MORRISVILLE, N.Y. (9/18/10) – Senior
Jay Gwaltney rushed for over 100 yards and added a
54-yard touchdown reception and junior Jamahl Williams had a pair of interceptions to lead the Kean
University football team to a 27-9 win over Morrisville State
College in New Jersey Athletic Conference action.
After falling to NJAC preseason favorite SUNY Cortland a week
ago to open the season, the Cougars (1-1. 1-1 NJAC) rebounded by
jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
The Mustangs (0-2, 0-1 NJAC) scored nine points in the third
quarter to pull within 17-9, however Kean closed out the win with
10 points in the final stanza.
Junior quarterback Thomas D'Ambrisi opened
the scoring on the Cougars' first drive of the game,
scampering for the nine-yard touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead six
minutes into the game. After getting the ball at their own
40-yard line to open the game when the opening kickoff went
out-of-bounds, D'Ambrisi completed 3-of-4 passes for 37
yards, including a 20-yard strike to junior Chris Suozzo, and Gwaltney carried the ball six times for 19
yards, before D'Ambrisi finished the drive with the touchdown
run
Late in the quarter, Willliams (pictured right)made his first
interception of the year count, returning the ball 32-yards for the
touchdown with 27 seconds remaining in the quarter, as the Cougars
extended the lead to 14-0 following the extra point.
After a scoreless second quarter of play, the Mustangs got on
the board in the third quarter when punter Peter Mars
pinned the Cougars at their own two-yard line and sophomore
linebacker Enrique Robinson tackled Gwaltney in the end
zone on the first play of the drive for the two-point
safety.
On the ensuing Morrisville State drive, Kean senior cornerback
Chris Lauda intercepted the ball in Kean territory
and the Cougars would score on the subsequent possession, as kicker
Billy Daniels booted the 29-yard field goal to
extend the lead to 17-2 with 6:50 remaining in the quarter.
Morrisville State answered right back after the kickoff went
out-of-bounds, giving the Mustangs excellent field position at
their own 40-yard line. The Mustangs then took advantage of
three Kean penalties, the last of which set-up first and goal at
the one-yard line, and after the Cougars held on first down, senior
Joe Shue completed the one-yard pass to senior fullback
Sean Barrett and the Mustangs pulled to within 17-9 with
3:27 left in the
quarter after the extra point.
The Mustangs then caught a break on the Cougars' next
possession, when defensive tackle David Williams forced
the fumble on the Cougars' first play of the drive and junior
Anthony Brown recovered the ball. After a Mustang
penalty moved the ball back across midfield and into Morrisville
State territory, the Mustangs moved the ball down to the Kean
25-yard line before turning the ball over on downs on fourth-and-8
with 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Kean opened the fourth quarter with a scoring drive, as back-up
quarterback Anthony Giordano completed 3-of-5
passes for 18 yards and Gwaltney (pictured left) carried the ball
five times for 39 yards before Daniels kicked his second field goal
of the day, this time good from 32-yards out for the 20-9 lead with
9:49 left in the game.
The two teams traded turnovers on each of their next possessions
and the Cougars forced the Mustangs into a three-and-out to set up
the final scoring drive of the game. Opening the drive on
their own 43-yard line, Giordano and Gwaltney connected on the
54-yard touchdown on the third play of the drive to extend the lead
to 27-9 following the extra point.
Gwaltney carried the ball 25 times for 108 yards rushing, while
also adding three receptions for 59 yards and one touchdown.
Suozzo made a team-high five receptions for 47 yards and completed
one pass for 34 yards.
D'Ambrisi completed 8-of-14 passes for 67 yards in the
first half, while Giordano finished with six completions for 91
yards.
Defensively, rookie linebacker Jerelle Peay
(pictured right) led the Cougars in tackles for the second straight
game, finishing with seven tackles, including 1.5 tackles for a
seven yard loss. The Cougars made five interceptions in the
game, as Williams picked off the Mustangs twice and Lauda, junior
Bekim Bujari and senior Andre Dozier each added interceptions.
For the Mustangs, Shue completed 11-of-26 passes fpr 96 yards,
as Kyle Gordon and Maurice Mitchell each had
three receptions.
Brown made a game-high 12 tackles and recovered one fumble,
while Robinson added eight tackles, two tackles for a loss and one
fumble recovery.
The Cougars remain on the road in New York, taking on Buffalo
State College on Saturday, September 25, at Noon.