ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The TCNJ football team returned to action for its first game in 656 days on Saturday. The Lions faced No. 13 Muhlenberg and fell by a final score of 41-0.

Muhlenberg scored first on a Michael Hnatkow touchdown pass with 10:46 to play in the first quarter.

TCNJ's offense was able to move the ball on the next drive. After an unnecessary roughness penalty, quarterback Dave Jachera picked up eight yards on a scramble to get to the TCNJ 48. A false start pushed the Lions back, then Jachera connected with Jaiden Elliott for a 15-yard reception.

Mark Pacini picked up 20 yards on the ground to get TCNJ down to the 27-yard line. The Lions went for it on fourth down, but Jachera was sacked to give the ball back to the Mules.

TCNJ's ground game was able to move the football successfully, gaining 106 total yards on the afternoon. Pacini rushed for 37 yards on 10 carries while Nicholas Chambers recorded 20 yards.

"We're going to rely on our front five; we're going to rely on Pacini and Chambers," TCNJ head coach Casey Goff said. "In terms of that running game, we're going to rely on our front five, and we have a good backfield that ironed itself today. I think we know exactly who we can lean on."

Jachera went 11-20 passing on the afternoon with 133 yards. Chambers led the offense with six receptions for 75 yards coming out of the backfield.

"We did some good things from a schematic standpoint, and Dave was able to find him," Goff said on Chambers. "There were a couple of times defensively where they let Chambers go, and Dave made some great plays to get himself out of trouble and find Chambers out of the backfield. We're going to continue to get Chambers the ball, him and Pacini are going to be workhorses for us."

A muffed punt gave Muhlenberg the ball back at the TCNJ 28-yard line, and the Muhles turned it into six on the next play to go up 14-0. In the second quarter, the Mules grabbed a 21-0 lead with under 11 minutes to play in the half.

TCNJ moved the ball again with a 12-play, 55-yard drive. On a third-and-nine, Jachera connected with Chambers for a 13-yard pickup. A few plays later that duo came through in another third down situation, as Chambers scampered for 20 yards down to the Muhlenberg 42. Two plays later, Jachera found Lucas Spitzer who tallied 17 yards on the reception. The Mules' defense held the Lions there and forced a turnover on downs to get the football back. Muhlenberg took a 31-0 lead into halftime.

Jacob Maurice led TCNJ's defense with seven tackles, and Shane Kelly recorded six. Nick Celli and Sal Tardogno each recorded four tackles, while Jared Lyles picked up an eight-yard sack.

The Lions will face SUNY Cortland in the home opener on Sept. 11. It will also be TCNJ's military & first responder appreciation day. Kickoff is set for noon.