EWING, N.J. – A suffocating defensive effort carried the TCNJ football team to a 31-14 victory over William Paterson on Saturday afternoon, propelling the Lions above the .500 mark and to their first four-game winning streak since 2015. 
 
Ryan McGuire racked up three of the team's six sacks and Jacob Maurice returned one of three interceptions for a touchdown as the Lions (5-4, 3-2) guaranteed at least their first .500 season since 2013 – and possibly more.
 
With Christopher Newport's loss to Montclair State, the NJAC championship is fully up for grabs. The Captains (4-1 NJAC) come to Ewing next week and can clinch the title and automatic NCAA berth with a win, but if the Lions emerge victorious, there would be at least three – and possibly five – teams tied for first place. A series of tiebreakers would then come into play, and the full permutations will become clear should the Lions take down CNU in their regular-season finale.

Montclair State wrapped up its season at 4-2 in the NJAC, and a TCNJ win over CNU would put both of those teams at 4-2. Rowan (home to William Paterson) and Salisbury (home to Kean) can join those three at 4-2 with wins in their Friday night finales. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a series of punts to kick off a defensive struggle, Jacob Maurice found himself in the right place at the right time as a pass bounced off the hands of a Pioneer receiver and right into the waiting arms of Maurice. The junior snagged a fortuitous interception and easily sprinted down the sideline and into the end zone for a 45-yard pick-six to give TCNJ a 7-0 lead with 18 seconds left in the first quarter
• The secondary came up big again on the ensuing possession as Christopher Leimberg sailed a deep pass right into the arms of Jack Young, who returned the interception all the way up to just shy of midfield.
• The Lions cashed in on their next trip, with Trevor Bopp picking up a critical fourth down on a read-option keeper. Three plays later, Ryan McKinney scooted untouched unto the end zone from five yards out to double the advantage to 14-0 at the 10:40 mark of the second
• The Pioneers began to claw back before halftime, halving the deficit on their next possession as Isaac Cherry picked his way through defenders and into pay dirt for a 20-yard touchdown run with 5:15 to play before half
• William Paterson threatened to tie the game just before intermission, driving down to the Lions' 2. On a fourth down from that spot, Dominick Nocero and McGuire got into the backfield and combined with a host of teammates to bring down Cherry for a loss of a yard to turn the orange and white over on downs and preserve the 14-7 lead
• A special teams play put the Lions in business right out of halftime as Amir Vick blocked a punt and Malin Jasinski recovered on the Paterson 15. TCNJ failed to pick up a first down but was well in range for Bobby Wortman to boot home a 29-yard field goal to make it 17-7
• The Lions increased their separation further when Jayson Schmidt dashed through the 'A' gap untouched for a 34-yard touchdown to make it 24-7 with 6:30 to go in the third
• The Pioneers pulled within 24-14 on a 15-yard touchdown pass with 1:50 left in the third quarter, but could get no closer. Nocero's interception and a 22-yard return down to the WPU 23 set the Lions up just outside the red zone, and Bopp cashed in with a push pass to Thomas Burke for a 6-yard touchdown and a 31-14 lead with 9:24 to go
• McGuire and Patrick Frawley combined on a third-down sack to short-circuit the next Pioneer possession, and the visitors turned it over on downs on their final possession of the afternoon

FOR THE FOES

• Leimberg threw for 271 yards but was just 20-of-42 on the day with the three interceptions
• Cherry picked up 110 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries
• Matt Clarke led all players with eight receptions for 100 yards

STANDOUT LIONS

• Nocero and McGuire, in addition to the fourth-down stop just before halftime, also combined on a 23-yard sack in the first quarter. Leimberg attempted to throw the ball away but side-armed it backwards, and the Pioneers were fortunate to recover for a big loss
• Nocero racked up 11 tackles, including a pair for loss, and a forced fumble
• Steven Cassidy also had two tackles for loss and added a half-sack
• Burke led the pass-catchers with three receptions for 58 yards and a score

NOTES

• Young's interception was his fifth of the season, moving him into a tie with WPU's Devyn Blount for the NJAC lead
• Burke, who caught his fifth touchdown of the season and the eighth of his career, is now just 36 yards away from 1,000 for his career
• Schmidt gained 46 yards on just six carries, while McKinney rushed 16 times for 49 yards and his first touchdown of the season and added a 19-yard catch
• Bopp's touchdown pass to Burke was the 22^nd of his career, and he did not throw an interception for the second game in a row
• McGuire's huge day moved him into the team lead with 5.0 sacks and pushed him into double digits for his career at 10.5 

UP NEXT

• The Lions wrap up the regular season next Friday with a Senior Night showdown against first-place Christopher Newport. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. from Lions Stadium, with Senior Night celebrations to take place pregame.