DOVER, Del. — Southern Connecticut faced a tough challenge on the road Saturday, falling 70–23 to Delaware State in a non-conference matchup at Alumni Stadium. The loss drops the Owls to 1–4 on the season, while the Division I FCS Hornets improve to 4–3 overall.
Despite the final score, Southern found offensive rhythm at times, led by Kieran Falzon, who rushed 25 times for 101 yards and scored his fifth touchdown of the year. Falzon also contributed on special teams with a 17-yard kickoff return. Quarterback John Giller completed 16 of 28 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns, distributing the ball effectively against the Hornets’ defense.
Divine Edwards paced the receiving corps with six receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown, while Seth Westover turned in a highlight moment with a 73-yard touchdown catch, finishing the day with three receptions for 85 yards.
On the defensive side, Cooper Dayton and Dom Barbuto each recorded five tackles, while TJ Butler forced a fumble and made two stops. Punter Andreas Picarelli provided strong field position play, averaging 44.2 yards on eight punts, including two over 50 yards and two placed inside the 20.
Southern got on the board early in the second quarter after a special teams miscue by Delaware State resulted in a safety. On the ensuing drive, Giller connected with Westover across the middle, and the senior receiver raced 73 yards to the end zone for his team-leading third touchdown of the year.
The Owls struck again midway through the third quarter, with Giller finding Edwards for a 20-yard touchdown after a balanced drive featuring key runs from Falzon and a pair of first-down catches from Edwards.
Southern’s final score came early in the fourth quarter when Falzon capped a 15-yard push with a 4-yard touchdown run, his fifth of the season.
The Owls now turn their attention back to conference play, traveling to Pace University on Saturday, Oct. 18, for a 1 p.m. Northeast-10 matchup. Southern returns home the following week to host Saint Anselm on Saturday, Oct. 25, also at 1 p.m.
