GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University football team scored 21 points in the second quarter and went on to win 28-19 over visiting Southern Virginia University in its New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) opener on Saturday night.
The Profs have a 2-0 record while the Knights drop to 0-2 overall and in the NJAC.
Rowan produced a balanced offensive attack with 171 yards passing and 162 yards on the ground. Running back Anthony Diorio (jr. Medford, NJ/Shawnee) ran the ball 24 times for 107 yards and three touchdowns. Running back John Mannion (jr. Verona, NJ/James Caldwell) added 51 yards and a score on 14 carries. Quarterback Naldy Tavarez (so. North Bergen, NJ/Union City) was 13-of-22 for 171 yards. Wide receiver J.J. Kulcsar (so. Haworth, NJ/Bergen Catholic) made five receptions for 109 yards.
Linebacker Chris Noesges (sr. Freehold, NJ/Manalapan) tallied 10 tackles, three for a loss, and one forced fumble. Defensive back Shaquille Lee (sr. Millville, NJ/Millville) made six stops, two for a loss, and recovered a fumble. Defensive back Kameron Kennedy (so. Palmyra, NJ/Palmyra) and linebacker Godwin Asamoah (jr. Edison, NJ/Edison) totaled five tackles apiece. Defensive end Kevin Stokes (jr. Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest) blocked two kicks.
Southern Virginia quarterback Ty Jones (so. Kamas, UT/South Summit) went 7-of-10 for 143 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a score. Running back John Harris (sr. Darby, PA/King's College) registered 53 yards on seven attempts while fullback Simi Moala (so. Tu'anuku Vava'u, Tonga/Lackawanna Community College) reached the end zone one time.
Outside linebacker Adam Davis (so. Salem, UT/American Leadership Academy) led the Knights with eight tackles. Strong safeties Mitch Orme (so. Firth, ID/Idaho St.) and Riley Rohloff (fr. Farmington, UT/Viewmont) and middle linebacker John Mellor (jr. Colfax, WA/Colfax) each recorded seven stops. Running back Seth Hanson (sr. Carlsbad, CA/Boise State) recovered a fumble.
Southern Virginia opened the scoring with an 11-play, 99-yard drive that culminated in a one-yard touchdown run by Moala with 1:32 remaining in the opening quarter. Stokes blocked the extra point attempt and the score was 6-0. Mannion returned the ensuing kickoff to the Knights' 31 to set up great field position for the Profs. It took them seven plays to reach the end zone and Diorio dove in for a six-yard TD. The PAT gave Rowan a 7-6 advantage with 12:57 to go in the second.
On the following possession, SVU faced second and 13 from its own 46. Noesges stripped Moala and Lee recovered for the Profs. On the next play, Tavarez hit Kulcsar for a 41-yard pass that took the ball to the Knights' three-yard line. Diorio had his second score of the night when he took it in from two yards a couple plays later and the score was 14-6. Southern Virginia had the ball with 4:54 left before halftime. Jones found Hanson for a 22-yard gain. Two plays later, Jones threw another long pass to running back Akiva Wedge (so. Forestville, MD/Wesley College) who went 40 yards for a touchdown. The extra point cut the deficit to one (14-13).
However, Rowan closed the half with a 10-play, 51-yard scoring drive. On first and goal from the one, Diorio picked up his third and final touchdown of the evening and the Profs were up 21-13 at the break. After neither team scored in the third stanza, Mannion ended Rowan's first drive of the final period with a one-yard touchdown run. The score wrapped up an 11-play, 78-yard drive and gave Rowan a 28-13 lead.
The Knights started with good field position on their next drive, beginning at their 44. Jones connected with wide receiver Josh Newman (so. Haymarket, VA/West) for a 54-yard pass that took the ball to the Rowan 12. On second and goal from the one, Jones scampered in on a rollout. Stokes blocked the extra point attempt once again and the score was 28-19. The Profs were able to run out the clock on their next possession.
The football team hits the road for the first time this season when it travels to conference foe William Paterson University on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m.