EWING, N.J. – Behind a game-wrecking performance from Nick Celli and a well-balanced offensive arsenal, the TCNJ football team opened the 2022 campaign with a resounding 31-13 victory over Moravian in Lions Stadium.

Celli went off for 6.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks on a picture-perfect afternoon in Ewing, part of a seven-sack effort as the Lions emerged victorious in a season opener for the first time since 2011.

Stephen Begen orchestrated a high-octane, up-tempo approach to perfection, completing 25 of 31 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown. The junior signal-caller distributed the ball to nine different receivers, with T.J. Sheehan, Thomas Burke, Joey Bellamy Jr., and Malin Jasinski all hauling in five balls apiece.

Jayson Schmidt (57 yards) and Ryan McKinney (48) combined for over 100 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, with Schmidt crossing the plane twice.

TCNJ won the coin toss and deferred, and Celli and company made sure to set the tone. The fifth-year senior kick-started his impressive afternoon with a long sack on third down to force an opening three-and-out from the Greyhounds, and the Lions came right back with a 12-play, 55-yard march to jump on top.

Begen converted a pair of third downs on tosses to Malin Jasinski, a converted quarterback, and Schmidt thundered eight yards down to the goal line before powering his way in for the season's first touchdown – and his first career score – with 8:31 to play in the first quarter.

The Greyhounds got on the board on a 41-yard field goal at the 2-minute mark of the period and tacked on a second three-pointer early in the second stanza before Begen got the passing game rolling with a pair of completions long to Thomas Burke (20 yards) and TJ Sheehan (17), the second of which set up a first-and-goal from the 10. Burke was ruled down stretching for the end zone on second down, but McKinney made sure the drive was fruitful with a short plunge for his first career score and a 14-6 advantage at the 12:20 mark.

The score remained there until the third quarter, when TCNJ needed barely two minutes to stretch its lead to 15. Begen hit Sheehan over the middle for 19 yards before connecting with him the very next play on a deep ball as Sheehan got behind the secondary and hauled in a slightly underthrown ball for a big gain of 33. Begen picked up an impressive first down on an RPO keeper to the right on 3^rd-and-11, setting up 1^st-and-goal from the 2 following an unnecessary roughness penalty on Moravian. Schmidt easily sprinted in on a run to the left side, his second house call of the day expanding the Lions' lead to 21-6 at the 12:42 mark of the third.

Jack Young's breakup on a long throw down the right sideline short-circuited the ensuing Greyhounds possession.

The Lions turned defense into offense late in the third, when Celli's second sack preceded an interception by Logan Flaherty, whose 22-yard return down the middle of the field put the home side in business at the Greyhounds 24. Begen picked up a third down on a pass up the seam to Burke, who leaped high and caught the ball at its apex before coming down at the 1-yard line. After McKinney was stuffed on 1^st-and-goal, Begen found Pennell wide open in the left corner of the end zone for a 2-yard TD toss with 9.2 seconds remaining in the third.

Moravian pulled within 28-13 at the 8:06 mark on a 7-yard touchdown pass to the tight end Chris Carpini, but Jasinski gave the Lions the momentum right back with a 44-yard kickoff return to midfield.

The Greyhounds came up with a fourth-down stop to get the ball back with 6:31 left, but Sal Tardogno came flying through the A-gap for a big sack on fourth down to kill the visitors' momentum. McKinney helped put the finishing touches on from there, catching a swing pass for a first down and breaking off a big run through the middle to give TCNJ a first down at the Moravian 26 before Bobby Wortman's 40-yard field goal attempt sailed through the uprights for a 31-13 advantage with 2:46 to play.

Celli's huge day headlined a dominant effort from the Lions' front seven, who combined to rack up 16 tackles for loss and hold the Greyhounds to less than a yard per carry (39 yards on 44 rushes). Freshman corner Jack Young matched Celli for the team lead with nine tackles in his collegiate debut, while Cole Groschel, Matt Kuntz, and Chris McCormack tallied eight apiece.

Tardogno finished with 1.5 sacks, while Ryan McGuire and rookie Jameson Sessa had one sack each, Sessa's coming on the final play of regulation. McCormack, Mark Pierro, and Justin Dailey posted a half-sack each.

Sheehan paced the receiving corps with 78 yards on his five grabs, with Burke producing 54. First-year Erik Garv had a 13-yard catch in the fourth quarter for his first career reception.

TCNJ finished with 344 yards of offense, averaging 5.1 yards per play. The Lions were 6-of-14 on third downs and cashed in on four of their five red-zone opportunities.

The Lions hit the road next Saturday to take on No. 16 Cortland.