NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A pair of major mistakes on special teams –  a fumble on the opening kickoff and a blocked punt –  both led to touchdowns and propelled Southern Connecticut State University to a 35-13 win over Bentley University in Northeast-10 Conference football Saturday afternoon at Jess Dow Field.

The outcome left a three-way tie for third place in the conference with one week left before the NE-10 championship weekend. Bentley and Southern Connecticut are both now 5-4 overall and 5-3 in the conference, as is the University of New Haven, who the Falcons will see next Saturday on the road.

Bentley never completely recovered after giving up two touchdowns in the first 6:13. After Owl sophomore David Spears, Jr. (Springfield, Mass.) came up with a fumble on the opening kickoff, it took Southern only four plays to reach the end zone, doing so on a four-yard run by junior tailback Devon Davis (Irvington, N.J.).

Southern, which was celebrating its Homecoming, made it a 14-0 game on its next possession, moving 61 yards in eight plays with a five-yard keeper by junior quarterback Ray Catapano (Franklin Square, N.Y.) finishing the drive.

Bentley, despite running 29 plays on Southern's side of the field in the first half, found itself looking at a 21-6 deficit at the break. Freshman kicker Grant Buchanan (Holliston, Mass./Holliston HS) accounted for all of the Falcons' scoring with a pair of field goals, including a 37-yarder on the final play before intermission.

Bentley turned the ball over on downs twice in Southern territory in the second quarter, including once at the half-yard line when a two-yard pass from junior Mack Lowrie (Foxborough, Mass./ Roxbury Latin HS) to senior Sean Myers (Foxborough, Mass./Roxbury Latin HS) came up inches shy of the end zone. A touchdown at that point would have brought the Falcons within four at 14-10.

About three minutes later, junior Justin Potts (Meriden, Conn.) blocked a punt for Southern, sophomore Brandon Pelzer (Cambria Heights, N.Y.) returned it 15 yards to the Bentley 20, and on the next play, sophomore Vochan Fowler (Bridgeport, Conn.) ran it in for the first of his two TDs and a 21-3 lead.

Southern opened the second half with a 73-yard drive that Fowler finished with his second TD, this one from 11 yards out.

Bentley's only TD of the game came with 3:06 left in the third, a 28-yard pass from Lowrie to senior Chris Calvanese (Norfolk, Mass./Xaverian Bros. HS).

Southern restored the three-TD advantage midway through the fourth when Catapano went deep to senior Devante Jenkins (Carson, Calif.) for 55 yards.

Bentley was outgained 352-218 with the Owls holding the ball for 35:57 and rushing for 203. First downs also favored the home team, 21-12.

Lowrie finished 16 of 32 through the air for 122 yards, with sophomore Drew Mahoney (West Suffield, Conn./Suffield Academy) on the receiving end of half of his completions. Calvanese had two for 39, including the 100th reception of his career. On the ground, sophomore Eric Sugarman (Fuqay Varina, N.C./Fuquay Varina HS) was Bentley's top rusher with 54 yards on 13 carries.

Fowler rushed for 114 yards for Southern and Catapano was very efficient, completing nine of 12 for 149 yards.

Senior linebacker Bryan Hardy (Barnstable, Mass./Barnstable HS) led Bentley in tackles with 10. He finished the game with 305 for his career, becoming the first player in the program's varsity history to reach 300.

Senior safety Junior Chery (Waltham, Mass./Waltham HS) had Bentley's 18th interception of the season and junior linebacker Vinny Banek (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson HS) recovered a fumble.

The win was Southern's first against Bentley since 2011.