DUDLEY, Mass. – The TCNJ football team grinded down Nichols on Saturday afternoon, rushing 52 times for 256 yards on its way to a convincing 31-0 road victory.
 
The Lions set the tone on the opening drive. TCNJ used a 14-play, 76-yard drive comprised entirely of rushing plays to chew 6:40 off the clock. Nicholas Chambers capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Lions ahead, 7-0. Chambers rushed 27 times for 152 yards and two touchdowns. He also made one catch for 21 yards for another touchdown.
 
Nichols (2-2) gained just 26 yards in the first quarter, going three-and-out on its first possession before Jacob Maurice intercepted Logan Sawyer at the Nichols 34.
 
Chambers picked up the second of his touchdown runs in the second quarter to cap another long drive. On this one, the Lions went 80 yards on 11 plays, taking up 5:31 on the clock. Chambers had four runs on the drive of at least 10 yards, including three runs of 13 yards. It was his 6-yard run that found the end zone, though, as TCNJ took a 14-0 lead into the halftime intermission.
 
John Donegan threw the first of his two touchdown passes in the third quarter, and that drive started after a 16-yard punt return by Dylan Richey put TCNJ at the Nichols 39. On third-and-9 from the Nichols 21 on the fifth play of the drive, Donegan found Chambers for his third score of the game.
 
Chambers set up the next TCNJ score, as well. The TCNJ defense forced another punt thanks in part to a sack by Nick Celli and Ryan McGuire. Chambers followed with a 42-yard rush to the Nichols 8. The drive stalled, but Bobby Wortman connected on a 28-yard field goal to push the lead to 24-0 with 44 seconds to play in the third quarter.
 
In the fourth, the Lions added another score 8:39 remaining on Donegan's second touchdown pass of the day. He hit Thomas Burke from 32 yards out to cap the scoring at 31-0.
 
The only thing left was to see if the Lions defense would pitch the shutout. Nichols got to the TCNJ 6, but Kevin Pennell sacked Sawyer for a 12-yard loss. That eliminated any real shot for Nichols to get on the board as its third and fourth down passes fell incomplete.
 
The shutout is the first for TCNJ since blanking William Paterson, 20-0, on Oct. 28, 2017.
 
McGuire paced the defense with eight tackles and two tackles for loss. Cole Groschel had seven tackles, and Jared Lyles had five tackles and a sack.
 
Mark Pacini rushed 14 times for 63 yards, and Donegan went 5-for-10 for 117 yards and the two touchdowns to go with one interception.
 
TCNJ returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 2, against William Paterson for TCNJ Homecoming and Parent & Family Day. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.