SEASON OPENER
Southern Connecticut State University Owls (0-0, 0-0 NE10)
vs. No. 6 Shepherd University Rams (0-0, 0-0 PSAC)
Date: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Jess Dow Field (New Haven, Conn.)

The Owls Network | Live Stats | Purchase Tickets

Southern Connecticut State University football will open the 2022 season at home against No. 6 Shepherd University on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. at Jess Dow Field.

FOLLOW LIVE

• Owls fans can find the latest news, scores and highlights as well as up-to-the-minute breaking news or schedule changes at the the Official Website of SCSU Athletics, SCSUOwls.com.
• Follow the Owls on @SCSUFB on Twitter and @SOCONNFOOTBALL on Instagram.
• All of the Owls' home and NE10 contests can be seen live at SCSUOwls.com/TheOwlsNetwork.
• Live Stats are also available at SCSUOwls.com/fbstats

 ALL-TIME AGAINST SHEPHERD
This is the first meeting all-time between Southern Connecticut and Shepherd University.
 
SCOUTING THE SCSU OWLS

• Southern finished the 2021 campaign at 4-6 overall and 3-5 in the NE10.
• The Owls placed seven student-athletes on All-NE10 teams last season, including returning stand-outs Tylon Papallo, Szymon Gawlick, Shawn Martin and Robert Nunez. Nunez also earned Academic All-Conference recognition.
• Papallo had a break-out season for the Owls as he was one of two players in the conference to average 20 yards per catch while earning second-team honors.
• The first-year receiver tallied five touchdowns in the air, and three on the ground while running out of the Wildcat for the second half of the season.
• Papallo became the first player in program history to throw, catch and run for a touchdown in a game, and also the first to catch and run for a touchdown in consecutive games.
• The Owls also return 2019 All-Rookie quarterback Jackson Ostrowsky who missed most of last season to injury.
• In 2019, Ostrowsky was a three-time Rookie of the Week and became the second freshman in program history to throw for 2,000 yards. Ostrowsky was 155-for-185 for 2,185 yards and 17 touchdowns in seven games.
• Diante Wilson also returns to the Owls backfield after leading Southern in carries (95) and yards (490) las season.
• Gawlick was named to the Second Team as well after leading the NE10 with 10 field goals for the second-most in a season in program history.
• Gawlick was 20-for-23 on extra-point attempts and also finished 10th in the conference with 50 points.
• Martin and Nunez both earned All-Rookie honors. Martin returned the second-most kick returns in program history (32) while his 724 return yards also ranked second. He was one of three players in the NE10 to total 700-or-more return years while his 22.6 yards per return ranked third. He averaged 80.4 yards per game.
• Nunez tied for the team-lead with 64 tackles, which ranked 12th in the NE10. Nunez also ranked second in rookie tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
• Hasan Dominick was tied with Nunez for the team-lead in tackles, and will be back again in 2022.
• The Owls defense is filled with experience, as the Owls look to replace just two starters from 2021 in All-Conference stand-outs Kwadir Delgado-McIntyre and Sidney Jones. 

2022 NE10 PRESEASON POLL

• Southern Connecticut State University football was ranked sixth in the 2022 Northeast 10 Conference Coaches Preseason Poll, as announced by the conference on Monday, Aug. 15, 2022.
• New Haven was picked to repeat as NE10 Champs, followed by Assumption, Bentley, Pace and Saint Anselm ahead of the Owls. American International and Franklin Pierce rounded out the eight-team field. 

WHAT'S TO COME IN 2022

• The Owls open the season with 2021 NCAA Division II Championship Semifinalist Shepherd University on Thursday, Sept. 1 at 5:30 p.m.
• The Owls will then square off against Elm City rival, University of New Haven on the Chargers' home field on Saturday, Sept. 10 and open Northeast 10 Conference play at home against Pace on Friday, Sept. 16.
• Southern closes the first month of the season at Saint Anselm on Saturday, Sept. 24.
• October opens with a home date against Assumption on Saturday, Oct. 1 before a non-conference matchup at NCAA Division I Bryant on Saturday, Oct. 8.
• Southern Connecticut will then play back-to-back games at home on Saturday, Oct. 15 against Franklin Pierce for Homecoming followed by a road game at Bentley on Saturday, Oct. 22 and close out the month at American International on Saturday, Oct. 29.
• The Owls finish the season at home against Post on Saturday, Nov. 5 and will host New Haven on Saturday, Nov. 12 for Senior Day. 

SCOUTING THE SHEPHERD RAMS

• Shepherd enters the season-opener ranked sixth in the D2Football.com Preseason Poll.
• Shepherd is coming off a 13-2 overall mark after advancing to the national semifinals in 2021.
• The Rams were picked as the favorites in the 2022 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Preseason Poll.
• Standout quarterback Tyson Bagent returns to headline the Rams' conference-leading offense. In 2021, Bagent ranked first in passing completions (391), yards (5,000), and touchdowns (53) throughout all of Division II.
• Bagent was the NCAA Division II Harlon Hill Trophy recipient after one of the top offensive seasons in DII history.
• Running back Ronnie Brown led Shepherd with 956 yards on 108 carries for a 9.0 yard/carry average and eight touchdowns.
• Bagent will have his top target in Ryan Beach who totaled 98 catches for 1,199 yards and 13 touchdowns. Beach was also named the PSAC Rookie of the Year in 2021.
• Shepherd also features a pair of Don Hansen All-American offensive linemen in Joey Fisher and Eric Ostrow.