Stonehill Skyhawks (4-3, 4-2 Northeast-10) at
Southern Connecticut Owls (5-3, 4-2 Northeast-10)
Saturday, October 27, 2007, 1 p.m.
Jess Dow Field
Stonehill Game Notes / Southern Connecticut Game Notes
Dana Burris has two interceptions and 18 tackles in just four games of action this season. (dspics.com) |
What's In Front
Staring its first two game losing streak under head coach
Rob Talley in the face, Stonehill heads to the Nutmeg State for a
matchup with the Owls of Southern Connecticut.
Road Trippin'
The Skyhawks start the second half of a four game stretch
that see them play three of four away from W.B. Mason Stadium. So
far this season, Stonehill is 2-1 away from the friendly confines
of its own campus.
Stretch Marks
Stonehill is also in the midst of its toughest stretch of
games this season. Beginning with their road trip to Bryant two
weeks ago, the Skyhawks will have faced three teams (Bryant,
Bentley and Southern Connecticut) they are a combined 4-34-1
against all-time.
Series Particulars
The Skyhawks and Owls have been meeting every season since
1997, with Southern Connecticut holding a 10-0 series edge.
Inside The Series
The Owls have outscored Stonehill a combined 66-0 in their
last two matchups, with last year's 14-0 defeat the closest margin
of defeat for the Skyhawks since a 33-31 loss in 2001.
Homecoming
David Pringle and Jeffery
Payne, both natives of West Haven, Conn., return home for
the Skyhawks' matchup with the Owls. Pringle prepped at
Westminister, while Payne spent his high school days at Notre Dame.
Scouting The Owls
Tailback Jerom Freeman leads a powerful Owl attack, having
rushed for 1,094 yards and 12 touchdowns in just eight contests.
Not to be overshadowed, signal caller Steve Armstrong has thrown
for 2,121 yards and 17 scores. Their leading receiver, Chris
Bergeski, has 42 grabs for 735 yards and five touchdowns.
1 vs. 1
With the Northeast-10's leading passer, rusher and second
leader receiver, it's easy to see why the Owls are the Conference's
top scoring offense at 37 points per game. Stonehill, however, has
the league's top ranked scoring defense, allowing only 16.6 per
outing. The Skyhawk defensive unit is led by senior Mike
DeBye (Burlington, Mass.) who ranks fifth in the
Conference in tackles with 62 and junior Jeff
Cuqua (Walpole, Mass.) and his five tackles for loss.
Secondary's Success
The Skyhawk defensive backfield has eight interceptions
and 14 pass breakups.
Caught In A Pick
After only two players collected a total of three
interceptions a year ago, the 11 Stonehill pickoffs this year have
come from eight different Skyhawks. Jared Zanello
(Walpole, Mass.) leads the way with three, while Dana
Burris (Boston, Mass.) has two in just four contests.
Zanello's Zone
Jared Zanello leads the Northeast-10 in
passes defensed with ten. His seven pass breakups combined with his
three interceptions have him tied with Merrimack's Andrew Jackson
and Bentley's Paul Tetzel.
Burris Brings It
In just four games this season, Dana Burris has 18 tackles
including 14 solo stops. He has two red-zone interceptions, one
which he returned 36 yards and another he snagged in the endzone.
15:00-30:00
84 of Stonehill's 144 points this season have come in the
first half when they have outscored their opponents 84-50.
The Streak Is Over
The Skyhawks went five games without throwing an
interception before Bentley's Ed Sciaba picked off Cruz
Parsons (Signal Hill, Calif.) on his first pass of the
game in the 24-17 loss to Bentley. Parsons had thrown 120 passes
between interceptions, with his first coming in the season-opening
win over Assumption.
Still Pretty Good
Cruz Parsons, even after throwing two
interceptions in the loss to Bentley, has the second fewest in the
Northeast -10 behind only Nick Georgetti of C.W. Post.
To The Fifth Power
Stonehill entered the Bentley game with only four
turnovers in its first six games before giving it away five times
(four interceptions, one fumble) against the Falcons.
Takeaways
Stonehill has 18 takeaways this season, and has won the
turnover advantage in five games. They are 4-1 in those games,
having lost the Bryant game when each team had one turnover.
Greene Means Go
Michael Greene (Plainview, N.Y.) has
stepped into the starting role at linebacker and made an immediate
impact. In his three starts, he led the team in tackles in two of
them and had five tackles and his second career interception in the
other game.
Safety Valves
Skyhawks ballcarriers have become adepth at catching the
ball out of the backfield. Jeffery Payne (West
Haven, Conn.) is second on the team in catches with 16, while
Bob Holland (North Andover, Mass.) has 11 grabs
and freshman Eddie Vachon (Newton, Mass.) has
chipped in with 10.
Target Practice
Cruz Parsons has tossed 10 touchdowns
this season and nine of them have gone to either J.J.
Niamkey (Quincy, Mass.) (5) or David
Pringle (4). Eddie Vachon has the other
scoring grab.
House Work
All four of David Pringle's scores have
come from 35 yards out or more (44, 35, 54, 67).
Double Duty
For the second time this season, J.J.
Niamkey has caught touchdown passes in back-to-back games.
Four Score
Four different Skyhawks have at least four touchdowns.
Jeffery Payne and J.J. Niamkey
each have five touchdowns, while David Pringle and
Eddie Vachon each have crossed the goal line four
times.
Twice The Touchdowns
Stonehill is closing in on doubling its touchdown total
from a season ago. Through seven games they have 19, compared to
the ten they produced all of last season.
Night Lights
The Skyhawks play their fourth and final game under the
lights next week when they visit Merrimack for a Friday night tilt
at 7 p.m. Stonehill is 2-1 this season in night games.
Gaining Ground
The combination of Jeffery Payne and
Eddie Vachon has 827 yards and eight touchdowns on
the ground. Their individual totals through seven games of 418
(Vachon) and Payne (409) are more than last year's leader.
Rush To Judgment
After running for just 592 yards and a 2.0 yards per carry
average a season ago, the Skyhawks have 910 yards and nine rushing
scores.
Book Worms
Sean Donahue (Plymouth, N.H.) and
Kevin Bonnett (Manchester, N.H.) were both named
to the Northeast-10 Academic All-Conference team. This is the
second consecutive season that they both have been honored by the
conference office.