Box Score
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Despite forcing the No. 14 ranked team in the country into six turnovers and amassing nearly 100 more yards of total offense, the Southern Connecticut State University football team came up just short in a 30-23 loss to LIU-Post today.
TEAM RECORDS: SCSU 3-4 (3-3 Northeast-10) | LIU-Post 7-0 (6-0 NE-10)
Junior quarterback
Raymond Catapano (Franklin Square, N.Y.) completed 19-of-45 passes for a career-high 318 yards and two touchdowns.
Devante Jenkins (Carson, Calif.) hauled in four passes for a career-high 137 yards and was on the receiving end of both touchdowns.
Earl Myers (Uniondale, N.Y.) caught a career-high eight passes for 70 yards.
Eli Parks (Bristol, Conn.) had a career-high 96 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
A PIVOTAL STRETCH: LIU-Post entered the final quarter with a one-point lead at 14-13. The Owls marched inside the Pioneers' red zone and went back in front on the first collegiate field goal from
Joe Rice (Union Beach, N.J.). His successful 25-yard attempt gave the Owls a 16-14 lead.
However, LIU-Post scored 16 points on its next three drives – two touchdowns (one followed by a missed two-point try) and a field goal – to build a 30-16 lead with 3:32 left.
Catapano found Jenkins from 19 yards out with 1:45 left to trim the gap to 30-23. The Pioneers then recovered the onside kick and then held on for the win.
A GREAT START: After a scoreless first quarter, the Owls turned two interceptions into 13 points.
Gavin Harley (New Rochelle, N.Y.) gave SCSU great field position with a big return on the first pick, and Parks found the end zone from 20 yards out on the first play of that offensive drive.
On the Pioneers' first play of the ensuing drive,
Kayjuan Bynum (Springfield, Mass.) made a diving interception to give the Owls the ball at midfield. Again, on the first play of the drive, Catapano found Jenkins over the middle for a 50-yard catch and run for a 13-0 lead.
HALFTIME: LIU-Post scored a touchdown in the closing minutes of the first half to cut Southern's lead to 13-7 at the break.
THE ONLY ONE: LIU-Post registered the only points of the third quarter on a three-yard touchdown run to take a 14-13 lead into the final frame.
RECORD-SETTER: Kendall Thomas (St. Albans, N.Y.) moved into sole possession of Southern's single-season kickoff return record with 51 return yards today. He now has 546 yards on the year, and broke the old mark of 540.
UP NEXT: at Merrimack, October 22, 1 p.m.
