GLASSBORO, N.J. – The TCNJ football team led for the vast majority of the first half of Saturday's game at Rowan, but costly turnovers ultimately proved the Lions' undoing in a 36-22 NJAC setback.
 
Trevor Bopp threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns for TCNJ (3-2, 1-1), but was picked off four times by an opportunistic Profs defense, part of a five-turnover day for the Lions. Rowan was methodical on the other side of the ball, racking up nearly 500 yards and over 40 minutes of possession time to relegate the Lions' high-powered attack to the sidelines.
 
TCNJ (3-2, 1-1) turned the Profs over on the game's first possession as Amir Vick stripped a receiver, and backfield mate Christian Bennett recovered the fumble. The Lions took the ball and marched all the way down the field, covering 69 yards in 10 plays and taking a 7-0 lead on Jayson Schmidt's 1-yard TD reception, which was set up by back-to-back big plays of 24 and 20 yards from Bopp to tight end Thomas Burke.
 
Vick's solo stop turned Rowan (3-2, 1-0) over on downs at midfield, and the Lions were in business at the Profs' 35 before fumbling the ball back. TCNJ had a golden chance after Tyler Rummel's blocked punt gave the visitors the ball on the Profs' 3-yard line, but Bopp was picked off in the end zone on the next play.
 
The turnover parade continued on the next possession, when Dominick Nocero stripped a Rowan ball-carrier inside the Lions' red zone, and Justin Kurc was there to fall on it. TCNJ went three-and-out, however, and Rowan scored a pair of touchdowns in the final 4:20 to take a 15-7 lead into halftime after a 2-point conversion on the second score.
 
TCNJ got right back within a point (15-14) on a 68-yard strike from Bopp to Alex Dille down the right sideline, but the Profs extended their touchdown streak to four straight drives with two more to go up 29-14 late in the third.
 
The Lions were intercepted on their next two trips, and another touchdown gave Rowan a 36-14 lead with just 6:01 to go. Bopp found Burke for an 8-yard touchdown at the 3:40 mark, but the ensuing onside kick was unsuccessful and the Profs ran out the clock from there.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Rowan posted 474 yards of offense, including 186 on the ground
• The Profs held the ball for 40:23 of game time and picked up 30 first downs to the Lions' 17; they scored touchdowns on all but one of their six red-zone chances
• TCNJ managed just 45 rushing yards
• Nate Meiers finished 24-of-33 for 274 yards and a touchdown for Rowan, also adding a rushing TD
• Nunes Bukula IV had 98 yards and a TD on 20 carries
• Bopp was 17-of-27 for 282 yards
• Schmidt carried 16 times for 67 yards and had three catches for 22 yards and the receiving score
• Burke finished with six grabs for 97 yards and a TD
• Dille had three receptions for 90 yards and the score
• Dave Giulian racked up a remarkable 21 tackles, and Vick had 14 stops to go with his forced fumble
• Jameson Sessa had 1.5 sacks among his 2.5 TFL

NOTES

• Bopp became the third QB in TCNJ history to surpass 5,000 career passing yards
• Bopp's 39 career TD passes are tied for third in school history
• Giulian's 21 tackles are the most by a Lion since Nick Bricker had 22 against SUNY Cortland in 2011
• Burke has a TD in all but one game this season
• Sessa has 3.5 sacks in his last two games
• Drew Varlese recorded his first career full sack

UP NEXT

• TCNJ hosts Kean next Saturday on Homecoming