NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Senior running back Eli Parks (Bristol, Conn.) rushed for two touchdowns, redshirt freshman quarter Matthew Sapere (Old Lyme, Conn.) threw for two more and the defense merited just 214 yards as the Southern Connecticut State University football team rolled past St. Anselm, 43-7.

The Owls actually came one defensive play away from their second shutout in six games, but the Hawks found the end zone on the final play of the game. In addition, freshman Jaylynn Cundiff (Brockton, Mass.) totaled 121 return yards, including a 50 yard punt return touchdown, the first for the Owls since 2014.

TEAM RECORDS: SCSU (3-2, 2-2 NE10) | St. Anselm (1-3, 1-2 NE10)



INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Parks 20 carries for 88 yards, while Vochan Fowler (Bridgeport, Conn.) registered 20 carries for 76 yards and a score.
- Sapere completed 13-of-25 passes for 200 yards and also rushed six times for 17 yards.
- Julian Chung (Franklin Square, N.Y.) had four catches for 85 yards and a score, while Earl Myers (Uniondale, N.Y.) had three catches for 85 yards.
- Kwadir Delgado-McIntyre (Hamden, Conn.) had a team-high six tackles, as well as an interception and a pass breakup.
- The Owls had the ball for 40:50 of the contest, limiting the Hawks to just 19:10 with the ball. SCSU allowed only 18 rushing yards on the day.
- Southern's defense had six sacks and also posted eight quarterback hurries on the day.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Owls took the opening kickoff and marched 87 yards in seven plays, capped by an eight-yard run Parks for a 6-0 lead. Later in the quarter, Fowler found the end zone from a yard out to close a 12-play, 75-yard drive.
- Southern held a 27-0 lead at the half on the heels of two second quarter touchdowns. Sapere hit Hunter Fluegel (New Bedford, Mass.) from eight yards out to make it 20-0 before connecting with Chung with 18 yards out with only 11 seconds left in the first half.
- Parks' second touchdown, this one from 12 yards out, came midway through the third quarter.
- Jose Conde (West Haven, Conn.) connected on a 30-yard field goal early in the final frame to make it 36-0. Cundiff closed out the Owls' scoring with a nifty 50-yard punt return, one that finished with a dive into the end zone. It was the first punt return TD since Jonathan Balcacer accomplished the feat against Pace in 2014.

ON DECK:
SCSU will have a week off before it faces Assumption on Oct. 13.