Montclair, NJ – Senior running back Nicholas Chambers scored on a one-yard run early in the fourth quarter and The College of New Jersey held off a late Montclair State drive as the Lions won their third straight, 14-9 at Sprague Field on Saturday evening.
Mark Pacini also scored from a yard out as the Lions (3-2, 2-0 NJAC) knocked off MSU in the 88th meeting of the oldest active collegiate football rivalry in New Jersey. TCNJ snapped a four-game losing streak against MSU winning for the first time since a 23-20 victory in 2015 and earned its first win at Sprague Field since a 10-3 triumph in 2004.
Zahir Wilder returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown for Montclair State, which fell to 1-5 overall, 0-2 in NJAC play.
Andrew Myerson gave Montclair a 3-0 lead in the first quarter as he connected on a 28-yar field goal with eight minutes remaining. That score stood until the early portion of the third when the Lions mounted a seven-play, 45-yard drive on the back of Pacini, who carried five times for the final 28 yards, including a one-yard plunge with 7:52 to go giving TCNJ a 7-3 lead.
The Lions got the ball back, but Wilder picked off John Donegan at the MSU 38 yard line. Wilder then slipped a couple of tackles and then received some great blocking down the right sideline for the touchdown as MSU went back on top 9-7 with 4:44 left in the third. The pick-6 was the Red Hawks' third of the season and fourth defensive score this year.
Montclair State would intercept Donegan again on the next drive as Brennan Ray came up with the interception at the TCNJ 48. The Red Hawks would get down to the Lions' 28 however; they would go no further and turned the ball over on downs.
TCNJ would use that defensive stop as momentum and drove the ball 72 yards the other way for the go-ahead score. Chambers raced for 37 yards on the first play to the MSU 35 and added a 17-yard run moving the ball to the 17. Donegan found Matthew Macaulay for 15 yards to the MSU run. After Chambers went for no gain on first down, he barreled into the end zone on the next play for the touchdown and a 14-9 TCNJ advantage with 11:34 remaining.
The Lions had a chance to run the clock out late, but instead punted back to Montclair with 2:09 left. A penalty on the return put the ball at the MSU 11. Montclair crept out of that hole as the Lions were called for defensive holding on a third-and-9 moving the ball to the 22 with an automatic first down. Ja'Quill Burch found Wilder for 17 yards and then ran for 18 setting MSU with a first down at the TCNJ 40. Burch hit Makai Mickens for 12 yards to the New Jersey 28 on third down to keep the drive alive before scampering 12 yards to the TCNJ 16 with six seconds to go. Burch took the final snap and had Wilder in the left corner of the end zone, but the ball sailed just out of reach allowing the Lions to escape with the win.
Chambers finished with 100 yards on 21 carries with Pacini adding 82 on 23 touchdowns as TCNJ rushed for 180. Macaulay had five catches for 44 yards. Nick Celli finished with four tackles, including 1 1/2 sacks while Cole Groeschel intercepted a pass. Gavin Liepe led TCNJ with six tackles.
Freshman linebacker Dorian Gashi had 12 tackles with Wilder adding seven along with his interception. Brennan Ray added seven tackles and a sack.
The Red Hawks are back in action on Saturday, October 16 with their longest road trip of the year. MSU will be in Newport News, VA to face Christopher Newport University a t 1:00 pm.