL-TIME AGAINST ST. ANSELM
Southern Connecticut leads the all-time series with the Hawks by an 12-3 margin.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST MEETING
A fourth quarter comeback by the Southern Connecticut State University football team set the stage for overtime, but it was a nine-yard touchdown run by Saint Anselm's Elad Covaliu in the extra frame that gave the Hawks a 23-20 win over the Owls on Sept. 13, 2014 at Jess Dow Field.
• Quarterback Raymond Catapano entered the game on the third series and put together an impressive performance in his collegiate debut. He completed 17-of-24 passes for 192 yards and also rushed 20 times for 55 yards with a touchdown. Running back Julian Hayes had 88 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown. Donald Thomas finished with 13 rushes for 65 yards.
• The defense was led by 11 tackles from Carlif Taylor. Brian Wilcox, Brandon Martin and Kayjuan Bynum each tallied an interception for the Owls.
• Trailing 17-10 midway through the fourth quarter, the Owls assembled an 11-play, 68-yard drive to tie the game at 17-17. Catapano capped the drive with a three-yard run, a play in which he scrambled and took flight at the goal line for the score just before the ball was knocked free. Jeff Groth's PAT was partially blocked, but it had just enough to get over to tie the game.
• The Owls had the ball first in overtime and drove down to the Hawks' 1 before having to settle for a 19-yard field goal from Groth.
• Southern was one play away from the win in the extra frame. St. Anselm faced a 4th and 15 from the 30-yard line and completed a 21-yard pass. On the next play, Covaliu found the end zone for the winning score.
• SCSU opened the scoring with a 12-play, 66-yard drive late in the first quarter that was capped by a five-yard run from Hayes. Groth added the PAT for a 7-0 lead.
• The Hawks tied the score on the first play of the second quarter on a halfback option pass from Justin Bernard to Ahkeen Williams.
• SCSU went back in front on a 23-yard field goal from Groth late in the first half, and the score stayed that way into the intermission.
• Saint Anselm scored all 10 points of the third quarter to build a 17-10 lead. The Hawks went ahead on a six-yard pass from Yianni Gavalas to Bernard, which was followed by a successful PAT. Shane Grayson added a 33-yard field goal later in the quarter to make it 17-10.

LAST TIME OUT
Despite a powerful offensive performance that included 99 plays and 623 yards of total offense, the Southern Connecticut State University football team lost a 60-50 decision to Assumption on Saturday in the annual Homecoming game.
• The Owls held a 35-31 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but Assumption outscored the Owls by a 29-15 margin over the final 15 minutes to claim the 10-point win.
• Quarterback Robert Nittolo rushed for three touchdowns and threw for three more, completing 28-of-49 passes for 357 yards, while rushing 16 times for 85 yards.
• Seimou Smith hauled in 10 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns to lead the wide receivers. Austin Jones had seven catches for 71 yards and a touchdown. Devante Jenkins tallied five catches for 91 yards.
• Robert Thomas rushed for 108 yards on 21 carries. John Moscatel finished with 161 all-purpose yards (69 rushing, 92 return) and a touchdown.
• Southern Connecticut led the contest for the vast majority of the evening. The Owls went 58 yards in 10 plays on their opening drive, capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Nittolo to Smith. Evan Nelson added the PAT for a 7-0 lead. 
• Assumption tied the game later in the first quarter on a 14-yard pass from Brendan Tobey to Deonte Harris, with the PAT evening it at 7-7. Nittolo closed an eight-play, 78-yard drive on Southern's next possession with a five-yard run to put the Owls back ahead, 14-7.
• The first play of the second quarter resulted in Southern's third touchdown as Nittolo found Smith from 13 yards out on a successful fourth down attempt. Nelson's PAT made it 21-7.
• The Greyhounds used a 29-yard field goal from Cole Tracy to get within 21-10 and then successfully recovered an onside kick after that. The ensuing drive concluded with a six-yard run from Tobey that cut the gap to just four at 21-17.
• The Owls restored their 11-point lead when Nittolo found the end zone with his second rushing touchdown of the day, this one also from five yards out for a 28-17 cushion. The final score of the first half then went to the visitors as Alex Shain broke free for a 24-yard touchdown run. SCSU held a 28-24 lead at the half.
• Each team scored a touchdown in the third quarter. Moscatel ended the opening drive of the second half with a four-yard touchdown run to end a six-play, 80-yard drive.  Tobey then hit Ashton Grant on a 29-yard touchdown pass to make it a four-point game again at 35-31 only 46 seconds later.
• Trailing by four entering the fourth quarter, the Greyhounds took the lead on a 19-yard run from Shain, followed by a successful PAT for a 38-35 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, the Owls fumbled, but recovered in their own end zone for a safety. James Ward then broke off a 79-yard touchdown run for a 46-35 advantage early in the fourth quarter.
• SCSU hung around and got back within three on its next drive, one that closed with a nine-yard pass from Nittolo to Jones. Nittolo then hit Jenkins on the two-point attempt to trim the Assumption lead to 46-43.
• The Greyhounds scored the next two touchdowns to build a 17-point lead before Nittolo ran it in from seven yards out in the final minute.

