Montclair, NJ – Junior Pat Caggiano (Cedar Grove, NJ, Cedar Grove) returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown while freshman Joshua Betts (Newark, NJ, Central) recovered a fumble in the end zone for a score as Montclair State delivered a Homecoming victory with a 28-7 triumph over The College of New Jersey on Saturday.
Running back Denzel Nieves (South Orange, NJ, Columbia) ran for a score while Aaron Williams (West Orange, NJ, Jonathan Dayton) hauled in a touchdown pass as Montclair captured its fifth straight improving to 5-1 while remaining unbeaten in NJAC play at 3-0. MSU also improved to 51-29-2 against the Lions (1-5, 0-3 NJAC) in the oldest active collegiate rivalry in New Jersey.
After stopping TCNJ on the initial possession of the game, the Red Hawks took over at their own 43 yardline following a punt. Nieves rushed for 11 yards on the first two plays and a seven-yard burst moved the ball to the TCNJ 39. Montclair would be forced to punt however an penalty on the play gave the Red Hawks a first down at the 34. Ryan Davies (Lanoka Harbor, NJ, Howell) hit Nieves out of the backfield for 17 yards and a 10-yard completion to Devon Levesque (Hanover, NH, Valley Forge) following a penalty on MSU put the ball at the New Jersey 16. Davies then hit Williams down the left seam for the touchdown as Montclair led 7-0 with 7:22 remaining.
The Lions' next possession saw them drive all the way to the MSU 8 however the Red Hawk defense would come up with the first of several stands. Following an incompletion, Montclair registered three consecutive sacks, the first by Vincent Cordasco (Cedar Grove, NJ, Cedar Grove) that pushed the ball back to the 18. Nick Mangum (Nutley, NJ, Nutley) followed with Betts ending the TCNJ drive with a four-yard sack on fourth-down.
MSU used the momentum and turned it into points as it went 77-yards in 12 plays with a pair of key TCNJ penalties helping out. Davies found Clinton Coffey (Roselle, NJ, Roselle) for 44 yards down to the New Jersey 30 and another Coffey catch for nine yard put the ball at the 12. The drive stalled and MSU attempted a field goal attempt that went wide, however TCNJ was flagged for roughing the kicker giving Montclair new life at the 6. Nieves made the miscue sting harder on the next play barreling into the end zone for a 14-0 Red Hawks advantage with 4:43 left before halftime.
The teams traded possessions with the Lions getting the ball back with 1:24 to play at its own 13 following a well-placed punt by MSU's Joe Janovic (Montvale, NJ, St. Joseph's (Montvale)). TCNJ punted the ball away however a pair of offsetting penalties for a re-kick which proved costly for the Lions as Caggiano took the ball at the MSU 36 and raced through the middle of the field for a 64-yard touchdown with 32 seconds left. It was the first return touchdown in Caggiano's career.
Leading 21-0 at halftime, Montclair looked to make it more on its first possession of the second half. The Red Hawks matriculated the ball down to the TCNJ 6 and attempted a field goal. However the attempt was blocked.
Another great punt by Janovic pinned TCNJ at its own 3 which would set up Montclair's final touchdown. On the second play of the drive, linebacker Michael Tenpenny (Iselin, NJ, John F. Kennedy) stripped the ball from TCNJ back Brad Young (Cresskill, NJ / Creskill) in the end zone. The ball was scooped up by Betts for the touchdown giving Montclair State a 28-0 lead with 2:01 to go in the third.
Meanwhile the MSU defense held the Lions in check with several more stops, including an interception by Eric Gargiulo (Cranford, NJ, Cranford) with 9:31 remaining. It was the eighth pick for Gargiulo, who tied an NCAA record last week with five against Southern Virginia. Montclair allowed just 215 yards of offense to the Lions with 105 coming on the visitor's final two drives.
Khani Glover (Jackson, NJ / Jackson Memorial) averted the shutout for TCNJ with a 33-yard run for a touchdown with 1:12 to play.
Nieves finished with 54 yards on the ground for MSU, which got five receptions for 84 yards from Coffey. Davies was 13-of-20 for 156 yards with the MSU defense recording six sacks by six different players. Linebacker Michael Klimek (Cranford, NJ, Cranford) led the Red Hawks with four tackles while Cordsaco finished with three along with two tackles for loss.
The Red Hawks return to action next Saturday, October 25 as it hosts Rowan University at 1:00 pm in a key NJAC matchup. Both teams enter the game at 3-0 as the Profs blanked Morrisville State 31-0 on Saturday.