EWING, N.J. – Ryan Gill caught three touchdown passes from Trevor Bopp, Justin Kurc picked off three Kean passes including one of two pick-sixes, and the TCNJ football team poured it on Kean in a 48-7 Homecoming rout on Saturday.
 
The Lions (4-2, 1-1) elevated the day's already good vibes, scoring 38 unanswered points – 31 of them in the second quarter alone – to turn a tight clash into a laugher and bounce back from a loss to Rowan the week prior. TCNJ handed Kean (2-4, 2-1) its first league loss of the season in decisive fashion.
 
Bopp threw for 347 yards and four touchdowns for the Lions, which got 10 catches for 188 yards and a score from star receiver Malin Jasinski.
 
TCNJ's defense was exceptional, picking off Kean quarterbacks five times and recovering a fumble for a six-pack of takeaways. Dave Giulian joined Kurc with a matching 48-yard INT return for a TD for the Lions, who limited the Cougars to a measly 166 yards of total offense and racked up four sacks.
 
Gill opened the scoring with a wide-open 15-yard touchdown from Bopp, but Kean intercepted the fifth-year signal-caller and used a short field to set up a game-tying touchdown late in the first. It was all TCNJ from there.
 
The Lions took the lead for good as Kurc stepped in front of a pass and sprinted 48 yards down the left sideline, diving into the end zone for a go-ahead pick-6. After Brandon Kuse and Noah Croutch combined on a third-down sack, Bopp's 42-yard completion to Jasinski down the sideline set up a jump-ball TD grab by Gill.
 
Dominick Nocero jumped into the backfield to notch a tackle for loss on a 4^th-and-1 try by Kean, and seven plays later Bopp found Gill over the middle for his third score of the first half. Gill also caught a two-point conversion on the ensuing play, and Giulian returned his own interception to the house on the very next play from scrimmage to extend the lead to 35-7.
 
Tim Willever's 21-yard field goal made it 38-7 TCNJ late in the second quarter.
 
The Lions' lone touchdown of the second half came courtesy of Jasinski, who went up to high-point the ball and take it the rest of the way for a 55-yard scoring grab with 10:50 to go in the third. Willever capped the scoring with a 31-yard field goal with 11:48 left.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• TCNJ outgained Kean, 460-166, including 356 yards through the air
• TCNJ's defense allowed just 2.4 yards per play and forced eight punts along with the six takeaways
• The Cougars were just 4-of-17 on third down
• TCNJ picked off starter Rocco Pelligrini three times and backup John Perry twice
• Bopp finished 17-of-28 for 347 yards and the four scores
• Gill had five catches for 107 yards
• Jayson Schmidt rushed 15 times for 58 yards before Joe Visaggio (11-35) and Andrew Spano (5-21) saw extended second-half action
• Kuse had 1.0 sacks, while Jameson Sessa, Croutch, Patrick Frawley, Darian Ghahary, Jordon Gravesande, and Drew Varlese all notched a half-sack apiece
• Bill Westerby led the Lions with nine tackles, and Jack Young broke up three passes

NOTES

• Gill is the first TCNJ player to have three TD catches since Joe Franzone did it against New Jersey City in 2002, and he extended his team-leading total to six
• Justin Kurc is the first to record three interceptions since Justin Beres against WestConn in 2008
• Bopp moved into second on the program's all-time list with 5,532 career passing yards
• Jasinski had his fourth double-digit reception total of the season, and his third with at least 150 yards
• Kurc came into the game with two career interceptions, both this season, and stretched his now NJAC-leading tally to five
• Sam Kuhns notched his first career interception
• Croutch and Gravesande each had their first career sack
• Dominic Passero pinned Kean at its own 3-yard line on one of his five punts

UP NEXT

• The Lions wrap up non-conference play at Gettysburg next Saturday