SETTING THE SCENE: AIC looks to stay unbeaten in the Northeast-10 when they travel to Southern Connecticut Saturday at 12 p.m. from Jess Dow Field.

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American International Yellow Jackets (2-1, 2-0 NE-10)
Last Game: Stonehill, W, 33-5
Head Coach: Art Wilkins, 21st season (130-79)

Southern Connecticut Owls (1-2, 1-1 NE-10)
Last Game: Pace, W, 32-10
Head Coach: Tom Godek, first season (1-2)


ABOUT AIC: The Yellow Jackets boast one of the stingiest defenses in the conference, allowing the fewest points (16.7) per game and just 25 total in their two NE-10 tilts. Senior quarterback Kevin Arduino has rushed for two scores, while wide receiver classmate Steph Davis has caught two receptions for TDs and leads the team with 12 catches and 81.3 yards-per-game. Senior linebacker Jaquawne Simpkins leads the Yellow Jackets with 29 tackles (9.67 tackles/game) and is on pace to break his 99 from last season.

LAST TIME THEY MET: AIC rushed for four scores, including three by Arduino, and Jared Hulsey hit two second half field goals in a 33-14 regular season finale win last November in Springfield. The Yellow Jackets went up 14-0 quickly, capitlalizing on a Mike Ford interception on the Owls first drive with a two yard Arduino rushing score. AIC would add the second touchdown midway through the first with a Maurice Easterling run, capping a long 5:14 drive, 12 play drive.

Arduino net 67 yards on the ground and went 12-for-18 through the air for 171 yards. Jaquawne Simpkins registered nine tackles, six solo. Demetrius Steed tallied eight tackles with seven solo takedowns.

THE SERIES: Saturday marks the 58th meeting between the two. SCSU leads the all-time series, 32-22-3. AIC has won the last two meetings, halting a four game Southern Connecticut win streak over the Yellow Jackets from 2008-11. Since 2007 SCSU has outscored AIC by just six points (188-182). Four of the seven meetings have been decided by three points or less, three of them one point affairs; 2007 AIC 36-35, 2008 SCSU 13-12 and 2011 SCSU 48-47.

ABOUT SCSU: The Owls earned its first NE-10 and overall victory of the season last weekend, taking down Pace 32-10. SCSU sits 1-2 overall and 1-1 in conference, falling to Gannon University in the season opener, 23-7 and to Saint Anselm in overtime, 23-20. Donald Thomas leads the Owl rushing attack with 206 total yards on 30 carries, averaging 6.9 yards-per-carry. Julian Hayes gets the most rushes, carrying the ball 46 times for 181 yards. Freshman Ray Catapano has played in two games and started one at quarterback. Catapano is listed first on the depth chart and has completed 29-of-42 passes for 344 yards and one touchdown. Brian Wilcox who registered a game-high 13 tackles last season against the Yellow Jackets is tied for the team lead with 27 in 2014.

NO RECEPTION: After his three interception, two touchdown game against Stonehill, sophomore safety Daquan Holmes ranks third in the country with 1.7 interceptions-per-game. His five picks leads the team and is on pace to break the all-time interceptions in a season record, nine, set by Markell Rice in 2011. For his efforts, Holmes was named the NE-10 Defensive Player of the Week, Corvias ECAC Division II Player of the Week and the Beyond Sports Network Top Athlete Performance of the Week.

PROTECTING THE HIVE: Despite allowing 177 rushing yards to Stonehill running back Colin Markus, the Yellow Jackets kept the Skyhawks out of the end zone and on top of that, scored four defensive touchdowns off six takeaways. Adding to Holmes two interception returns for TDs on 160 yards, sophomore Andrew Justice scored on a 97 yard fumble recovery and senior linebacker Joel Bowen ran a fumble recovery back 25 yards following a massive hit from Raymond Durrett on the backup Stonehill QB.

NEXT UP: The Yellow Jackets host Bentley in a Northeast-10 showdown at Ronald J. Abdow Field,Saturday Oct. 4 at 1 p.m.