Freshman Jareed Gaines scooped up a fumble and returned it 30 yards for his first collegiate touchdown to give Stonehill an early 7-0 lead today.

Owls rush for 262 yards and score 28-straight points to erase early deficit

Boxscore 

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (October 17, 2009) - Southern Connecticut State University erased an early touchdown deficit with 28-straight points and never looked back in posting a 42-14 victory over Stonehill College in Northeast-10 Conference football action at Jess Dow Field this afternoon.

Senior quarterback Chris Roberts (New Britain, Conn./New Britain) completed 19-of-26 passes for 267 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions to lead Southern Connecticut to the win. The Owls also got 137 yards rushing and a touchdown on just 11 carries from junior John Weichman (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle), while sophomore wide receiver Andre Privott (Middletown, Conn./Middletown) caught six passes for 134 yards and two scores.

Sophomore Rashaad Slowley (Mount Vernon, Conn./Archbishop Stepinac) added 97 yards rushing on 13 carries with a touchdown. Southern piled up 529 yards of total offense, 262 coming on the ground with 267 through the air. Stonehill managed 211 yards of offense (113 passing/98 rushing).

Senior Jerome Pinckney (Ellenwood, Ga.) led the Southern defense with ten tackles (eight solo) and a sack. Junior Rich Kirkland (Paterson, N.H.) added six stops (all solo) with an interception, while senior Andrew Pratt (West Haven, Conn./Lyman Hall) posted eight tackles (five solo), including two for a loss of three yards.

Sophomore Stephan Neville led the defense with 11 tackles and also returned three kickoffs for 124 yards.

Sophomore cornerback/returner Stephan Neville (Foxborough, Mass./Foxborough) shined for Stonehill with a game-high matching 11 tackles (seven solo), while compiling 124 yards on three kick returns. Senior tri-captain Greg Sanzari (Centerport, N.Y./St. Anthony's) also totaled 11 tackles (three solo) with a half sack. Freshman Jareed Gaines (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) chipped in with six stops (three solo), a sack and fumble recovery which he returned 30 yards for his first collegiate touchdown.

Junior running back Eddie Vachon (Newton, Mass./Blair Academy) finished with 71 all-purpose yards with 53 coming on 12 rushes, while he also added six yards on three receptions and returned three kickoffs for 12 yards.

Sophomore quarterback Danny Sagan (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy) started for the second-straight week, but completed only 11-of-21 passes for 47 yards and an interception. Classmate Tim Morrison (Billerica, Mass./Billerica Memorial) come on in relief in the third quarter and completed 9-of-13 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown with one interception.

After going three and out on the first possession of the game, Stonehill was able to get on the scoreboard first when Gaines scooped up a fumble on Southern's first offensive play from scrimmage by senior Jerom Freeman (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) and ran it back 30 yards for a touchdown 3:47 into the contest. It marks the second-straight year the Skyhawks have scored a defensive touchdown against the Owls as Michael Greene ran a fumble return back 91 yards for a score in Easton, Mass., last year.

Southern knotted the score on its ensuing drive when Roberts connected with Privott for a four-yard touchdown pass to cap a seven play, 55-yard drive with 9:04 left in the first. After a three and out for Stonehill, the Owls took the lead for good when Roberts hit tight end Peter DiGangi (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) for an eight yard scoring pass at the end of an eight play, 68-yard drive with 3:58 left in the opening quarter. Slowley extended the drive with nine-yard gain on third and five from the Southern 37.

The Owls provided the only score of the second quarter when Roberts found freshman Timothy Wells (Abington, Mass./Abington) for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 8:12 left before halftime to cap a nine-play, 85-yard drive. Wells also caught a Roberts pass for 17 yards on third and six from the Owls 19. SCSU extended its lead to three scores late in the third quarter when Wiechman capped a five play, 62-yard drive with a one-yard plunge with 1:26 left. Privott caught a 44-yard pass from Roberts to the one yard line to set up the score.

Stonehill drew within two scores 5:37 into the fourth when Morrison hit senior Cory Wright (Hooksett, N.H./Manchester Central) for a 20-yard touchdown pass at the end of a seven-play, 47-yard scoring drive. Morrison completed four of five passes during the drive for 50 yards. Southern immediately answered as Roberts found Privott for his fourth touchdown of the day with 6:46 remaining from 50-yards out. The Owls capped the scoring with 2:25 to play when Slowley drove in from a yard out. He accounted for 21 of SCSU's 26 yards on the drive that started after an Owls interception.

Stonehill (2-5, 1-4 NE-10) is back in action next Saturday when it hosts Saint Anselm College at W.B. Mason Stadium on Alumni Weekend at 1 p.m. Southern Connecticut (5-3, 5-1 NE-10) has next weekend off before it hosts Merrimack College in a key NE-10 matchup on Friday, October 30, at 7 p.m.