Football Stumbles at Albright, 42-17
READING, Pa. (9/8/07) - The Kean University football team
dropped a 42-17 decision to host Albright College in non-conference
action on Saturday evening.
The Cougars (1-1) managed just 87 yards of total offense in the
first half as Albright (1-1) built a 28-9 advantage at halftime.
Kean inside linebackers Clarence Goodman (Old Bridge,
N.J.) and Jim Tedesco (Staten Island,
N.J.) each finished with a game-high 10 tackles.
In the Lions victory, quarterback Tanner Kelly
(Clearfield, N.J.) threw for 447 yards and four touchdowns
in the victory, as senior wide receiver Steven Asay
(Gibbstown, N.J.) caught seven passes for 190 yards and
one touchdown.
Albright got on the board first, as Kelly connected with
sophomore running back Nate Romig (Birdsboro, Pa.)
on a 69-yard scoring strike on the Lions' first play of their
second drive of the game.
After blocking a field goal attempt on the Cougars' next drive,
Kelly again went long on the first play for a touchdown, this time
hooking up with Asay for a 79-yard scoring strike and an early 14-0
Lion lead.
In the final minutes of the first quarter, the Cougar special
teams put points on the board, as senior Ryan Staton (Mays
Landing, N.J.) returned a punt 59 yards for the touchdown
to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 1:56 left in the first quarter.
The Cougars pulled to within 14-9 early in the second quarter,
as Goodman blocked a punt in the endzone for the second straight
week, resulting in a safety. However, that would be as close
as the Cougars would get, as Albright added a pair of
second-quarter touchdowns to push the lead out to 28-9 at
halftime.
In the third quarter, Kean junior outside linebacker
Jake Pew (Sussex, N.J.) sacked Kelly in the
endzone for the team's second safety of the game to cut the deficit
to 28-11 for the only points scored in the third stanza.
After the Lions opened the fourth quarter with a touchdown, Kean
responded on their next 
drive with a AJ Roque seven-yard touchdown pass
to junior wide receiver James Felton (Plainfield,
N.J.) to pull back within 18 points at 35-17 after the
two-point conversion failed with 11:22 left in the game.
Albright came right back on its next possession to put the final
margin at 42-17, as Kelly completed a 43-yard touchdown pass to
senior wide receiver Jordan McCauley (Havertown,
Pa.).
Defensively, Tedesco and Goodman had a fumble recover and force
fumble, respectively, while Staton had five tackles and an
interception return for 38-yards.
For the Lions, sophomore defensive back Brett Gaul
(Leesport, Pa.) made a team-high eight tackles, while
junior defensive back Matt Christ (Birdsboro, Pa.)
had three interceptions and five tackles.
Kean quarterback AJ Roque (Matawan, N.J.) was
22-for-41 with four interceptions and one touchdown, as Kean
converted just 1-of-4 red zone opportunities.
The Cougars managed just 55 yards rushing on 26 attempts, as
sophomore back Jared Chunn (Tinton Falls, N.J.)
had 13 rushes for 33 yards. In the air, sophomore
Durell Dukes (Elizabeth, N.J.) had six receptions
for 82 yards, while senior Brian Williams (Pleasantville,
N.J.) added four catches for 72 yards.
Kean has a bye-week before returning home on September 22, when
they host future-New Jersey Athletic Conference affiliate member
Morrsville State College. Kick-off is slated for 1 p.m.
