EWING, N.J. – It's been a long time coming for the TCNJ football team. The Lions have not played a game since Nov. 16, 2019, which was 658 days ago. TCNJ is eager to get back on the gridiron and will travel to 13^th-ranked Muhlenberg on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.

"The team is very excited to get back out there," senior quarterback Dave Jachera said. "After not playing a game for 658 days, you almost forget what it is like having the adrenaline rush through your body on game day. But the time to compete again has finally come, and that's what we have been waiting for."

Jachera is poised to take the reins again as TCNJ's starting quarterback. In his freshman season, Jachera earned NJAC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He threw for 786 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for a pair in his rookie campaign. The Pompton Plains, N.J., native steps into a captain role for his senior season.

TCNJ's skill positions will be manned down by running backs Mark Pacini and Colin Tong, along with wideouts Jaiden Elliott, Matthew Macaulay, and Max Hayford. Lucas Spitzer and Art Foreman are poised to handle tight end duties.

The Lions will look to build off of the success they had in the aerial attack in 2019, as TCNJ ranked third in the NJAC in passing yards per game with an average of 192.3.

On the defensive side of the football, TCNJ's front seven was another strong point of the Lions two years ago. TCNJ ranked fourth in the NJAC in sacks with 22 on the season, and fifth in rushing yards per carry against with an average of 3.6.

Nick Celli and Jared Lyles will lead the defensive line at the end positions. Two years ago, Celli ranked third in the NJAC with tackles for loss with 12. He also added three sacks, while Lyles tallied 3.5 sacks on the year. Juniors Chris McCormack and Ryan McGuire will hold down the front line alongside Celli and Lyles.

Celli, another senior captain, is promised by what he has seen from the squad in preseason camp.

"The energy in this camp has been different from previous years," Celli said. "Everyone on the team knows what we are capable of, and it is translating to the field in many different aspects."

The secondary will be led by returners Luke Young and Cole Groschel. Young had a breakout sophomore season at corner, leading the NJAC in pass breakups with 10. Groschel made 37 tackles as a defensive back in his freshman season.

The Lions were a disciplined team two seasons ago, ranking first in the NJAC in fewest penalty yards per game (43.2) which was also good for 36^th out of 245 teams in the nation.

Saturday will end a long hiatus from action for TCNJ. The Lions are confident that the work they have put in the last 20 months has them ready for the long-awaited return to the football field.

"We have been taking it one day at a time. We had a really strong spring ball and the hardest preseason camp since I've been here," Jachera said. "We have taken great strides since our last season, and we are ready to win some football games."