NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Senior quarterback Tyson Bagent (Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg) completed 33-of-43 passes for 394 yards and five touchdowns, and junior running back Ronnie Brown (Baltimore, Md./Dundalk) rushed 10 times for 113 yards and a pair of scores to lead #6/6 Shepherd (1-0) to a 48-7 win over Southern Connecticut State (0-1) in the season opener for both schools at Jess Dow Field on Thursday night.
Shepherd took a 7-0 lead when Brown dashed 17 yards for a score with 11:53 remaining in the first quarter. Redshirt-sophomore kicker Jacob Haynie (Fairfax, Va./Robinson) added the extra point.
Shepherd increased its lead to 14-0 when Bagent fired a five-yard scoring strike to junior wide receiver Marlon Cook (Forestville, Md./Potomac) with 8:28 left in the first quarter.
Brown added a 13-yard scoring run with 6:26 left in the second quarter to up the lead to 21-0.
Junior wide receiver Ryan Beach (Frederick, Md./Northwest) scored on a one-yard pass from Bagent with 42 seconds left in the half to give the Rams a 27-0 lead at the break.
Bagent teamed with Beach on a 26-yard scoring pass to open the second half scoring with 12:51 left in the third quarter.
Marc Reali teamed with Diante Wilson on a 19-yard score for Southern Connecticut State with 5:43 left in the third quarter to cut the lead to 34-7.
Bagent found Cook in the end zone for a 32-yard scoring strike with 3:57 left in the third period to increase the lead to 41-7.
Bagent and Beach connected on a 17-yard score with 39 seconds left in the third period to complete the scoring.
Reali completed 9-of-20 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown for Southern Connecticut State.
Cook led the Shepherd receivers with eight catches for 154 yards and two scores, while Beach added eight receptions for 78 yards and three touchdown catches. Tylon Papallo had seven grabs for 122 yards for the Owls.
Shepherd amassed 586 yards of total offense. Southern Connecticut State had 210 yards of total offense.
Junior linebacker Dewayne Grantham (Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg/Lackawanna) recorded a team-high eight tackles with four solo stops. He added a pair of interceptions. Robert Nunez recorded 12 tackles (two solos) for the Owls.
The Rams return to action on Saturday when they host Edinboro in the home opener at noon at Ram Stadium.
