Chunn Carries Football Past TCNJ,
28-7
UNION, N.J. (10/2/09) - For the second straight
season, senior running back Jared Chunn (Tinton Falls,
N.J.) rushed for more than 200 yards against The College
of New Jersey, finishing with 210 yards and two touchdowns as
the Kean University football team shut down TCNJ, 28-7, in a New
Jersey Athletic Conference match-up on Friday evening.
Kean amassed 424 yards of total offense and held the nation's
leader in scoring offense to just one touchdown and 58 yards
rushing in the game. TCNJ, who scored a school-record 67
points a week ago against Morrisville State College, averaged 57.3
points per game coming into the game and also ranked 2nd
in the nation in total offense (538.33 yards per game) and
12th in rushing offense (271.33 yards per game) entering
the game.
Chunn (pictured right), who ran for 201 yards a year ago against
TCNJ, carried the ball 22 times and averaged 9.5 yards a carry to
lead a Cougar rushing attack that had 307 yards on 40 carries to
average 7.7 yards a rush. Through the air, sophomore
quarterback Thomas D'Ambrisi (Eatontown, N.J.)
finished 9-of-13 for 117 yards and one touchdown pass.
Defensively, the Cougars forced three turnovers and had seven
tackles for a loss of 42 yards, including three sacks for a loss of
27 yards.
For TCNJ, senior quarterback Chris James (Brick, N.J.)
was 24-of-41 for 234 yards and one touchdown.
Kean also unveiled its new integrated scoring and video system
in Alumni Stadium, featuring a new Daktronics scoreboard measuring
approximately 36 feet wide and 28 feet high with a video
display of nearly 19 feet by 11 feet.
After a scoreless opening quarter, the Cougars were the first to
put points on the new scoreboard, when Chunn somehow managed to
stay on his feet, escaping a host of Lion tacklers and breaking
free for the 62 yard touchdown run and the 7-0 lead with 10:49 to
go in the second quarter after the extra point by Billy
Daniels (Ridgefield, N.J.).
TCNJ answered back on their next drive, as James completed 4-of-5
passes, including a five-yard touchdown pass to senior wide
receiver Colin Weber (Scotch Plains, N.J.) that would tie
the game after the extra point by senior Marc Zucconi (Marlton,
N.J.) just 1:47 later. On the seven play drive, senior
wide receiver Erick Hendrickson (Belvidere, N.J.) opened
the series with a 39-yard reception to move the Lions into Kean
territory.
On TCNJ's next drive, Kean junior cornerback Andre
Dozier (Newark, N.J.) intercepted the James pass at the
TCNJ 30-yard line to set-up the go-ahead scoring drive. On
the first play, Chunn had a 14-yard run to move the ball down to
the 16-yard line. After a fumbled snap pushed the Cougars
back five yards, D'Ambrisi completed a diving touchdown catch to
junior wide receiver Matt Puorro (Point Pleasant,
N.J.) (pictured left) with 3:55 remaining in the half and
a 14-7 lead at the break.
In the opening half, TCNJ had three drives end in Kean
territory, as the Lions were 1-of-4 on fourth down
conversions. On their first drive of the game, the Lions
moved the ball down to the Kean 10-yard line before the Cougar
defense held TCNJ on fourth-and-two. 
The Lions' next drive saw TCNJ go for it on fourth and goal at
the one-yard line, however a low snap was fumbled and James
recovered the ball back at the 25-yard line after a scramble,
turning the ball over to the Cougars on downs. The final
drive of the half for TCNJ ended on an incomplete pass on
fourth-and-four at the Kean 28-yard line.
The Cougars forced another turnover on the opening drive of the
second half, when James was sacked for a 14-yard loss by senior
defensive end Matt Donaghue (Old Bridge, N.J.)
(pictured right) and fumbled the ball that was recovered by Kean's
Darnell Butler (Rahway, N.J.) back in TCNJ
territory.
The play helped set up another Cougar score, as Chunn raced 36
yards for the touchdown on the second play of the ensuing drive.
The two teams forced turnovers on each others' next possession
and the Lions tried to pin Kean back against the goal-line when the
Zucconi punt was downed at the two-yard line with just over five
minutes remaining in the quarter.
The ensuing Kean drive however, ate nearly half a quarter of
time off the clock, as the Cougars marched 98-yards and senior
Derric Harris (Freehold, N.J.) capped the 13-play
drive that spanned 7:25 of the final two quarters with a 13-yard
touchdown run that put Kean ahead by three touchdowns at 28-7 with
12:05 remaining.
A pair of Cougar penalties helped keep the next TCNJ drive
alive, as the Lions moved the ball to the Kean 13-yard line.
However, an illegal shift by the Lions and a pair of incomplete
passes ended the drive and turned the ball back over to the Cougars
with 7:28 remaining.
The Cougars kept the clock moving on their final drive of the
game, using up 6:16 as the ball stayed on the ground for all 11
plays with Chunn and senior Chris Aquino (Somerville,
N.J.) combining for 73 of the 82 yards before turning the
ball back over to the Lions on downs with just 72 seconds remaining
in the game.
It was the Cougars' third straight win over TCNJ and the first
time since 1995 that Kean has started 3-0 in the NJAC.
Aquino finished with nine carries for 60 yards, while D'Ambrisi
added 30 yards rushing on four carries.
Senior linebacker Kyle Maher (Red Bank, N.J.)
(pictured left) made a team-high eight tackles, including 1.5
tackles for a loss of eight yards, while Donaghue had six tackles,
1.5 sacks for a 17 yard loss , 2.5 tackles for a loss of 22 yards,
and one forced fumble. Nose tackle Darryl Jackson
(Red Bank, N.J.) made six tackles, including a sack, and
had one pass break-up.
For TCNJ, Weber had a game-high seven receptions for 69 yards
and one touchdown. Linebacker Joseph Spahn (Burlington,
N.J.) and junior defensive back Matthew Kreider (Delran,
N.J.) made a game-high 11 tackles apiece, including nine solo
stops each.
The Cougars host Buffalo State College in NJAC action next
Saturday, October 10, at 1 p.m.
