Wayne, NJ (10/4/08) –  Sophomore quarterback RYAN BOYSEN (Freehold, NJ / St. Peter's Prep)  connected with JEFF PAPCUN (Hazlet, NJ / Raritan) on a five-yard touchdown pass with 37 seconds remaining as Montclair State escaped with a 14-13 win over backyard rival William Paterson in NJAC action on Saturday.

The Red Hawks remain unbeaten improving to 4-0 for the first time since 2001 and the 15th time overall. MSU also upped its record to 34-2-1 against William Paterson as it downed the Pioneers for the 14th consecutive year. It was the closet margin of victory for MSU since a 12-7 win in 1998.

Montclair State trailed 13-0 in the fourth quarter when it rallied for touchdowns on two of its final three possessions. Boysen engineered a 15-play, 70-yard drive that bridged the third and fourth quarters as the Red Hawks finally found their offensive stride. Taking over at its own 30 yardline, Boysen connected with OMAR SEVILLA (North Bergen, NJ / North Bergen) for a 12-yard gain and then found him again on a 3rd-and-8 for 14 yards to move the ball to the WPU 42. MSU was faced with a fourth and inches, but JEFF BLISS (New Milford, NJ / New Milford) ran for four yards to keep the drive going. After getting the ball to the WPU 13, Boysen found YESSY TEJADA (Weehawken, NJ / St. Joseph's (Palisades)) down to the four where Bliss would finish off the drive with his fifth touchdown of the season with 9:49 left in the game.

The teams traded the next three possessions and Montclair would get the ball back with 3:43 to go on its 19 yardline after an illegal block on the punt return. Boysen led the Red Hawks down the field through the air and on the ground during Montclair State's 13-play, 80-yard scoring drive. He completed passes of 26 and 18 yards to Tejada and, after a sack by William Paterson defensive lineman Dan Jones (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead), Boysen rushed for 16 yards to convert a third-and-13. After his 11-yard draw brought it to the Pioneers' five-yard line, Boysen converted the key fourth-down play when he rolled left and found Papcun open in the front-right corner of the end zone to tie the game at 13-13.  MARCO CAPOZZOLI (Bloomfield, N.J./St. Joseph's) nailed the extra point with 37 seconds remaining to give MSU the 14-13 lead, the Red Hawks' first advantage of the day.  

The Pioneers had one final attempt at a comeback with just 30 seconds remaining at the 28-yard line, advancing it almost to midfield before Matt Marshall (6-3, 195, Burlington, N.J./Burlington City) was sacked as time expired.

Boysen finished the game 12-of-26 for 117 yards and a touchdown, and he had 17 yards on five carries.The Red Hawks converted four third-down conversions during the final quarter to complete the comeback. Sevilla led Montclair State with four catches for 61 yards, followed by Tejada (three receptions, 51 yards), and freshman DAN KEEGAN (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex), who had 32 yards on three receptions. Linebackers BRIAN TWEER (Butler, NJ / Butler) and DAN KRAINSKI (Sayreville, NJ / Sayreville) collected 13 and 10 tackles, respectively for the MSU defense, which allowed just 174 total yards of offense.

Ahead 7-0 at halftime, the William Paterson offense immediately hit stride with an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive, capped when Marshall hit a streaking John Malone (6-0, 200, Haledon, N.J./Paramus Catholic) on fourth-down for a 24-yard touchdown pass. More importantly, the Pioneers missed low on the extra point but still had a 13-0 advantage. William Paterson had shut down any offense by Montclair State during the third quarter, allowing just five rushing yards to Bliss after he had gained 67 by halftime.

Marshall completed 14-of-25 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Malone had two catches for 34 yards and a score, while freshman Corey Paladino (Lodi, N.J./Lodi) hauled in two passes for 28 yards and a touchdown. A week after setting single-game records for receptions (16) and receiving yards (226) against Rowan, junior wide receiver Joel Rivera (6-1, 190, Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) was held top six catches for 39 yards.

Leading the Pioneers' ground game, senior running back Shawn Puluse (5-10, 210, Haledon, N.J./Passaic Tech) rushed for 64 yards on 20 carries Junior linebacker Angelo Silletti (6-3, 235, Belleville, N.J./Hudson Catholic) led all Pioneers with 10 total tackles (six solo), including a 1.5 sacks, while Leer Biddle (5-10, 195, Sicklerville, N.J./Lenape) made eight tackles (eight solo) with an interception and three pass defenses. Senior linebacker Mike Lamego (6-1, 235, North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) added seven tackles (three solo) and a forced fumble.

The two sides began the contest by trading punts until the Red Hawks' third possession when Biddle picked off an ERIC PALMER (East Orange, N.J./East Orange) pass near midfield.  However, the Pioneers were unable to capitalize, as Montclair State's NICK GIANGRANDE (Bellville, N.J./Belleville) forced a fumble by Puluse, and the Red Hawks' BRIAN DREW (Hewitt, N.J./West Milford) recovered the ball to give possession back to MSU.

Senior defensive back Wilson Medina (West New York, N.J./Memorial) secured the Pioneers' second interception of the day, cutting off another Palmer pass early in the second period.  A Red Hawk personal foul at the end of the return gave William Paterson the ball at the MSU-21, and three plays later Marshall found Paladino in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown.  Freshman Patrick Marticavage's (Boyton Beach, Fla./Boca Raton Community) extra point gave the Pioneers a 7-0 lead. William Paterson forced its third turnover of the afternoon during Montclair State's next possession, when sophomore defensive lineman Marcell Bates (Paterson, N.J./Paterson Eastside) brought pressure up the middle, forcing Palmer to stumble backwards.  Lamego followed up with the sack and forced fumble, which was recovered by defensive lineman Dyon Moore (Brooklyn, N.Y./Hudson Catholic) at the Pioneers' 49-yard line.  William Paterson was unable to turn the miscue into points and remained in front at halftime, 7-0.