Montclair, NJ (11/10/07) – Senior running back RYAN MCCOACH (Rockaway, NJ / Morris Hills) rand for 107 yards and two first-half touchdowns while senior quarterback MICHAEL JUMP (Toms River, NJ / Toms River South) threw for 232 yards and a pair of scores in the second half as Montclair State closed out its regular season with a 31-6 victory over Western Connecticut in an NJAC matchup at Sprague Field on Saturday afternoon.

The victory capped off an 8-2 regular season (5-2 in the NJAC) for the Red Hawks as Montclair kept alive its hopes for an at-large berth in the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs which get underway next Saturday, November 17. Bids for the playoffs will be announced on Sunday. If Montclair State is not selected, it will then wait to see if it earns a spot in an ECAC Championship Game also slated for next week. That announcement will be made on Monday, November 12.

Sophomore quarterback James Williams ( Wolcott, CT/Wolcott) threw for 223 yards and the lone touchdown as the Colonials closed out their season with their second straight loss to finish the year at 4-6 overall, 2-5 in the NJAC. WestConn is now 1-7 all time against Montclair State.

The Colonials took the first lead of the game as it moved 69 yards in seven plays. Williams connected with Allen Bowen Hamden, CT/Hamden) on gains of 11 and 13, respectively to move the ball to the MSU 46. Keith Rosedom ( Stamford, CT/Westhill) added a 13-yard reception before pulling a second catch, this one a 30-yard grab for a touchdown as the Colonials led 6-0 with 5:48 left in the opening period. The extra point was missed.

Montclair State answered right back as CHRIS D'ANDREA ( Union, NJ/ Union) returned the kickoff 25 yards to the MSU 41. McCoach converted a third down with a nine-yard run and added a 12-yard scamper to bring the ball to the Colonial 30. Jump would completed passes to JEFF PAPCUN (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) and A.J. LETIZIA (Dumont, NJ/ Dumont) for 18 and 12-yards, respectively, the latter putting the ball down at the WestConn 1. McCoach then barreled in from a yard out to give MSU the lead 7-6 as MARCO CAPOZZOLI ( Bloomfield, NJ / St. Joseph's) converted the extra point with 1:48 to go.

In the second quarter, a fumble by the Colonials on a running play helped give Montclair great field position as ANDREW ACKERMAN ( Bloomfield, NJ /Bloomfield) came up with the recovery at the WestConn 16. McCoach would do all the work from there with four straight carries, the final another one-yard plunge as MSU increased its lead to 14-6 with 8:40 left in the first half.

After the Red Hawks took the eight-point lead into halftime, Cappozoli connected from 28-yards out to extend the lead to 17-6. The Colonials would punt on their next possession and Montclair went 70-yards in just four plays to increase its margin to 24-6. Jump capped off the drive as he found Letizia along the right sideline for the touchdown with 5:03 remaining in the third.

WestConn had a chance to close the gap on its next drive moving 52 yards in 16 plays over a seven-minute span that bridge the third and fourth quarters as the Colonials marched to the Montclair State 26. However, on 4 th-and-5, Williams' pass fell incomplete and the ball was turned over on downs.

Montclair would then capitalize with its final score of the game. After Jump found OMAR SEVILLA (North Bergen, NJ / North Bergen) for six yards on a 3 rd-and-5, the senior signal caller found another classmate, wide receiver BRANDON FRONJIAN (Palisades Park, NJ/ Palisades Park) along the right sideline for a 58-yard touchdown as a 31-6 Montclair State advantage with 10:04 left in the game.

McCoach, one of 23 Red Hawk seniors honored before the kickoff, carried 26 times in the games as he continued to be a thorn in the Colonials' side. In the last three years versus WestConn, McCoach has rushed for 470 yards and five touchdowns. Jump was 12-of-26 in the game with Letizia and Fronjian each getting three for 65 and 45 yards, respectively. Fronjian had 72 yards receiving as MSU outgained the Colonials, 367-274 including a 135-51 edge on the ground.

Defensively for the Red Hawks, sophomore linebacker CORNELL HUNT (North Brunswick, NJ / North Brunswick) and freshman defensive back MARIO MCLEAN (Montville, NJ / Montville) each collected 10 tackles while senior linebacker Russ Comune (Pompton Plains, NJ / Pequannock) had an outstanding game with nine tackles, including three for loss of 10 yards.

For Western Connecticut, Williams was 24-of-40 with Rosedom pulling in seven passes for 64 yards. Bowen had five for 74 with junior running back Jason Santiago ( Cromwell, CT/Cromwell) rushed 11 times for 51 yards. Junior linebacker Chad Milling ( Hartford, CT/Conrad) spearheaded the Colonials' defense with 11 tackles, seven unassisted. Seniors John Hoke ( Tomkins Cove, NY/North Rockland), Rick Jackson ( Wallingford, NJ / Lyman Hall) and Michael Gregor ( Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) each finished with six tackles.