Box Score


 
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University football team scored the final 19 points of the game and dominated both total plays and time of possession, but still came up just short in a 26-22 loss to Gannon today. It was the season opener for both teams.
 
Gannon was selected to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's West Division and was also receiving votes in the American Football Coaches Association preseason rankings.
 
Quarterback Robert Nittolo (Hillsborough, N.J.) finished 24-of-38 for 249 yards and three touchdowns, all in the direction of wide receiver Devante Jenkins (Carson, Calif.). The latter totaled seven catches for 84 yards on the day. He's the first Owls' player to catch three touchdowns in a game since Willie Epps did it against West Liberty in 2010.  Donald Thomas (Bronx, N.Y.) led all rushers with 96 yards on 24 carries.
 
The Owls ran 90 plays to Gannon's 58 and held nearly a 14-minute edge in time of possession, but ultimately could not overcome a 17-point halftime deficit.
 
Southern took the opening kickoff and assembled an 11-play, 73-yard drive that reached as far as the Gannon 2. Unfortunately, the Owls had to settle for a 19-yard field goal from Mike McNally (Cromwell, Conn.) to open the scoring for a 3-0 lead.
 
The Golden Knights offense was held in check by the Owls' defense for the majority of the afternoon. However, it was the Gannon defense that forced two fumbles late in the first quarter and turned them into 13 points. The first turnover gave the visitors the ball at the 15 yard line, and four plays later, resulted in a three-yard touchdown pass from Liam Nadler to Jesstin Hamm and a 6-3 lead.
 
After the Owls' fumbled the ball away on their ensuing possession, this time at their own 18, Gannon needed only two plays for a two-yard touchdown run from Nadler that made it 13-3.
 
The only scoring of the second quarter was a five-yard pass from Nadler to Hamm that completed a 10-play, 68-yard drive. Gannon led 20-3 at halftime.
 
The Golden Knights took the opening kickoff of the second half and went 53 yards in eight plays, capped by a 17-yard run from Brock Jones that made it 26-3 after the PAT.
 
From there, it was all Owls. Southern went 83 yards in 12 plays after the Gannon score and answered with one of its own, a 14-yard strike from Nittolo to Jenkins. SCSU went for two, and failed, leaving the score at 26-9 after three quarters.
 
A drive that started late in the third quarter carried over into the fourth and culminated on a three-yard touchdown pass from Nittolo to Jenkins. McNally's PAT closed the gap to 26-16.
 
The Owls weren't done yet, as they later put together a six-play, 47-yard drive that was set up by a 40-yard punt return from Shaquan Hall (Newark, N.J.). This series ended in similar fashion, with Nittolo hitting Jenkins on a 14-yard touchdown pass to cut the gap to 26-22.
 
Gannon recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock for the win.
 
Southern's defense was led by Vasilios Grigorakos (Port Washington, N.Y.), who had seven tackles, and Kameron Tedder (Yonkers, N.Y.), who made half a dozen stops. The two also combined on the Owls' lone sack of the day.
 
The Owls are back in action next Saturday for their Northeast-10 opener at AIC.