DII-over-DI upset: Southern Connecticut State football shocks Central Connecticut State

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - Southern Connecticut State University football shocked NCAA Division I Central Connecticut State, 28-21, in its 2021 season opener at Arute Field in New Britain, Conn., in front of 4,500-plus fans, half of which traveled from New Haven, Conn. The Owls open the year at 1-0 while CCSU starts the season at 0-1.  

PRESEASON RANKINGS: The NCAA.com Preseason Power 10| AFCA poll takeaways

Izaiah Sanders had three catches for 109 yards and a 51-yard touchdown, the longest of his career, while first-year Owl Tylon Papallo had a team-best five catches for 81 yards. Jackson Ostrowsky was 16-for-32 for 277 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, Hasan Dominick finished with a game-high 11 tackles, including eight solo take-downs and a sack, while Richard Williams, Jr., had nine tackles and a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown.

.@SCSUFB HC Tom Godek discusses the Owls 28-21 season-opening win at Central Connecticut #TheOwlWay pic.twitter.com/tQoHe67IUn

— SCSU Football (@SCSUFB) September 4, 2021

How it happened

• Central Connecticut jumped out to an early lead when Kenyata Huston capped off a 14-play, 87-yard drive with a 42-yard touchdown on the Blue Devils first possession of the game.
• First-year Owl and UConn transfer Timothy O'Shea, Jr found the end zone for the first time in his collegiate career on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Ostrowsky. The Owls capitalized off a fumble caused by a vicious hit by Kwadir Delgado-McIntyre that was scooped up by Cameron Belton. Ostrowsky needed just three plays to tie the game.
• The Owls took a 14-7 lead after Harrison Smith crushed the Blue Devils' punter off a botched snap, setting up the Owls' offense inside the CCSU 20-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Ostrowsky faked the hand-off, pump faked to the center of the field and then found Tye Hodge all-alone in the corner of the end zone for Hodge's first career touchdown.
• Central scored with nine seconds to play in the half when Tyshaun James took a pass from Romelo Williams 33-yards to tie the game at 14-14 heading into halftime.
• With just under 11 minutes to go in regulation, Richard Williams, Jr picked off Romelo Williams on the Owls' 10-yard line and returned it 90 yards to give the Owls a 21-14 lead.
• Central answered when Tyshaun James scored on a short pass across the middle to cut the Owls' lead to 28-21 with 5:29 to play.

Harlon Hill 2021: 23 preseason hopefuls to watch | The ultimate guide to the history of the award

Notes

• Williams, Jr.'s interception return for a touchdown was the second-longest in Southern Connecticut history behind Rich Falcigno's 100-yard return on an interception against Geneva in 1961.
• The last Southern player to return an interception for a touchdown was David Campbell, on a 40-yard return, against Gannon on Aug. 30, 2008.
• Dating back to the 2019 season, Jackson Ostrowsky has now thrown for three touchdowns in four-straight games.
• Graduate student Kwadir Delgado-McIntyre finished with eight tackles and a force fumble while first-year Owl Robert Nunez had nine tackles and a sack. Joe DiGello had three quarterback hurries, a sack and also blocked a punt.