MONTCLAIR, N.J. — With the stands packed, Homecoming festivities surrounding Sprague Field and more than 5,000 fans in attendance, Montclair State had plenty of reasons to put together one of its best performances of the young season.
It just took the Red Hawks a little while to get there.
After falling behind early and turning the ball over twice, Montclair State settled down and took complete control, scoring 42 of the game’s final 49 points to defeat Kean University, 42-14, Saturday evening at Sprague Field.
The Homecoming victory improved Montclair State to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in NJAC play, while Kean dropped to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
Running back Diante Wilson was at the center of Montclair’s offensive explosion. Wilson rushed for 155 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries, averaging 7.4 yards per attempt. His four rushing touchdowns tied for the second-most in a single game in program history.
It was a dominant finish for the Red Hawks, but the opening quarter looked much different.
Montclair moved the ball on its first possession before a fourth-down sack ended the drive. Kean took advantage of the field position, going 56 yards in five plays. Quarterback Ty Kline escaped for a 37-yard touchdown run to put the Cougars ahead 7-0 with 10:21 remaining in the opening quarter.
Things did not immediately improve for Montclair.
The Red Hawks lost fumbles on each of their next two possessions, giving Kean opportunities to build on its early advantage. Montclair’s defense, however, refused to let the game get away.
Kean came away empty-handed following both turnovers, and that gave the Red Hawks’ offense enough time to find its rhythm.
Montclair finally broke through late in the second quarter.
Quarterback Luke Henrich connected with TJ Kachala for 11 yards and then found Ali Lee Jr. for a 29-yard gain to help move Montclair down the field. Wilson finished the four-play, 45-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run, tying the game at seven with 5:15 remaining in the half.
Once Montclair got on the scoreboard, the momentum shifted quickly.
Following another stop by the Red Hawk defense, Montclair took possession at its own 16-yard line with less than three minutes remaining. On the first play of the drive, Henrich found Kachala on a screen pass.
Kachala did the rest.
He broke loose for an 83-yard gain before finally being brought down at the Kean one-yard line. Wilson punched it in on the next play, giving Montclair its first lead of the night at 14-7.
The Red Hawks were not finished.
After forcing another Kean punt, Montclair got the ball back with 1:05 remaining in the half. The Red Hawks moved into field-goal range, setting up kicker Mike Firetto for a difficult 48-yard attempt as the final seconds ticked away.
Firetto delivered.
His kick sailed through the uprights as time expired, giving Montclair 17 unanswered second-quarter points and a 17-7 advantage heading into the locker room.
Kean responded immediately after halftime.
The Cougars attacked Montclair through the air on their opening drive of the third quarter, traveling 80 yards in six plays. Kline connected with Jason Marasciulo for an 18-yard touchdown, cutting the Red Hawks’ advantage to just three at 17-14.
For a moment, Montclair had a fight on its hands again.
It did not last long.
After both teams went three-and-out, the Red Hawks turned back to their ground game. Henrich broke free for a 32-yard run, and Wilson eventually powered into the end zone from one yard out for his third touchdown of the night.
The score extended Montclair’s lead to 24-14 with 4:03 remaining in the third quarter.
From there, the Red Hawks took over.
Kean turned the ball over on downs on its next possession, and Montclair responded with a seven-play, 71-yard drive that carried into the fourth quarter. Wilson delivered the biggest play of the possession, breaking free for a 49-yard touchdown run.
It was Wilson’s fourth trip to the end zone and pushed Montclair’s lead to 31-14.
While Wilson and the offense put points on the board, Montclair’s defense continued to make life difficult for the Cougars.
William Canavan recovered a Kean fumble early in the fourth quarter, handing the Red Hawks possession at the Cougars’ 25-yard line. Montclair needed only three plays to turn the takeaway into another touchdown.
Henrich found Khalil Forbes for 17 yards before connecting with Lee Jr. on an eight-yard touchdown pass. Christopher Arnold ran in the two-point conversion, stretching the advantage to 39-14.
Firetto provided the final points of the evening with a 20-yard field goal with 3:30 remaining, completing the 42-14 Homecoming victory.
Montclair finished the night with 495 yards of total offense compared to just 255 for Kean.
The difference was especially noticeable on the ground. The Red Hawks rushed for 260 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Kean managed 104 rushing yards on 30 attempts.
Henrich put together an efficient night despite being sacked twice, completing 18 of 28 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception.
Kachala gave Montclair its biggest threat through the air. He caught seven passes for a season-high 130 yards, highlighted by the 83-yard reception that helped change the direction of the game in the second quarter.
Lee Jr. was another reliable option, hauling in eight passes for 65 yards and a touchdown while also adding 32 yards on the ground.
Montclair’s defense made its presence felt throughout the night, particularly after the offense’s early turnovers.
Canavan led the Red Hawks with nine total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Ashan Harris added eight tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
As a team, Montclair recorded four sacks and held Kean to just 2-for-11 on third down. The Cougars also failed on both of their fourth-down attempts.
Perhaps the biggest difference was how the Red Hawks responded to adversity.
Montclair turned the ball over twice and trailed 7-0 after the opening quarter. Instead of allowing the mistakes to pile up, the Red Hawks scored 17 unanswered points before halftime and then outscored Kean 25-7 over the final two quarters.
By the end of the night, Montclair had scored on six of its seven trips to the red zone and controlled possession for more than 31 minutes.
“Really proud of the way the guys played in the second half,” head coach Mike Palazzo said. “Some outstanding performances by guys we count on. Going to enjoy this one for tonight, but it is on to the next one.”
For Montclair State, that next one is another game at Sprague Field — and this time, it comes against a rival.
The Red Hawks will host William Paterson University on Saturday, Oct. 10, with kickoff scheduled for 5 p.m.
After opening conference play with a 28-point Homecoming victory, Montclair will enter that matchup with momentum and a chance to keep building on its 3-1 start.
On a night meant to celebrate Montclair State, the Red Hawks gave the Homecoming crowd plenty to celebrate.
