MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The TCNJ football team scored all 14 of its points in the second half and held off a last-minute Montclair State drive to defeat the Red Hawks, 14-9, on a Homecoming Saturday night in Montclair. The Lions have now won three straight games for the first time since the final three games of the 2017 season.
 
After trailing, 3-0, at the half, the TCNJ offense awoke on its second drive of the second half. After the teams exchanged punts to open the half, the Lions went 45 yards on eight plays, capped by a Mark Pacini 1-yard touchdown run to take a 7-3 lead.
 
The TCNJ defense, strong throughout the game, forced another punt on Montclair's next possession. On the third play of the next TCNJ drive, though, John Donegan was intercepted by Zahir Wilder and returned for a touchdown. Montclair missed the PAT and settled for a 9-7 advantage with 4:44 remaining in the third period.
 
Nicholas Chambers took control on the drive that gave the Lions the lead back early in the fourth quarter. Starting at their own 28, TCNJ gave the ball to Chambers on the first snap, and he took it 37 yards to the Montclair 35. Two plays later, he went 17 more yards to get the Lions into the red zone at the MSU 17.
 
Donegan bounced back with a 15-yard completion to Matthew Macaulay later in the drive to get the ball to the Montclair 1. Two plays later, Chambers busted into the end zone to put TCNJ back in the lead with 11:34 left.
 
Playing with the lead, the TCNJ defense forced Montclair into a turnover on its next possession. Cole Groschel picked off Ja'Quill Burch near midfield.
 
After the teams again traded punts, TCNJ started its drive with 6:03 to play. The Lions picked up two first downs on Pacini runs, including one on a 3^rd-and-1, that forced Montclair to burn its timeouts. By the time TCNJ punted the ball back to MSU, there was just 2:09 to play and 89 yards to go.
 
Montclair managed to move the ball to the TCNJ 16, converting three third downs in the process. Burch's scramble to the TCNJ 16 with just four seconds remaining set the stage for one final play to determine the winner.
 
With three receivers split to the right, Burch was pressured in the pocket by Nick Celli as he released a throw towards the front right pylon. It was too tall, though, as the pass fell incomplete as the clock hit 0:00.
 
Pacini led the attack with 23 carries for 103 yards, and Chambers followed with 21 carries for 91 yards.
 
Celli had 1.5 sacks for the Lions' defense, and Gavin Liepe led the team with six tackles.
 
TCNJ has a winning record after the first five games in a season for the first time since 2013.
 
The Lions travel to Kean next week looking for its fourth win in a row. That last happened in 2015.