Box Score

Montclair, NJ(10/25/08) - Junior running back Jeff Bliss (New Milford, NJ / New Milford)rushed for a career-best 219 yards on 40 carries while scoring the lonetouchdown of the game as Montclair State blanked The College of New Jersey,15-0 before a Homecoming crowd of 2,335 at a wet and wind-blown Sprague Fieldon Saturday evening.

Junior kicker Marco Capozzoli (Bloomfield, NJ / St. Joseph's (Montvale) connected on field goals of 36, 32 and 25 yards as the Red Hawks (6-1, 5-1NJAC) captured the 76th meeting of the oldest active collegiate football rivalryin the Garden State.

MSU leads the all-time series 47-27-2 and it recorded its 18 th shutout in the series and its first shutout overall since a 3-0 overtime win against Kean in 2005. The game was played under heavy rain at times with winds gusting to over 30 miles perhour at points during the contest. Ironically, that Kean game was also played in a heavy downpour on Homecoming.

Freshman middle linebacker Kevin Allgood (Chatham,NJ / Chatham) posted a game-high 15 tackleswhile lineman Marc Fabiano (Scotch Plains, NJ / SP-Fanwood) added 13 as the Lions fell to 3-4 overall, 3-3 in the conference.

TCNJ got the ball to start the game but on the third play, Chris James (Brick, NJ / Brick Memorial) was intercepted by linebacker Cornell Hunt (North Brunswick,NJ / North Brunswick) and the Red Hawks took over at midfield. Montclair would need five plays to putpoints on the scoreboard as Bliss had all five rushes, including a six-yard TD run with 11:22 left as MSU took a 6-0 lead . The extra-point snap was mishandled.  

Montclair would increase its lead to 9-0 early in thesecond as a drive that started at its own 30 moved to TCNJ's 19 beforeCapozzoli hit the first of his field goals. The drive covered 51 yards as Matt Jimenez (Waldwick, NJ / Waldwick) accounted for 36 of those.

Following a three-and-out by TCNJ, Montclair took over atthe Lions' 47 as Byron Lewin (Carteret, NJ / Carteret) returned a punt 28yards. Bliss would pull in a 15-yard pass from Tom Fischer (Livingston, NJ /Livingston) on third down to keep the drive going and he added 12 more yards on the ground before MSU settled for a 32-yard field goal and a 12-0 halftime lead.

Despite being held to just 59 yards in the first half, the Lions remained close and took advantage of a short punt in the third quarter to get good field possession. Taking over at its 47, TCNJ moved the ball to the MSU 25 and were looking for a field goal. But that snap too was mishandled and holder Zach Rinaldi's (Burlington,NJ / Florence) pass attempt misfired and the scored remained 12-0.

In the fourth quarter, TCNJ would get its most sustained drive of the game going. Off a missed field goal by MSU, the Lions took over at their own 30 and marched 74 yards in 10 plays as James connected three times for big gains, including an18-yard to Cam Richardson (Burlington, NJ / Burlington Township) down to the MSU17. A Chase Misiura (Holmdel, NJ/ Holmdel) run pushed the ball to the 3, but on the next play, Michael Yetka (Holmdel, NJ/ Holmdel) went around left end to the MSU 3 and tried to stretch out the ball toward the goal line. The ball came out of Yetka's hands and the official's ruled that it went through the end zone for a touchback giving Montclair State the ball with 10:01 left.

Montclair State responded with a 14-play, 72-yard drive that chewed up 7:54 on the clock. The drive would be all Bliss as he ran off the first 13 plays down to the TCNJ 8 before Capozzoli came on to hit from 25yards out and a 15-0 MSU lead with 2:07 to play.

Montclair State outgained the Lions 382-188, with 298 comingon the ground as MSU ran 59 times. Chris D'Andrea (Union,NJ / Union) had 55 yards on 10 carries while Jimenez collected 36 on four rushes. Fischerwas 6-of-14 for 84 yards in the game. Defensively, Hunt had nine tackles (six solo) and added a pass breakup while lineman Chris Merkle (Nutley,NJ / Nutley) had six tackles and a sack. Montclair also dominated the time of possession as it held the ball for 38:10.

James was 16-of-35 for 128 yards with Colin Weber (Scotch Plains, NJ /SP-Fanwood) pulling in seven for 56 yards. Yetka was the Lions' leading ground gainer with 44 yards on six carries as TCNJ was held to just 60 yards rushing. Dan Polles (Kinnelon, NJ / Kinnelon) added nine tackles for the Lions.

Both teams are backin action next Saturday, November 1. Montclair State is on the road for an NJAC matchup in Danbury, CT against Western Connecticut. TCNJ returns home to Lions' Stadium to face  9th -ranked Cortland at Noon.