Complete Game Notes as a PDF

LOOKING TO PUT TOGETHER A WIN STREAK
Coming off of a thrilling 11-point win at Stonehill last time out,  the Southern Connecticut State University football team returns to action on Saturday at noon to challenge Pace in a Northeast-10 Conference contest.

ALL-TIME AGAINST PACE
Southern Connecticut leads the all-time series with the Setters by an 18-1 margin.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST MEETING
A 27-yard field goal from Pace's Jan Strzelecki just 2:45 into the second half proved to be the margin of victory as the visiting Setters defeated the Southern Connecticut State University football team, 10-7, in the 2014 season finale for both teams.
• Gary Williams hauled in a career-best 11 catches for 88 yards in the contest, one reception off the school's single-game record. Julian Hayes rushed for 99 yards on 23 carries. Carlif Taylor and Brian Wilcox each totaled 10 tackles in their final games as Owls.
• It was a game that the Setters won despite SCSU meriting only 150 yards of total offense.
• After a scoreless first quarter, SCSU went in front 2:55 into the second frame. Seth Sheridan took the handoff and went in from three yards out to close an 11-play, 52-yard drive. Jeff Groth added the PAT for a 7-0 lead.
• The Setters tied the game on the ensuing drive. Brian Beeker plunged in from three yards out before Strzelecki hit the extra point to tie it. The score remained 7-7 into halftime.
• Strzelecki's field goal put the Setters ahead early in the third quarter. The Owls had a pair of field goal opportunities to tie the game, including one in the closing seconds, but were unable to convert.

LAST TIME OUT
For the second week in a row, the Southern Connecticut State University jumped out to a double-digit halftime lead. This time, thanks to four forced fumbles, seven sacks and four touchdown passes from quarterback Robert Nittolo, the Owls handed Stonehill its first loss of the year with a 28-17 triumph.
• Kayjuan Bynum paced the defense with team-highs of seven tackles, 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles, the latter of two which were both career-highs. 
• Nittolo finished 17-of-26 for 193 yards and four touchdowns. Two of those strikes went to Devante Jenkins who had seven catches for 61 yards, both team-highs. Seimou Smith and Austin Jones both posted identical receiving lines of three catches, 43 yards and a touchdown.
• Stonehill took the opening kickoff and marched into the Owls' red zone, but had to settle for a 34-yard field goal from Steve Grzywacz and a 3-0 lead.
• The Owls went ahead for good later in the opening quarter. Jones hauled in a 22-yard pass from Nittolo to conclude a 10-play, 64-yard drive. Evan Nelson added the PAT for a 7-3 lead.
• Bynum had a sack and a forced fumble, one that was picked up by Brandon Pelzer on the ensuing Stonehill drive. The Owls started their drive at the Stonehill 31 and needed only one play for Nittolo and Jenkins to connect for a score. Nelson's PAT gave the Owls a 14-3 lead after the opening quarter.
• Southern extended its lead to 21-3 early in the second quarter. A 38-yard run by Nittolo was the big play of the drive, giving the Owls the ball at the Stonehill 2. Two plays later, Nittolo found Jenkins from a yard out for a 21-3 cushion after the PAT.
• The Skyhawks scored a touchdown in the final seconds of the first half to cut the deficit to 21-10.
• Both teams traded second half touchdowns. The Owls restored their 18-point lead when Nittolo hit Smith on a 12-yard touchdown pass for a 28-10 advantage after the PAT. Stonehill scored in the final seconds of the third quarter to make it 28-17, but that would be all of the scoring for the evening.catches for 46 yards.

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.

AMONG THE NE-10 LEADERS
• Devante Jenkins is first in the league with seven touchdown receptions.
• Jenkins also ranks second in the league with 30 receptions.
• Rob Nittolo is third in the league with nine touchdown passes.
• The Owls have three of the top five leaders in sacks. Kayjuan Bynum has leaped into the league lead with five sacks.  Kameron Tedder is tied for second in the league with four sacks, while Jamie Holbrook is right behind with 3.5 sacks.

OWLS SPREADING IT AROUND
Eleven different receivers have recorded a reception for the Owls through the first five 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. 17 for their annual Homecoming game. Kickoff against Assumption is set for 5 p.m.