NEW HAVEN, Conn. (October 15, 2022) -- It was the offensive high-water mark of the season thus far for the Franklin Pierce University football team, as the Ravens scored 20 points and rang up 294 yards of total offense on Saturday afternoon at Jess Dow Field. It would not be enough though, as host Southern Connecticut State was able to build a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and held the margin throughout, on the way to a 37-20 victory over Franklin Pierce in the Northeast-10 Conference contest. Graduate student EJ Burgess (Pearland, Texas) posted his first 100-yard game of the season with a 136 rushing yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in defeat for the Ravens. Sophomore Marc Reali threw for 141 yards and a score, on just six completions, to lead the Owls to the win.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 1-6 (1-4 NE10), while SCSU picks up its first victory of the season and improves to 1-6 (1-3 NE10).

It was the first quarter which proved troublesome for Franklin Pierce on the road on Saturday, as SCSU scored on each of its first two drives and mixed in a special teams touchdown to build a 17-0 lead over the opening 15 minutes. The Owls got the football to start the game and immediately took it 72 yards on eight plays over 4:05 to start things off with a touchdown. It took SCSU just three plays to cover the final 50 yards on the drive, as Reali hit sophomore Jordan Davis for 11 yards on the right side, found freshman Joshua Nieves for 22 yards down the left side, and then ran up the middle for the final 17 yards for the touchdown.

On the ensuing drive, Franklin Pierce got a first down via penalty to start things off, but then went three-and-out from there. Freshman Alex Benitez (Belle Meade, N.J.) struck a 46-yard punt, but the coverage team could not hold up its end of the bargain, as SCSU senior Tylon Papallo took the return 82 yards the other way for a touchdown, and the Ravens found themselves in a 14-0 hole in a hurry. The Owls added a 17-yard field goal from junior Szymon Gawlick to cap a 10-play, 68-yard drive on their next possession, to make it 17-0 at the end of the first.

SCSU would push the lead out to 24-0, on a one-play drive which consisted of a 49-yard touchdown pass from Reali, who found Papallo deep down the middle of the field.

Franklin Pierce got things moving on the following possession, to get some points on the board ahead of halftime, as the Ravens went 77 yards to the end zone on eight plays over 3:35. Senior quarterback Bryce Macina (Syracuse, N.Y.) had a 25-yard completion down the middle of the field to senior Anthony Anderson (Stamford, Conn.), along with an 18-yard rush on the right side on the drive, before finishing it off with an 8-yard touchdown pass to junior Antonio Smikle Jr. (Farmingdale, N.Y.) on the left side. The point-after attempt was blocked, which left things at 24-6 heading into halftime.

Franklin Pierce found the end zone late in the third quarter and early in the fourth to make things interesting down the stretch. In the third, the Ravens went 84 yards on eight plays, which featured 43 rushing yards on five attempts for Burgess, who capped things off with a 1-yard touchdown plunge. In the fourth, it was 54 yards on just three plays, as Macina hit Smikle for 23 yards on the right side, and then found junior Christian Simon (Riverview, Fla.) on the right side as well, for a 16-yard touchdown pass.

Meanwhile, SCSU picked up third-quarter field goals of 27 and 37 yards from Gawlick to manage the lead and keep it at 30-20 following the Simon touchdown. The Owls added one final score via a 1-yard touchdown run from Davis to create the 37-20 final.

For Franklin Pierce, Macina finished 17-for-30 through the air, for 160 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted once. Burgess carried the load on the ground, with his 136 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries (5.9 yards per rush). Smikle hauled in a game-best seven catches for 52 yards and a score. Defensively, sophomore Nick Oliveira-Chace (Cambridge, Mass.) piled up nine tackles (three solo), including one for loss.

For SCSU, it was 6-for-11 for 141 yards and a score for Reali, who added 60 yards on 10 rushes (6.0 yards per rush) and another touchdown on the ground. Davis was the team's leading rusher, with 10 carries for 65 yards (6.5 yards per rush) and a score. Papallo had just one catch, but it went for the 49-yard touchdown. Sophomore Robert Nunez led all players with 10 tackles (five solo), including a half-tackle for loss, and also hurried the quarterback twice.

The Ravens are back home for the final time in 2022 next weekend, as they host Pace on Hall of Fame weekend. Opening kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Sodexo Field, on Saturday, Oct. 22.