RINDGE, N.H. (October 23, 2021) -- The Franklin Pierce University football team fell at home, 43-24, to Southern Connecticut State on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Sodexo Field, as the Ravens were unable to hold back the Owls' offense. Junior EJ Burgess (Pearland, Texas) rushed for 149 yards and three scores to lead the way for Franklin Pierce. Freshman Marc Reali threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns to guide SCSU to the victory.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 0-7 (0-6 NE10), while SCSU improves to 4-4 (3-3 NE10).

In contrast to the Owls, Franklin Pierce featured three different players at quarterback on the day, beginning with junior Bryce Macina (Syracuse, N.Y.), who went 6-for-16 with 80 yards. Sophomore Drew Campanale (Shrewsbury, Mass.) took over in the third quarter, and recorded a stat line of 2-for-7, with 15 yards and a pair of interceptions. Finally, freshman Cole Alexander (Anderson, Ind.) took over in the fourth, and went 4-for-8 for 52 yards.

The day got off to a slow start, with both teams trading short drives, before the Owls broke the deadlock through an Izaiah Sanders touchdown reception, as SCSU capitalized on a pass-interference call in the end zone on the play prior. Franklin Pierce would answer immediately after, following a big kickoff return from sophomore Tyvarius Daniels (Springfield, Mass.) and a Burgess conversion on fourth-and-two. Burgess himself would be the man to score, on a 1-yard touchdown rush, and the first quarter would end even, at 7-7.

The second frame began with trading scores again, but this time through field goals to elevate the tie to 10-10. The Owls would subsequently take the lead at 17-10, through a direct snap to junior Tylon Papallo, who scored from one-yard out. The touchdown followed a 46-yard reception by sophomore Raborn Dismuke, and Southern Connecticut would never look back.

SCSU would add another before halftime, to make it a 24-10 lead at the break, through another direct snap to Papallo, who threw this time, for a 7-yard touchdown pass to Sanders.

Papallo capped the first drive on the other side of halftime as well, as he finished off a six-play, 71-drive with an 11-yard touchdown scamper on yet another direct snap. The point-after was unsuccessful after a bad snap, which left the Owls with a 30-10 lead.

Burgess looked to spark his Ravens into a late surge with a 39-yard rush late in the third quarter. The drive would end with another Burgess rush, as he carried the ball nine yards for the score and cut the deficit to 30-17.

Campanale would throw interceptions on the next two Ravens' drives, which helped to short-circuit the Franklin Pierce comeback. Cole took over under center for the Ravens and immediately put together a five-play, 55-yard drive to pull Franklin Pierce within six, at 30-24. Cole's first touch would result in a 16-yard QB keeper, which was followed by a 29-yard catch-and-run to Daniels, to set up another Burgess touchdown, from one yard out.

Franklin Pierce's defense was unable to hold back Reali, Papallo and the Owls, however. SCSU would earn touchdowns on its final two drives, including a 67-yard strike from Reali to Papallo, as the day's two protagonists finally hooked up for a score, which all but put the game away. A 1-yard plunge from junior Anthony Ligi capped things off, as the Owls would take the contest, 43-24.

The Ravens are on the road next Saturday, Oct. 30, with a conference matchup against Bentley, which is set for a 1 p.m. kickoff in Waltham, Mass.