Kean Football Rallies Past #18
Montclair State, 21-17
UNION, N.J. (11/15/08) - The Kean University
football team scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally
past #18 Montclair State University, 21-17, in the regular season
finale in New Jersey Athletic Conference action at Kean Alumni
Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Junior Alex Cade (Galloway, N.J.) caught a
14-yard touchdown pass in the back of the endzone from freshman
quarterback Thomas D'Ambrisi (Eatontown, N.J.) to
give the Cougars (7-3, 6-3 NJAC) the lead with 8:47 remaining in
the game. 
The Red Hawks (8-2, 7-2 NJAC) had three more drive opportunities
and had the ball in the final two minutes, before Kean senior
linebacker Matt Ali (Keasbey, N.J.) (pictured
right) intercepted the ball at the Kean 20-yard line to seal the
victory and give the Cougars at least seven wins in a season for
just the fifth time in program history.
The Cougar win was also a crushing blow to the Red Hawks' NCAA
playoff chances, as both teams are also strong contenders for a bid
to one of the six Eastern College Athletic Conference Bowl
Championship games.
For Kean, senior Durell Dukes (Elizabeth, N.J.)
finished with 12 catches for 128 yards and broke his own school
record for single season receptions with 61 for the season.
Montclair State University running back Jeff Bliss (New
Milford, N.J.) finished with 73 yards rushing to become the
12th back in school history to accomplish the
feat. It was also the third straight season MSU had a running
back rush for over a 1,000 yards, marking just the second time in
program history the Red Hawks accomplished the feat.
Trailing 17-0 after just 16 minutes of action, the Red Hawks
appeared to be headed into halftime with a comfortable lead before
Kean sophomore Chris Lauda (Staten Island, N.Y.)
intercepted a pass off of Montclair State freshman quarterback
Tom Fischer (Livingston, N.J.) and ran the ball from one
sideline to the other on the 40-yard touchdown return with just
1:40 remaining in the first half to trim the deficit to 17-7 at the
break.
After a scoreless third quarter in which every drive resulted in
a punt, as the two teams combined for six punts, the Cougars
moved the ball 73 yards in just under three minutes on their first
drive of the fourth quarter. D'Ambrisi capped the seven-play
drive with three-yard touchdown run to pull the Cougars to within
17-14 with 11:02 remaining. On the drive, the rookie
quarterback completed all four of his passes, including three to
Dukes for a combined 43 yards.
On the first play of the ensuing Montclair State
possession, rookie safety Jamahl Williams (Passaic,
N.J.) intercepted the Fischer pass at the KU 35-yard line
and moved the ball back into Red Hawk territory with the 16 yard
return.
D'Ambrisi went right back to work, completing a 20-yard pass to
Cade to move the ball to the 
Montclair State 27-yard line. After a 12-yard completion to
Dukes moved the Cougars inside the red zone, D'Ambrisi again
connected with Cade (pictured right), this time for the 14-yard
touchdown pass for the go-ahead score. Junior Rick
Jaeger (Hazlet, N.J.) converted his third extra point
attempt of the afternoon to give the Cougars the 21-17 lead with
8:47 remaining.
The Red Hawks had three more drives in the game, with the first
two resulting in turning the ball back over to the Cougars on
downs. However, the Cougars were forced to punt on both of
their possessions and the Red Hawks eventually had the ball back at
their own 15-yard line with 2:27 remaining.
Montclair State moved the ball inside Cougar territory and down
to the Kean 35-line before a holding penalty pushed the Red Hawks
back 10-yards to the KU-45. On the next play, Ali intercepted
the Fischer pass with just 38 seconds remaining and the Cougars
took a knee on the final two plays to defeat the Red Hawks.
In the first quarter, the Red Hawks threatened on the first
drive of the game, as senior fullback Jason Scott (Bayville,
N.J.) had a 19-yard rush to move the Red Hawks into Kean
territory and back-to-back penalties on the Cougars set-up a first
and 10 at the Kean 34-yard line. The Cougars ended the drive
three plays later when Kean senior Markal Ginyard (Cape May
Courthouse, N.J.) intercepted the pass at the 20-yard line
to end the threat.
