OWLS RUN PAST BULLDOGS 77-35 IN SEASON
FINALE
Box Score
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Southern Connecticut senior Jim
Lukowiak caught nine passes for 220 yards and returned two punts
for touchdowns as Southern Connecticut rolled past Bryant
University, 77-28 in the season finale Saturday at Jess Dow
Field. Bryant, behind Lorenzo Perry's
(Providence, RI) 169 yards rushing and three touchdowns,
ends the year 7-3 overall (6-3 NE-10), while the Owls (8-2, 7-2
NE-10) must await word from the NCAA on any potential NCAA bid. The
Division II tournament field will be announced Sunday at 1 p.m.
With a potential playoff berth on the line for both teams, it
looked like the game was going to live up to all of the pre-game
hype as the two top offenses in the Northeast-10 started
strong. The Owls struck first as Lukowiak took a Bryant punt
and returned it down the Bryant sideline 81-yards giving Southern
Connecticut an early 7-0 lead.
The Bulldogs would answer as Perry followed his blockers for a
three-yard touchdown up the middle, capping a 9-play, 80-yard drive
for the Bulldogs to knot the game up, 7-7. Justin Kix
(New Shoreham, NY) helped set up the Perry touchdown with
a 27-yard reception from Charles Granatell (Franklin Lakes,
NJ) down to the Owl six yard line.
It was all Southern Connecticut from there. Entering the
game ranked seventh nationally in total offense per game (493.7
yards per game average), the Owls put the offense into high gear,
scoring on its next three possessions to quickly take control of
the game. Shawn Harris scored on an 18-yard run and Rory
Palmer followed with a 14-yard score to make it 21-7, and the route
was on.
After the Owl defense again forced the Bulldogs to punt,
Lukowiak struck once again, this time returning a Mike
Lajterman (Ramsey, NJ) punt a school-record 91 yards for a
touchdown, making it 28-7 with 5:10 left in the first quarter.
The two punt returns for touchdowns for the senior standout
from Brick, NJ set a new Northeast-10 Conference record.
Leading 63-28 late in the fourth quarter, Southern Connecticut
continued to add on the points as Jon Lee-Hugh caught a 15-yard
touchdown pass from starting quarterback Steve Armstrong. After a
Bryant fumble deep in its own territory, tailback Rory Palmer
scored from a yard out to make it 77-28. It was
Palmer's third score of the day.
Bryant's Sean Bergin (New Windsor, NY)
closed out the scoring with a 27-yard touchdown pass from backup
James Hickey (West Haverstraw, NY) with just over
five minutes to play. Kix had four catches for 74 yards while
Perry had four receptions for 23 yards. Hickey finished the
fourth quarter, 5 of 7 passing for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Shawn Harris had 147 yards rushing and two touchdowns to lead
Southern Connecticut while Armstrong completed 24 of 30 passes for
436 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Owls.
There were a few positives to come from the game as Perry tied
Bryant's school record with his sixth game with at least 100
yards rushing and at the same time, established a new school record
with 1,285 yards rushing this season. Perry's three
touchdowns in the game gives him 16 for the season, also a new
Bryant record.
Granatell completed 10 of 22 passes for 124 yards as the
sophomore signal caller completes the season with a school-record
1,736 yards passing this season. He has also moved into first
all-time for career passing yards with 3,052.
Senior linebacker Greg Daniel (Providence, RI)
established a new school record for tackles in a season for the
Bulldogs. His team-high seven tackles Saturday against
Southern gives him 84 for the year and 206 for his career (second
all-time).
While the outcome of Saturday's game may not have been
what the Bulldogs may have wanted, the Bulldogs can hang their
heads high knowing they were a part of the best season in Bryant
football history. Bryant set a new school record for
wins in a season in 2005 with seven, including a perfect 5-0 record
at home marking the first time a Bryant football team has gone
undefeated at Bulldog Stadium this season.
