Football | 9/8/2016 11:33:00 AM

Montclair, NJ - It's the 86th season of football for Montclair State and the Red Hawks kick off the 2016 campaign on the road, and on a Friday night when they visit the Devils of FDU-Florham in Madison. It will be the first meeting between the teams in 22 years and the first time MSU will head to Robert T. Shields Field.

The Red Hawks are coming off a 4-6 season, including 4-5 in the NJAC. Montclair was hit hard by graduation - 19 seniors lost, most notably on the offensive side. Despite the departures, MSU does return a host of veterans, including senior running back JOHN DISTEFANO and defensive linemen and All-NJAC selections JOE FALATO and Vin Cordasco. Montclair State was picked to finish sixth in the NJAC Preseason Coaches Poll announced in early August.

FDU-Florham posted a 3-7 record a season ago, 2-7 in the MAC. The Devils were selected eighth in the conference preseason poll. Like MSU, FDU-Florham will be looking to replace several lost starters. Defensively, Troy Scales and Isaiah Turner are back after combining fo 110 tackles in 2015. Joseph McCain takes over the quarterback spot on a full-time basis. McCain threw for 470 yards and three touchdowns in four games.

The two teams are squaring off for only the third time and last met in 1994 in the Annual Newark Pride Bowl. Montclair State won that game 20-13 and also captured the contest the previous year at Sprague Field (22-12).