The Cougars came out throwing the ball on their first drive, as
D'Ambrisi connected with Dukes for 39 yards on the first three
plays of the possession to move the ball out near midfield.
On D'Ambrisi's next pass attempt, Red Hawk defensive back Jesse
Shenker (Freehold, N.J.) stepped in and intercepted the tipped
pass and ran the ball back 46-yards before being pushed out of
bounds by D'Ambrisi at the two-yard line.
Montclair State wasted little time, giving the ball to Bliss on
the first play, where he ran the ball in for the two-yard touchdown
run and the early 7-0 lead after the Marco Capozzoli
(Bloomfield, N.J.) extra point.
Kean went right back to Dukes (pictured left) on the first play of
the next drive, as D'Ambrisi completed the 10-yard pass to the
senior to give the Cougars a first and 10 back near midfield at the
KU 45-yard line. However on second down, D'Ambrisi was picked
off again, this time by sophomore Mario McLean (Boonton,
N.J.) to give the ball back to the Red Hawks.
On the ensuing drive, the Red Hawks gave the ball to Bliss on
five straight plays, as he rushed the ball 32 yards to set-up first
down inside the red zone. The Red Hawks settled for the field
goal, as Capozzoli connected on the 30-yarder for the 10-0 lead
with 3:04 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Cougars were once again unable to hold onto the ball on
their next drive, as junior running back Jared Chunn
(Tinton Falls, N.J.) carried the ball seven yards on the
first play of the drive before Montclair State senior Shawn
Gibson (Hillside, N.J.) forced a fumble that senior defensive
lineman Chris Merkle (Nutley, N.J.) recovered at the Kean
29-yard line.
Montclair State extended the lead to 17-0 at the start of the
second quarter, taking advantage of the short field position as
Bliss punched the ball in from one-yard out to cap the seven-play,
37-yard drive just 50 seconds into the second quarter.
After the Cougars' turned the ball over on downs deep in
Montclair State territory, Kean caught a break when senior
defensive end Rodney Holliday (Willingboro, N.J.)
forced a fumble that sophomore Jordan Cagle (Mount Holly,
N.J.) recovered at the MSU 34-yard line.
The Cougars again gambled on fourth down and were unable to
convert on the fourth and one, however Lauda got Kean on the
scoreboard on the following Red Hawk drive, when he intercepted the
Fischer pass and ran it back for his second interception return for
a touchdown against the Red Hawks in his career. A year ago,
Lauda had an 80-yard interception return against Montclair
State.
After his two early interceptions, D'Ambrisi (pictured right)
settled down and finished 20-of-37 for 214 yards, giving him 1,844
passing yards this season to move into fourth place in single
season history. His 16 touchdown passes this season are also
tied for fourth in single season history.
Chunn ran the ball 15 times for 59 yards, bettering his own
single season rushing record to 1,375 yards this season.
In addition to Dukes, senior James Felton (Plainfield,
N.J.) added three catches for 16 yards, while Cade had
both of his receptions on the go-ahead touchdown drive.
Four different Cougars intercepted passes in the game, the most
picks Kean has made in a game this season. Junior lineman
Darnell Butler (Rahway, N.J.) and Darryl
Jackson (Red Bank, N.J.) each made eight tackles, as
Butler also had a key fourth quarter sack for a nine-yard
loss. Ali, sophomore Victor D'Arrigo (Staten Island,
N.Y.) and senior Jake Pew (Sussex, N.J.)
each made seven tackles for the Cougars.
For the Red Hawks, freshman Byron Lewin (Carteret,
N.J.) had three catches for a team-high 62 yards, while senior
wide receiver Omar Sevilla (North Bergen, N.J.) had a
team-high five catches for 37 yards.
Defensively, McLean made a game-high nine tackles, while senior
linebacker Cornell Hunt (North Brunswick, N.J.) added
eight tackles, including five solo stops.
