EWING – The College of New Jersey football team is set to square off against Montclair State University in Lions Stadium at noon sharp, and the long-time rivals are looking to get redemption for seasons past and present alike.
The Lions are on a four-game losing streak and the losses sting even more because of the scoring disparity.
Over four games, they have scored 11.25 points per game (45 points total), but they’ve given up 36.75 points per game (147 total). The team’s closest loss was 38-24 in the season opener against Fairleigh Dickinson, and has lost each of the last three by at least 20 points.
Lions’ head coach Casey Goff knows not to underestimate the Red Hawks, who are entering the game with a 2-2 record. Outside of a 26-0 loss to Southern Virginia, Montclair has been competitive, allowing just 56 points all season long, making its defense a formidable obstacle for the Lions.
“On the defensive side, they have one of the best defenses in the conference.” said Goff. “So we have to be better in terms of our execution on the offensive side and take advantage of what they give us.”
Both rosters are home to some incredible talent. Julanee Prince leads the Hawks wide receiving corps with 269 yards (67 yards per game). The Lions’ biggest receiving threat is Thomas Koenig, who has 220 yards over three games.
An injury kept him out of the week three game, but he was back in full force in the loss to Salisbury two weeks ago, hauling in TCNJ’s only touchdown and 142 receiving yards.
On the ground, Khani Glover leads the Lions with 150 rushing yards and an average of 3.4 yards gained per attempt. Anthony Travisano leads the Hawks’ rushing attack with 247 yards, but is averaging just 3.2 yards per attempt.
The major issue for TCNJ will be whether it can perform defensively.
Hunter Daly, the kicker for the Hawks, could be a weapon the Lions haven’t accounted for. In their last game against Keane the Hawks scored just one touchdown, but managed to win 18-15 on the back of four field goals from Daly.
The junior connected on field goals of 27 and 41 yards, as well as two other attempts from 38 yards. He was named the NJAC Special Teams Player of the week after this performance, a worrisome omen for the Lions’ prospects.
If the defense can’t hold Montclair to its half of the field, Daly is very much a threat to get points on the board and damage the morale and game flow of the Lions.
Even if Daly isn’t the source, if the Lions get behind, history shows that they haven’t fared well coming back.
While the Lions’ offense and own special teams will play a vital role, their ability to prevent early or often points from the Hawks may be the deciding factor of the game. If the defense can turn in an excellent game, this losing streak may become nothing more than an ugly memory.
“We know from a defensive standpoint we’ve got to take care of number one.” said Lions head coach Casey Goff. “They’ve got a very good receiver, they got a very good running game, they’re big, they’re gonna try to be physical.”
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