GLASSBORO, N.J. – The TCNJ football team hung with nationally ranked Rowan into the second half, but the Profs pulled away with 21 unanswered third-quarter points en route to a 30-7 victory on Saturday.
The Lions (3-4, 2-2) gave the 24
th-ranked Profs all they could handle for a half, but were done in by a pair of costly turnovers. Rowan (6-1, 4-0) got a safety when TCNJ sailed a snap over the punter's head and scored on a 65-yard fumble recovery in the third quarter to turn a promising Lions possession into a 23-7 lead.
Rowan started fast on its Homecoming, forcing a quick three-and-out before going 46 yards in eight plays and grabbing a quick 7-0 lead on Tyshawn Bookman's 1-yard touchdown run.
The Lions' next possession ended in disaster, when the fourth-down snap sailed over punter
Jake Ware's head and towards the TCNJ end zone before Ware kicked the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety.
Momentum flipped late in the second quarter. With the Profs driving again and inside TCNJ territory,
Brayden Kelly stripped Bookman after a 15-yard run and recovered the fumble himself to give the Lions the ball. The Blue & Gold covered 71 yards on an 11-play scoring march, converting three third downs and pulling within 9-7 as
Grant Lorentzen scored on a 22-yard double reverse with just 7 seconds remaining before intermission.
Rowan, however, scored a touchdown on the first possession out of the break, picking up a 3
rd-and-10 at its own 40 before Nate Maiers hit Michael Zarfati for a 20-yard touchdown to make it 16-7.
Looking to answer back, TCNJ moved into Profs territory on a third-down completion from
Walker Bailey to
Max DiPietro, but
Sam Dech fumbled two plays later and Luis Placido sped down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown return and a 23-7 lead at the midway point of the frame.
TCNJ forced a punt on the next Rowan possession, but muffed the return to give the hosts the ball in plus territory. Bookman converted a 4
th-and-1 inside the red zone before Nunes Bukula IV rumbled in from nine yards out to cap the scoring with 42 seconds left in the third.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Rowan outgained the Lions, 277-186, and had 16 first downs to TCNJ's 14
- The Lions managed just 2.8 yards per rush on 46 carries
- The Profs scored touchdowns on all three of their trips to the red zone
- TCNJ was a remarkable 10-of-15 on third down
FOR THE FOES
- Maiers finished 14-of-18 for 142 yards and the touchdown to Zarfati
- Bookman rushed 19 times for 94 yards and a score, while Bukula had 42 yards and a TD on 11 totes
- Zarfati led the Profs with five catches for 55 yards
- Jackson Ferrante racked up 12 tackles
STANDOUT LIONS
- C.J. Dingle led all players with a career-high 13 tackles
- Kelly notched his first career forced fumble and fumble recovery
- Jason Hall and Ethan Kalinauskas shared a sack
- Bailey finished 8-of-10 for 58 yards through the air while adding a team-high 46 yards on seven rush attempts; he also pinned Rowan at its own 1-yard line with a 52-yard punt
- Lorentzen had a career-high four catches for 30 yards and added 19 rushing yards and a touchdown; the touchdown was his third of the season and second rushing score
- Dech (18-43) and Jordan Morrell (10-41) combined for 84 rushing yards
UP NEXT
- The Lions host Montclair State on Saturday, October 31
