New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Chargers take down Owls
WEST HAVEN — Two yards from the end zone, Eli Parks was thrusting himself toward a touchdown when the tide of the day turned.
Parks, a Southern Connecticut senior running back, was aiming for a score that could put the Owls two scores ahead of New Haven in the second quarter Saturday. Southern was dominating the Elm City series game and another touchdown would put the home Chargers on the heels.
Instead, UNH’s Jordan Francklin dislodged the ball from Parks’ grasp and teammate Mcprecia Remy gathered the fumble.
Just like that, it was UNH’s ball. Ten plays and 95 yards later, the Chargers scored a goahead touchdown as they began to put their crosstown rival into their rear view mirror.
The final: UNH 37, SCSU 18. It was UNH’s 10th win over SCSU in the past 11 years and the Chargers hold a 23-6-1 edge in the rivalry game.
But the 2018 edition turned on one play. Southern (1-2) dominated in the first quarter as it took a 10-7 lead and held to no passing yards and just one first down. The Owls’ offense, which produced 144 yards in the quarter, was keeping UNH’s talented quarterback Ajee Patterson off the field.
“If they punch that in right there, they go up 10 and they force us to play a little come-
back,” UNH coach Chris Pincince said. “Our defense turned it over, a real opportunistic turnover and we drove the length of the field. … Even if they kick a field goal right there, it’s still a downer a little bit. Instead, it turned it around.”
Patterson was 15 of 23 for 193 yards and three touchdowns, including two scoring strikes to Ju’an Williams in the third quarter. His 10-yard touchdown pass to Damon Rodgers early in the second quarter gave the Chargers (2-1) the lead they would never surrender.
UNH, which led 17-10 at
halftime, also got a 79-yard touchdown run from Ryan McCarthy. The last time the program had a run of 70 or more yards was Sept. 5, 2015, when Andre Anderson had runs of 71 and 78 yards against Slippery Rock.
The offense, though, was inspired by the defense. Specifically, the goal line turnover.
“We work every week to try and strip the ball … We need more turnovers,” Francklin said. “That was a big. That set it off for us. It definitely was the turning point.”
Said Remy, “It was great energy, It was a swing. You could feel it. I felt it.”
And when the Chargers took possession on their own 5-yard-line, they took
the blue turf wth a renewed spring in their step. Paterson was 6 of 8 for 46 yards during the drive, as UNH moves methodically from one end of the field to the other.
The quarterback said he was sparked by the turnover.
“The crowd feeds off it, we feed off it,” Patterson said. “That was a big play. We needed to get that stop down there. If we didn’t get that stop, that’s more points on the board and you never know, that might changed the game around.”
Southern coach Tom Godek said he felt the momentum shift when his team was unable to convert as it hovered near the end zone.
“We still love our guys … I want Eli Parks with the ball in his hands,” Godek said. “They trying, they’re over-trying sometimes. We need to score in those situations. You can’t do that against a team like the University of New Haven if you want to win the game or have a different atmosphere going into halftime.”
After the game, UNH players celebrated with the Elm City Trophy. Players posed on the field and huddled around the trophy for pictures.
“It’s always good beating your crosstown rivals,” Patterson said. “We also feel good about the season. Now, it’s onto the next game. We enjoy this, but we move on.”