BOX SCORE PHOTO GALLERY

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven football team got back on the winning track and claimed the Elm City Trophy for the fourth consecutive season with a 40-21 win at Northeast-10 and crosstown rival Southern Connecticut State. Ronnie Nelson (Stuart, Fla./South Fork ) accounted for 311 yards of offense and three touchdowns in the Friday night victory at Jess Dow Field.

With the win, the Chargers improve to 6-2 overall in 2013. At 6-1 in the Northeast-10 Conference, New Haven remains in control of its own destiny for a berth in the NE-10 Championship Game with two regular-season contests remaining. Southern Connecticut State falls to 3-5 on the season with a 3-4 NE-10 mark.

Nelson finished the day at 15-of-30 passing for 259 yards and two touchdowns. He was also the Chargers' leading rusher with 52 yards and a score. Andre Anderson (New Haven, Conn./James Hillhouse) added 29 rushing yards as well as 13 receiving yards.

Nelson completed passes to 10 different receivers, with Nick Music (West Milford, N.J./West Milford ) hauling a team-best three passes for 54 yards. Ty Headen (Newark, N.J./American History) had two receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown, and tight end Brandon Ruberti (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand ) snagged his first career touchdown pass.

New Haven broke the game open on special teams in the first half. Cory Jasudowich (North Branford, Conn./Cheshire Academy) broke through the line to block a pair of SCSU punts that were returned for touchdowns. The first scoop-and-score went to DeeJay White (Brooklyn, N.Y./Sheepshead Bay / Bowling Green State University) and the second was returned by Anthony Tillman (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway). The Chargers have blocked at least one kick in each of the last three meetings with their crosstown rivals.

Sherwood Jonathas (Everett, Mass./Everett) led the New Haven defense with eight tackles. Brent MacLeod (Winchester, Mass./Winchester) picked up a solo sack, with the tandems of Drake Harris (Union, N.J./Union) and Michael Intrieri (Westerly, R.I./Westerly / Dean College) and then Jasudowich and Tyler Condit (Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) each combining to dump the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. The Blue and Gold also forced two turnovers – a Matt Stevko (Shelton, Conn./Shelton ) fumble recovery in the red zone and an interception hauled in by Rodney Lanham (Bridgeport, Conn./Bridge Academy).

John Moscatel paced the SCSU offense with 175 rushing yards on 23 carries. Quarterback Brandon Basil was 14-of-26 through the air for 150 yards.

As a unit, the Owls held a slight 369-351 edge in total yards and garnered 21 first downs to New Haven's 16. However, two special teams touchdowns and a 2-1 edge in the turnover battle more than accounted for the 18-yard difference in yards from scrimmage.

The Chargers started the scoring on their opening drive. The 10-play, 65-yard march, which featured a 35-yard connection from Nelson to Music, culminated with Brian Roberts (Amherst, N.Y./Amherst Central) making his first career appearance in the Blue and Gold and sticking a 31-yard field goal.

Southern Connecticut picked up one first down before their initial drive stalled, and New Haven needed just one play to capitalize. Nelson launched a bomb down the middle to Headen, who made the catch between two defenders and took it 75 yards to paydirt to extend the margin to 9-0.

New Haven then forced another Owls' punt and, on the attempt, a host of Chargers broke through the line. Jasudowich got his hands on the ball for the block, and White executed the 30-yard scoop-and-score for a touchdown with 6:20 remaining in the first quarter.

A three-and-out by the defense set up New Haven on its own 28-yard line, and the Chargers embarked on their fourth scoring drive in four first-quarter possessions. A pair of Nelson rushes accounted for the first 27 yards, and the senior signal caller then connected for 42 yards to Rishawn Harris (Springfield, Mass./Putnam Vocational Technical Academy) down to the SCSU three-yard line. On the next play, Nelson found Ruberti in the endzone to stake the Chargers to a 23-0 advantage.

The New Haven offense slowed in the second quarter while the defense continued to keep the Owls at bay with a Stevko fumble recovery in the red zone and a sack by the tandem of Harris and Intrieri.

The lone score of the period came on another blocked punt. Once again it was Jasudowich getting through the line with Tillman picking up the carom and heading 40 yards into the endzone. Roberts' third extra-point of the half ran the tally to its halftime total of 30-0 in favor of the Chargers.

New Haven outgained the hosts, 256 to 156, in the first half while forcing seven SCSU punts.

The Owls got on the board in their opening drive of the second half on a two-yard scamper on fourth down by Vito Fornarelli, and the Chargers were stifled on their first possession after the intermission. However, on the next SCSU possession, Lanham came up with the interception to put New Haven back in business at the home 40-yard line.

The Chargers set out on a 10-play drive, benefitting from a pair of Owls' penalties on their way to the red zone. Nelson finished off the march with a one-yard drive to extend the margin to 37-7 with 3:22 left in the third quarter.

After another Owls' touchdown, Mike DeCaro (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay ) started the Chargers in good field position with a 60-yard kickoff return to the SCSU 37-yard line. Anderson completed back-to-back first downs on the drive a 10-yard rush and a 13-yard reception, and Roberts split the uprights on a 25-yard field goal, running the UNH advantage to 40-14.

Southern Connecticut added another short touchdown in the final minute, but the Chargers handled the kickoff return and came out in victory formation – taking a knee to seal the 40-21 triumph.

The Chargers return to action on Saturday, Nov. 2 it their first of two games at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium to close out the regular season against American International. Game time in West Haven, Conn. is set for 1 p.m.