Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
GLASSBORO, NJ – Rowan's defense picked off four passes and five different players scored touchdowns as the Profs defeated TCNJ, 36-22, in their NJAC opener today at Coach Richard Wackar Stadium. Rowan improves to 3-2 on the year and 1-0 in conference play.
The Profs rolled up 474 yards of total offense, led by quarterback Nate Maiers, who was 24-for-33 for 274 yards, and passed for one touchdown and ran for another. The sophomore hit a career high in passing yards for the second-straight week.
Matt Welsey had a touchdown pass as well, while Nunes Bukula IV ran 20 times for 98 yards and a TD. Joseph Riina scored a rushing touchdown with Tyshawn Bookman and Isaac Jean-Baptiste each posting touchdown receptions.
The Prof defense feasted, getting four interceptions, four sacks, four pass break ups, seven tackles for losses, and a forced fumble while limiting the Lions to 45 net rushing yards on 25 carries.
Jason Blanks, Eric Bryant, AJ Kirvin and Shamar Love each had an interception in the victory. Blanks led the team with six tackles and added a forced fumble and pass break up.
TCNJ recovered a fumble deep in its own territory on Rowan's opening drive. The visitors put the first points of the game on the board on a one-yard TD pass from Trevor Bopp to Jayson Schmidt at the 8:34 mark. Blanks helped keep the Lions off the board, using a forced fumble and recovery and later snagging his second interception of the season on a pick in the end zone after a blocked punt that gave the Lions the ball at the Rowan three-yard line.
Welsey hooked up with Bookman on a 14-yard score to cap a 13-play, 93-yard drive to make it 7-7 midway in the second. Late in the quarter, a fourth-down punt attempt from the Lions turned into a loss when Joe Racobaldo was able to corral punter Domenic Passero for a turnover on downs, putting the ball at the TCNJ 35. After a 35-yard catch and run from Bukula IV to get it to the TCNJ two, Riina entered and ran left off tackle with a cut back to dive into the end zone with just 40 ticks before the half. The extra point attempt turned into two points, when Welsey sprung up as the holder, ran left and found Loukas Plasteras in the end zone for a 15-7 edge where it stood at the half.
After TCNJ scored on a 68-yard Bopp-to-Alex Dille pass on its first second-half possession, the Profs responded as Maiers ran it in from eight yards out to put the wraps on a 13-play, 75 yard drive.
Rowan scored on its next possession where Maiers tossed a dime to hit Jean-Baptiste on a corner fade up the lead to 29-14.
Bukula IV capped the scoring with his fourth rushing touchdown on the year with 6:01 remaining in the contest.
Maiers' top target was Luke Hoke, who had six catches for 43 yards. Michael Zarfati had 67 yards on five grabs while Bukula IV totaled 70 yards on four receptions.
Bopp finished with 282 yards on 17-of-24 passing. Schmidt ran for 67 yards on 16 carries while Dille had three catches for 90 yards. Thomas Burke led all pass catchers with 97 yards on six receptions.
Rowan continues its NJAC slate next Saturday with a trip to Christopher Newport in a 1 p.m. start.