Campanale and Jackson Jr. Have Career Games, Ravens Put Up 27 Points on the Road

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (October 5, 2019) – Franklin Pierce University football freshman quarterback Drew Campanale (Shrewsbury, Mass.) threw for a career-high 307 yards, three touchdowns and added 72 yards rushing as the Ravens put up their second-highest point total of the season in a 55-27 setback to Northeast-10 Conference opponent Southern Connecticut State University Saturday afternoon on Jess Dow Field. The loss was the fourth of the year for Pierce (1-4, 0-3 NE10) while the Owls (1-4, 1-2 NE10) earned their first victory of the season.

Campanale completed 21-of-43 attempts for a contest-best 307 yards and three touchdowns. His long completion was a 63-yard touchdown to junior wide receiver Lo Jackson Jr. (Columbia, S.C.). Campanale tacked on 72 yards on the ground off 14 carries with his long gain of 51 yards coming off the first play from scrimmage in the second half.

Jackson Jr. also produced a career effort hauling in five passes for a game-high 135 yards (27.0 avg.) and two scores. The receptions, yards, and touchdowns were all new single-game personal-bests for the junior. On the defensive side, freshman defensive back Brice Brown (Los Angeles, Calif.) tallied seven tackles and one pass breakup. Senior linebacker Will Petit (Houston, Texas) and junior lineman Reasean Fenton (Bronx, N.Y.) each recorded sacks.

For the hosts, freshman quarterback Jackson Ostrowsky totaled 267 yards passing and two touchdowns. The Owls rushing attack was potent as they compiled 185 yards on the ground compared to the Ravens 96. Sophomore running back Jonmichael Bivona took 15 carries and turned it into 70 yards and three touchdowns.

The Ravens won the toss and deferred to the second half. Ostrowsky came out firing for the home team completing a 29-yard strike on the first play from scrimmage. Jaylynn Cundiff took the next handoff and rumbled for 22 yards to the Pierce 12. Following a two-yard rush, on third down, Ostrowsky stepped up in the pocket and found Julian Chung for the 10-yard score.

Freshman running back K.O. Gaskin (Lynn, Mass.) was the offense for the Ravens on their first drive of the game. He collected a 13-yard pass and ran for three yards on two rushes before Campanale was picked off by Vance Upham. The Owls marched down the field converting a third a five pass before a Bivona slash through the hole for a nine-yard score made it 14-0 SCSU.

Jackson Jr. returned the kickoff starting from the right hash going left. He picked up a few blocks down the left sideline on his way for a 40-yard return setting the Pierce offense up on their own 46. Campanale tossed two third-down conversions, an 11-yard pass to Jackson Jr. and an 18-yard pass in the flat to freshman wideout KJ Lewis (Reisterstown, Md.). On third down, Campanale cocked back and attempted a seam route that the Raven receiver tried to haul in with one hand, but it clanked off his arm and Owls' Kyle Armour sprawled out for the interception in the end zone.

Pierce's defensive unit held strong and forced a punt with freshman linebacker Joey Poisson (Goffstown, N.H.) stuffing Jordan Knight on third and three. The Owls on the other end stopped the Ravens and they lined up to punt, however the snap went over the Raven punter's head coming to rest at the Raven five-yard line and gobbled up by Southern Connecticut. On the ensuing play, Knight ran the rock in for his second TD of the quarter growing the lead to 21-0 with 5:09 left.

The Owls continued their ground and pound offense picking up 11 yards on first down and a 14-yard rushing TD to grow their edge to 28-0. The next Raven possession, facing a third and 16, Campanale passed to Jackson Jr. for a gain of 19 yards. The freshman gunslinger continued his aerial assault hooking up with sophomore wideout Jared Lubas (Salem, Mass.) over the middle in double coverage for 17 yards combined with another Lubas eight-yard reception setting the Ravens up first and 10 at the Owls 22. Pierce converted another third down, a pass to newcomer Mike McAlister (Londonderry, N.H.) for five yards making it first down and goal to go.

A holding penalty on the Ravens pushed them back with a loss of three yards putting them in a second and goal situation from the 21-yard line. Campanale threw an incomplete pass, and then gained two yards on a rush setting up a fourth and goal from the 19-yard line. He came up five yards short of the pylon running out of bounds following a gain of 14.

In the second quarter, the Ravens had a drive going, but could not convert a fourth and nine giving the ball back to the home squad on the SCSU 39. The Owls used two plays, combined with a 15-yard personal foul to increase the score to 35-0.

With under five minutes to play in the first half, the Ravens used seven plays to drive 79 yards down the field in 1:25. Campanale chipped in a 20-yard rush on second and 10 early in the drive. He then hit Jackson Jr. who ran a deep post route to the end zone on fourth and 11 for a 31-yard touchdown giving the Ravens their first points of the game at 35-7.

The Ravens received the ball to kick off the second stanza. Campanale made his presence felt immediately scrambling for 51 yards. The Ravens converted yet another fourth down (4-of-8, 50% in-game) on fourth and seven as Campanale completed an 11 yard gain to Jackson Jr. Campanale ran for six yards on his own and Gaskin made a house call 15 yards away to bring the margin to 35-14.

Campanale hurled two more passing TDs, 63 yards to Jackson and 15 yards to Selby as the Ravens dropped the league battle.

Franklin Pierce returns home to the friendly confines of Sodexo Field next Saturday when they host Stonehill College in a conference contest at noon.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://fpuravens.com). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (https://shopfpuravens.com). You can also follow the football team on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Ravens_FB) and Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/franklinpierce_fb).