Union, NJ (10/12/02) - Montclair State University's freshman running back Zack Earvin (South River, N.J.) had 126 yards on the ground and three touchdowns as the Red Hawks defeated Kean University, 42-7, before a rain soaked crowd of 1,113 homecoming fans at Kean Alumni Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Montclair State (2-3, 1-1 NJAC) jumped out to a 21-0 second quarter lead before the Cougars (2-3, 1-2 NJAC) were finally able to get on the board with a 2-yard run by Jamar Reynolds (Atlantic City, N.J.) with just 1:12 left in the period.

Following the kick off it appeared that Montclair State was just going to run out the clock when Earvin took a handoff over the right side of the line, but the shifty freshman found an opening and went 51-yards for a score with just three second remaining in the half. The play erased any Cougar momentum and propelled the Red Hawks to their first New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) victory of the season.

Montclair State got on the board in the first quarter when the Red Hawks took the opening kick off and went on a seven play 68 yard drive that was capped off by a JOHN DIGIROLAMO (Morris Plains, N.J.) to ERIC MAGRINI (Wayne, N.J.) 11-yard TD completion. As the first quarter expired, Earvin tallied his first score of the game when he ran it in from the one-yard line to give MSU a 14-0 lead. Montclair extended its advantage to 21-0 when starting running back Jemarl Buie (Paterson, N.J.) plunged into the end zone from 2-yards out just three minutes into the second period.

The Cougars lone scoring drive of the game was set up by a 38-yard interception return by freshman defensive back Michael Knight-York (South Brunswick, N.J.). Following the turnover, Kean needed just four plays and 1:18 to go 50 yards for the score. On the drive freshman quarterback Dean Conforti (Ringoes, N.J.) was 2-for-2 for 39 yards and Reynolds added two carries for 11 yards.
In the second half, MSU added to its lead when DiGirolamo scrambled out of the pocket and eventually found Magrini in the back corner of the end zone for a 19-yard third quarter touchdown. Earvin then closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter when he once again ran it for a four-yard touchdown carry.

For the Red Hawks quarterback DiGirolamo was 13-for-20 for 196 yards and two TD's and Magrini finished with six catches and 62 yards. Buie added 68 yards rushing on 17 carries, while JASPER HANKINS (Union, N.J.) finished with 75 yards on three receptions.

Defensively, Montclair State limited Kean to to just 153 total yards and recorded seven sacks into the contest . Freshmen linebackers DOUG ROTHACKER (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) and MORGAN BURKLOW (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) combined for 13 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.