Upper Montclair (9/21/02) — Junior linebacker JOHN LENNOX (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) returned two interceptions for touchdowns as the Montclair State defense came up big in the waning seconds lifting the Red Hawks to a 30-27 victory over Frostburg State, before a crowd of 1,684 at Sprague Field on Saturday afternoon.

With Montclair State leading 30-13 entering the fourth quarter, Grant Burrough (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Burrough) connected with Aaron Webb (Baltimore, MD/Rockville) on a 11-yard scoring strike at 9:07 to pull the Bobcats (1-1) within 30-27. After the Frostburg State defense forced a Montclair punt, the Bobcats marched 61 yards in 10 plays and capped off the drive with a Burrough to Deeb TD toss from 10-yards out to make the score 30-27 with 4:20 to play.

Montclair State then appeared to respond as JASPER HANKINS (Union, NJ/Union) raced 72 yards on the ensuing kickoff to give the Red Hawks (1-1) the ball at the FSU 18. However, a holding penalty - one of 15 on the day by MSU - negated the return. The Red Hawks then went three-and-out again and gave the ball back to Frostburg with 1:58 left in the game.

Burrough then led the Bobcats into Montclair territory and he kept the drive alive as he ran for eight yards on a 4th-and-1 to put the ball at the MSU 34. Another completion moved the ball down to the Montclair 26, but on third-and-2, MSU defensive tackle DERRICK MIMY (Irvington, NJ/Irvington) stripped Burrough of the ball, which was then scooped by DOUG ROTHACKER (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex). Rothacker returned the ball 37 yards to the Frostburg 33 yard line with 22 seconds to go. Montclair then ran out the clock.

The Red Hawks, who snapped a three-game losing streak dating back to last season, built the 30-13 lead as Lennox picked off a Burrough pass an raced 21 yards for the touchdown in the first quarter to put MSU up 6-0. Montclair then boosted the lead to 13-0 late in the second quarter as quarterback JOHN DIGIROLAMO (Morris Plains, NJ/Parsippany Hills) scored from a yard out to cap a 41-yard drive that was set up by an interception by DEREK MORRISON (West Orange, NJ/West Orange). Morrison had two interceptions in the game.

Edward Kearney (Bel Air, MD/Calvert Hall) got the Bobcats on the board a he scored on a 49-yard touchdown run with 4:01 left in the half. However, MSU extended the lead to 23-7 in the third as BRENT GRABLACHOFF (Island Heights, NJ/Central Regional) booted a 40-yard field goal and Lennox intercepted his second pass of the game and returned 22 yards for the score. Burrough scored on a one-yard run to cut the gap to 23-13 with 5:09 to play in the third, but Montclair answered with a 10-play, 65-yard march capped off by another DiGirolamo one-yard run with 35 second to go in the third quarter.

Burrough completed 21-of-46 passes for 288 yards while DiGirolamo posted 9-of-24 for 99 yards. MSU's JERMARL BUIE (Paterson, NJ/Passaic County Tech) rushed for 150 yards, just the second time in 24 games that the Red Hawks have had a 100-yard rusher.

Tim Wilkins (Baltimore, MD/Mervo) had eight catches for 94 yards for the Bobcats, who outgained Montclair State, 404-312.

Lennox, who had seven tackles in the game, tied the Montclair State single-game record for interceptions returned for touchdowns. He tied the mark set by John Avalarado, who had two against Brockport in September, 1995.