Chunn, D'Ambrisi Power Kean Past
USMMA, 40-0
KINGS POINT, N.Y. (9/6/08) - Junior running
back Jared Chunn (Tinton Falls, N.J.) ran for a
career-high 238 yards and three touchdowns, and rookie
Thomas D'Ambrisi (Eatontown, N.J.) completed
13-of-15 passes with two touchdowns to lead the Kean University
football team to a 40-0 season-opening victory over United States
Merchant Marine Academy on Saturday afternoon.
Chunn, who scored on each of the Cougars' first two possessions,
rushed for the sixth most 
yards in single game history at Kean, as his touchdown runs of
2-yards, 61-yards and 46-yards gave the Cougars a 27-0 lead at
halftime.
D'Ambrisi (pictured right), who transferred to Kean after
redshirting at Monmouth University in 2007, was nearly perfect,
throwing for 215 yards in his Cougar debut.
The Cougars scored touchdowns on each of their first three
possessions, while the Kean defense limited the Mariners to just 89
yards of total offense and 10 first downs.
Kean marched the opening kickoff down the field 75 yards for the
6-0 lead, as D'Ambrisi completed all three of his pass attempts for
51 yards and Chunn rushed the ball five times for 22 yards,
including the two-yard touchdown run to cap the eight-play drive.
After pushing the Mariners back eight yards on their opening
possession, Kean regained the ball on their own 31-yard line
following the USMMA punt. The Cougars wasted little time, as
Chunn took the second play of the drive a career-best 61 yards for
his second touchdown of the afternoon for the 13-0 lead after the
successful extra point.
On Kean's third possession of the game, the Cougars aired things
out when D'Ambrisi connected with senior wide receiver
Durell Dukes (Elizabeth, N.J.) with a 76-yard
scoring strike, the fourth-longest pass play in school history, for
a 20-0 lead in the opening quarter.
Chunn added his final touchdown of the game in the second
quarter, capping a six-play, 71-yard drive with a 46-yard touchdown
run for the 27-0 lead heading into halftime.
The Cougars added a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, as
D'Ambrisi connected with Dukes with a seven-yard touchdown pass and
then added an eight-yard touchdown run for the final score of the
game.
Dukes finished with six receptions for 157 yards and two
touchdowns.
Defensively, four different players finished with five tackles
apiece for Kean. Sophomore Victor D'Arrigo (Staten
Island, N.Y.) (pictured left) and senior Markal
Ginyard (Cape May Courthouse, N.J.) each had five solo
stops. Senior Jake Pew (Sussex, N.J.) added
five tackles, including one sack, and one fumble recovery, while
rookie Joseph Laguna (Middletown, N.J.) added five
tackles, including two tackles for a loss of 14 yards, and one pass
break-up.
After a bye-week, the Cougars open New Jersey Athletic
Conference action against Western Connecticut State University in
the home opener on Saturday, September 20. Kick-off is slated
for 1 p.m.