RECORD SETTING NIGHT FOR NITTOLO
Robert Nittolo set two new SCSU single-game records while playing a hand in six Owls' touchdowns in the game. He set a new single-game record for total offense plays with 65, breaking the old mark of 60 set by Jason Hawes in 1990. Nittolo also set a new single-game record for most total offense yards with 442 yards, eclipsing the old mark of 438 set by Kevin Lynch in 2011. 

MORE NUGGETS FROM THE ASSUMPTION GAME...
• It marked the 44th time in school history that Southern scored 50 or more points in a game. The Owls had been 43-0 in such contests prior to that game.
• SCSU scored 50 points in a game for the first time in since 2009, a 61-0 win over Pace.
• SCSU allowed at least 50 points in a game for the 13th time in school history. The Owls are 1-12 when allowing 50 points.
• It was the third time in school history that the Owls allowed at least 60 points in a game. SCSU is now 1-2 in those games.
• With 110 combined points, it was the fourth-highest scoring game in school history.

NITTOLO PROVES A DUAL THREAT
Robert Nittolo accomplished two feats that hadn't been achieved in a while in the game against Assumption. His three rushing touchdowns were the first for an Owl since John Moscatel did so against Pace on Oct. 4, 2013. In addition, Nittolo was the first Owl to throw for over 300 yards since Jacob Jablonski had 337 yards against Pace on Oct. 6, 2012.

NITTOLO EARNS WEEKLY HONORS
Robert Nittolo was named the Northast-10 Conference Rookie of the Week on Monday for his play against Assumption. It was the second time this year that he has earned the honor.

MOSCATEL RETURNS TO THE END ZONE
After missing all of last year due to injury, John Moscatel's touchdown against Assumption was his first since finding the end zone against AIC on Nov. 9, 2013.

SMITH, JONES HAVE CAREER DAYS
Wide receivers Seimou Smith and Austin Jones played a key role in the prolific production against Assumption with career days. Smith (10 catches, 138 yards, two touchdowns) and Jones (seven catches, 71 yards, one touchdown) each set new career highs in all three categories in the contest.

AMONG THE NE-10 LEADERS
• Devante Jenkins is first in the league with nine touchdown receptions.
• Jenkins also ranks second in the league with 40 receptions and fourth in the league in receiving yards/game.
• The Owls have two of the top 10 leaders in sacks. Kayjuan Bynum has leaped into the league lead with seven sacks.  Kameron Tedder is tied for eighth in the league with four sacks.
• Rob Nittolo is third in the league with 12 touchdown passes.

BACK TO BACK CENTURY MARKS FOR THOMAS
Robert Thomas broke the 100 yard mark for the second game in a row last time out, as he matched his career-high with 108 yards against Assumption.

THOMAS EARNS NE-10 WEEKLY HONORS
Thanks to his career day against Pace with 128 all-purpose yards, including 108 rushing yards, Robert Thomas was named to the Northeast-10 weekly honor roll on Oct. 12.

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 against Pace. He tossed two touchdowns as part of the victory after coming into the game in the second quarter.

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
Twelve different receivers have recorded a reception for the Owls through the first seven 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 travel to LIU-Post for their final road game of the regular season on Oct. 31.