Union, NJ – The Montclair State football dropped its season finale on Saturday falling to Kean University 20-10 at Alumni Stadium.

Senior running back JOHN DISTEFANO rushed for 208 yards and a touchdown for the Red Hawks, who finished the year at 4-6 overall, 3-6 in the NJAC.

MSU was done in by five turnovers which led to 17 points by the Cougars (6-4, 5-4 NJAC), who picked up their second straight win over Montclair winning back-to-back contests in the season for just the second time in 42 all-time meetings.

The first of those five miscues put Montclair State in a 7-0 hole four minutes into the game. Austin Davis stepped in front of a RYAN ADZIMA pass and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown. A fumble on the Red Hawks' next possession gave Kean another opportunity however the MSU defense held forcing a punt.

Kean looked to add to the lead early in the second driving to the MSU 27. But junior SHAON STEPHENSON thwarted that drive with an interception. However the Red Hawks gave it right back as the Cougars' David Coleman picked off a ball at the MSU 30 and ran it back for another touchdown making the score 14-0.

MSU's defense set up the first score for the Red Hawks at JABARI GARVIN intercepted a pass and brought it back to the Kean 8 with 7:37 left. Three plays later, DiStefano raced in from two yards out trimming the deficit to 14-7 with 6:24 to go before halftime.

Montclair had a chance to get closer late in the period and faced a 4^th down at the Kean 14 with 54 seconds remaining. The Red Hawks lined up for a field goal but tried some trickery with a fake that went for naught as a pass from HUNTER DALY to JOE FALATO fell in incomplete.

A fumble deep in its own territory led to a field goal for Kean as Aryeh Moslavi connected from 33 yards out making the score 17-7 with 8:16 left. Montclair answered with a field goal of its own as a 59-yard run by DiStefano led to 25-yard FRANK SCHNEEBERGER kick cutting the lead back to 17-10.

Moslavi countered that with an 18-yard field goal to open the fourth quarter. That came after the Cougars' third interception of the game. Kean drove to the MSU 2, but had to settle for the three-point attempt and a 20-10 lead with 14:17 left.

Montclair's next possession saw the Red Hawks move to the Kean 18 yard line. TAJ HUGGINS had a 23-yard reception on the drive and a 13 yard run by DiStefano plus a 15-yard penalty eventually led to a field goal attempt by Schneeberger. But the 35-yard attempt went wide with 7:27 to go keeping the margin at 10 points.

NICK VOLPE finished with two sack for the Red Hawks, who got nine tackles from VINCENT CORDASCO and seven from JOE FALATO. MICHAEL STRADFORD had a sack for MSU, which finished with an NJAC-leading 40 sacks in 2016. It was the most by Montclair since 2001. DiStefano ended the year with 1,255 yards rushing the sixth-highest single-season total in program history.