Today: Mar 29, 2024

Bentley Falcons beat Southern Owls at homecoming, 38-7

Aaron JohnsonSports Editor  It was a bright, crisp fall afternoon at Jess Dow field. The 2014 Southern Connecticut State University Homecoming was in full swing. Alumni, students, and kids could be seen running around, cheering, and yelling for the Owls football team as they took the field. But someone forgot to give the Bentley Falcons the memo as they spoiled the Southern homecoming, beating the Owls 38-7 in front of a packed house. Head coach Tom Godek said that the defense of the Falcons came out and really delivered. “I thought we had an okay week of practice against Bentley,” he said. “But their defense came to play I think a little more than we expected and you have to give them credit for what they did.” The Bentley defense was able to dictate much of the game with their speed which flustered the Owls’ offense. Freshman quarterback Ray Catapano was under pressure the entire afternoon finishing just 8 for 16 for 96 yards and a touchdown. Catapano was sacked a total of six times before being replaced by sophomore Brandon Basil. Basil fared no better against the Falcons getting sacked three times, before finishing the game 4 for 12 for 50 yards and an interception in the end zone, ending the Owls’ best offensive drive of the second half. Senior wide receiver Gary Williams said that each player needs to focus on their jobs to make the offense more consistent. “We just take it a play at a time,” he said. “I mean you can’t really see something before it happens. So we just take it each play at a time. We’re not really thinking ahead. It’s just when it snaps, every player has to do his own job and you can’t really worry about anyone else. We just gotta have done what we need to have done. ” Penalties hurt the Owls during the entire game. Southern committed 12 penalties for 91 yards, to only two penalties for 15 yards for Bentley. Godek said that some of the penalties are fixable; others are just a product of a long season. “Sometimes when you’re pressing you try to do something extra sometimes,” he said. “And when you do something extra it can be taken as a penalty.” Several of the Owls penalties helped to stall some potential scoring opportunities that could have brought them back into the contest. “There were some aggressive penalties in there and then there were some easy mental mistakes. Those are things we can fix,” Godek said. “But some of the aggressive ones when the season is not tilting the way you want it’s a little bit of frustration and the grind of trying to make a play. Trying to make something happen.” The Owls were able to tie the game after Bentley’s opening drive netted a touchdown. Bentley quarterback Dan Guadagnoli finished 23 for 39 for 342 yards, an interception, and four touchdowns. Catapano hit wide receiver Shaquan Hall for a 31 yard pass, capping off a nine play 69-yard drive for the Owls only scoring drive of the game. Williams said that going into the rest of the season, the focus has to be better from the team as a whole. “We can’t take any team lightly,” he said. “We have to come in every week because nobody is gonna lay down for us. So we have to come in every week well ready to get this win. No matter who we’re playing, what team, or what their record we have to come out with the same mentality of this is a championship game.” Junior running back Robert Thomas said that the Owls have to continue to stay positive and keep their heads up during this stretch. “We all just have to gelling together,” he said. “We just have to believe in one another and put our differences aside. We have to really just believe in each other.” Photo Credit: Aaron Johnson

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