Football Holds Off F&M For Garrett's First
Win
LANCASTER, Pa. (9/16/06) - Kean University junior quarterback
A.J. Roque (Matawan, N.J.) passed for 173 yards while the Cougars'
ground attack piled up 197 more, as Kean defeated host Franklin
& Marshall College, 21-13, in nonconference football action on
Saturday, September 16. The Cougars improved to 1-1, as new head
coach Dan Garrett picked up the first win of his career, while
Franklin & Marshall dropped to 1-1.
The Cougars used a balanced offensive attack, with junior running
back Anthony Stewart (Atlantic City, N.J.), junior Brian Williams
(Pleasantville, N.J.) and freshman Jared Chunn (Eatontown, N.J.)
combined for 162 yards on the ground. Kean's 197 rushing yards was
the most the Cougars have had in nearly three seasons. Kean running
backs ran for 208 yards against Cortland State University on
September 20, 2003.
Kean took an early 7-0 lead when Roque connected with senior wide
receiver Jarred Crowley (Trenton, N.J.) for a 49-yard touchdown
pass with 8:27 remaining in the first quarter.
After the Kean defense forced the Diplomats into threes-and-out on
each of their first four possessions, the Cougars then capitalized
on a Franklin & Marshall fumble in its own territory with just
four minutes remaining in the opening half. On the ensuing
possession, Chunn took a second-down handoff and scampered 28 yards
for the Kean touchdown, putting the visiting Cougars up by two
touchdowns at halftime.
With just 5:21 remaining in the third quarter, the Cougars tacked
on another score when sophomore running back Chris Aquino
(Somerville, N.J.) capped a 10-play, 88-yard drive with a five-yard
touchdown run and a 21-0 advantage.
As the clock wound down in the third quarter, Diplomat senior
defensive back Tim Barry (Madison, N.J.) intercepted a Roque pass
and returned it to the Kean 31-yard line. Franklin & Marshall
wasted little time in taking advantage of the turnover, as junior
quarterback Kyle Turner (Haddonfield, N.J.) threw a nine-yard
touchdown pass to senior Michael Holden (West Caldwell, N.J.) just
five plays later.
On their next possession, the Diplomats needed just 98 seconds to
cap a nine-play, 87-yard drive with a 28-yard touchdown pass from
Turner to senior Bobby Frieler (Orwigsburg, Pa.). The score cut the
deficit to 21-13 with 7:15 remaining.
The Cougar defense held off the Franklin & Marshall rally,
forcing the Diplomats to turn the ball over on downs on their final
two possessions of the game, sealing the eight-point victory.
In the win, Stewart led Kean with 62 yards rushing, while Williams
and Chunn combined for 100 yards on the ground and 79 through the
air.
Defensively, sophomore defensive back Guy Ulmer-Santos (Jersey
City, N.J.) and senior linebacker William Parks (Newark, N.J.) each
registered nine tackles, with Parks also contributing three tackles
for a loss of seven yards.
The Cougars return to action on Saturday, September 23, when they
travel to Morrisville State College. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
