Atlantic City, NJ – "Defense is the name of the game and we proved we have a great one," said a happy BOB JENSEN of Montclair State after he and his teammates had upended a tough Hampden-Sydney football club, 7-6, in the second annual Knute Rockne Bowl game at Convention Hall.

The triumph, achieved in a hard-nosed clash of two rugged defensive units, put the icing on the greatest football season in Montclair State's history.

It was the type of game one would expect with the Tigers coming into the game leading the nation in scoring defense having allowed 2.8 points per game while compiling a 9-1 record. And the Indians from New Jersey, who allowed only 45 points in putting together an 8-1 record before Saturday's clash, knew their defensive reputation was on the line.

In addition to claiming championship honors over 70 colleges from 14 states in the Eastern Section of the NCAA College Division 2 classification Montclair ended its year with six consecutive victories, a share of the Eastern Football Conference title and outright possession of the New Jersey State College championship.

"Winning this game is certainly one of the finest things that has happened to me in my coaching career," said Montclair coach Clary Anderson, who has put together a 17-3 record as a college coach after a lengthy string of successes in the high school ranks.

"I can't call it my greatest win. My first win in the college ranks last year will always be a special one," added Anderson. "Besides, my feelings aren't that important. What is important is the job these boys do for me."

"I'm not out there doing the playing and receiving the bumps and bruises. The boys are the ones who are doing the job. I don't know why they do it, but they're willing to run through a wall if I ask them," he added.

The list of heroes for the victorious Montclair club is a lengthy one. It includes the defensive secondary of JOHN BRUNELLI, ALEX KAPLANOVICH, LONNIE MONCELSI and JOE KOSTECKI. And certainly others on coach Tom Testa's defensive unit were key figures.

Throughout the hard-hitting clash the names of defensive captain PETE CONTALDI, linebacker BOB JENSEN, BOB DAVIS were frequently heard over the public address system for making tackles that kept the Tigers bottled up on offense.

On offense the quarterbacking of BOB BREWSTER kept the Virginians on edge as he mixed the running abilities of TONY VALPONE, Glen Morchauser, AL THOMPSON and PARKER SNARE with passes to ends ROLAND KASCHER and DON WHITEMAN.

MIKE VAN ZILE was called upon to punt 10 times and compiled a 35.9 average, but his effectiveness was much more impressive than his average. One of his punts was downed on the three and another went out of bounds on the two when he aimed for the coffin corner.

Both scores came as a result of the defense's work. Late in the third stanza a Hampden-Sydney pass interception gave it possession on its one-yard line. Three consecutive plays into the line of Contaldi's unit netted only three yards and a punt was forced.

Bobby Woltz, who averaged 42.1 yards for nine punts, was rushed and got off a 32-yarder under heavy pressure. Moncelsi returned the kick nine yards to give Montclair excellent position on the Tiger 27-yard line.

Valpone quickly sliced his way through the defense for 10 yards and a first down. Two plays later Brewster hit Kascher over the middle on a key play for 17 yards and a first down on the two. Two plays later Valpone powered his way into the end zone behind the blocking of JEFF SCHEETZ and AL AVIGNONE.

Brewster, who set the school record for extra points earlier this year, booted his 29^th to provide the winning point but the anxious moments for the crowd of 2,720 were far from over.

Still ahead was a touchdown by Tracy Powers from the one and a big decision by coach Stokely Fulton of Hampden-Sydney to go for broke and try to win the game with a two-point conversion after scoring with 8:37 to play.

However, the Montclair State defense was equal to the challenge and Clifton's Kaplanovich came up with the big interception as he outfought a Tiger receiver deep in the end zone.

"Three persons, including Brunelli and Kostecki tapped the ball before I caught it," said Kaplanovich. "The Hampden-Sydney player grabbed the ball after I caught it and tried to claim it was caught by him at the same time as me, but the official was right on top of the play.

"When I saw the ball go up in the air I didn't think it was every going to come down," added the junior. "Once I got my hands on the ball I was determined to fight anyone off who got near me."

Contaldi, one of nine juniors who will return t next year's defensive unit, said he admired the Virginian's coach for challenging his club by going for two points. "We believe in ourselves and think we can stop any team of similar physical abilities," said Contaldi.

Discussing the job his unit did against Hampden-Sydney in limiting it to 165 yards total offense against the 315 yard averageit brought into the game Contaldi said, "We knew they were tough but we knew no back could run against us as often and effectively as they had done against other if we hit hard. And that's exactly what we tried to do and the result shows we got the job done."

The rock'em, sock-em power and gang tackling exhibited by Montclair helped produce two fumbles and three interceptions, in addition to the conversion picked off. All three interceptions from scrimmage were made by Brunelli, who established a school record for passes intercepted in a season with his first theft of the game.