EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ football team suffered a heartbreaking loss to Rowan for the second straight season on Saturday as the Profs scored on a desperation heave that was tipped into the air and fell right into a receiver's arms for a walk-off winner in a 9-7 NJAC barnburner.
 
TCNJ (1-4, 0-2) led 7-3 at halftime and appeared set to win by that same score after 59 minutes and 50 seconds of a gritty defensive struggle. Unfortunately, Rowan drove 80 yards in the final 1:37 and stunned the Lions on the last play of the game as Nate Meiers lofted a high-arcing pass towards the front left corner of the end zone. A Prof receiver and TCNJ defender went up for it simultaneously and the ball deflected straight into the air and towards the back of the end zone, where it dropped right into the waiting arms of Shane Martin for a shocking game-winner.
 
The final play spoiled a tremendous performance from the TCNJ defense, which held Rowan (2-3, 1-0) to just 3.3 yards per play and to a 2-for-15 effort on third down. Brayden Messinger notched the first two sacks of his career, and Ryan McGuire had a sack among his 2.5 tackles for loss.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a choppy start in which they missed a field goal and coughed up a fumble, the Lions finally broke a lengthy scoreless deadlock in the second quarter as Trevor Bopp hit star Thomas Burke on a deep crosser on third and long. The preseason All-American caught it near midfield and sprinted all the way down to the 3-yard line before a Prof defensive back managed to drag him down. Bopp capitalized on the next play, scoring himself on a read-option as TCNJ went ahead, 7-0, at 9:52
• The Lions defense came up huge later in the half. Backed up at their 16-yard line after a snap sailed over the punter's head, consecutive sacks by Ryan McGuire on third down and Dave Giulian and Logan Flaherty on fourth down turned the Profs over on downs
• Rowan managed to get on the board on a 30-yard field goal Connor Batten with 1.5 seconds left in the first half, cutting the TCNJ lead to 7-3 at intermission
• The Lions had multiple chances to separate in the third quarter, driving down to the Rowan 12 on each of their first two second-half possessions. The first ended in a missed field goal, and Carter Williams stripped Bopp on the other
• TCNJ moved inside the Profs' 30 on its next possession before being intercepted and got to the 13 on the ensuing one, but Rowan blocked another field-goal attempt to keep the deficit at 7-3
• Still, the Lions' defense showed no signs of letting up, and Messinger's second sack ended a Rowan drive and gave TCNJ the ball back with 4:33 to go. The Lions picked up a pair of first downs, but the Profs used their timeouts and got the ball back at their own 20 with 93 seconds left
• Meiers maneuvered the visitors across midfield and completed a 10-yard pass to the 30-yard line with 10 seconds left, setting up the shocking conclusion

FOR THE FOES

• Rowan quarterback Thomas Goldsborough was injured on a first-quarter scramble, taking a huge hit from Cole Groschel before exiting the game. He fumbled on the play, and the loose ball was recovered by Teddy Osei.
• Maiers was relatively effective in relief, completing 5 of 8 passes for 40 yards and getting the Profs in field-goal range to end the first half. He finished 16-for-25 for 163 yards
• Williams racked up four tackles for loss among his team-high nine tackles

FOR THE LIONS

• Burke was the Lions' best offense, racking up 143 yards on seven catches. Ryan Gill hauled in five grabs for 73 yards
• Jayson Schmidt was a workhorse in the backfield, carrying 21 times for 77 yards
• Bopp was 16-of-29 for 247 yards before exiting with an injury
• TCNJ outgained Rowan, 387-241, including 387-161 before the Profs' final drive. The Lions were 9-of-18 on third down but were undone by a season-high 13 penalties and failed to convert any of their three field-goal tries
• Dominick Nocero led the way with nine tackles, and Flaherty had seven. Each registered 1.5 stops for a loss
• Amir Vick was terrific in coverage, posting five tackles and a pair of pass breakups. He had an interception nullified by offsetting penalties in the fourth quarter
• Groschel logged his second forced fumble of the year

NOTES

• Burke notched the first 100-yard receiving game of his career and needed only a quarter and half to do it, compiling 109 yards on his three first-half grabs
• Bopp's rushing touchdown was his second of the season and the fourth of his career
• Wortman's extra point gave him an even 100 points for his career
• McGuire now has an even 20 career tackles for loss

UP NEXT

• The Lions continue NJAC play with a 1 p.m. kickoff at Kean next Saturday