Montclair, NJ – Sophomore quarterback JA'QUILL BURCH threw two touchdown passes in his first collegiate start while KASON CAMPBELL scored twice as Montclair State defeated Salve Regina 37-14 at Sprague Field on Saturday afternoon.

Junior running back CRAIG MERKLE and senior back WILLIE BARR each ran 50 yards for a touchdown as the Red Hawks captured their season opener for the second time in three years improving to 47-36-5 all-time in first contests. The 37 points were the most by Montclair in a game since October 2015 against Southern Virginia (45-0) and the most in a season opener since a 42-27 win at Iona College in 2004.

Scoreless after the first three possessions, Salve Regina (1-1) was driving when Jake Kelleher hit Brendan Nunes for an 18-yard gain to the MSU 38. But safety DYLAN ELLIOTT stripped Nunes of the ball and returned it to midfield. The next play, Barr ran through the left side and raced down the sideline untouched for a 7-0 MSU lead with 6:57 left in the opening quarter.

On the next MSU possession, Burch engineered a 5-play, 57-yard drive completing all five attempts. He hit Campbell for 25 yards down to the Seahawks 28 and two plays later found Campbell in the end zone for a 23-yard strike putting the Red Hawks in front 14-0.

Salve Regina could get on the board early in the second with an 8-play, 80-yard drive that was capped by a Nunes 26-yard touchdown toss from Kelleher making the score 14-7 with 3:27 to play. But that momentum was quickly dashed 17 seconds later as Campbell took the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown restoring the lead to 21-7.

MSU's defense would come up with the next score as the Red Hawks pinned the Seahawks as their own 6. Two plays into the drive Kelleher was swallowed up in the end zone for a safety by DOMINIC FERRARA and SEAMUS NELSON extending the lead to 23-7 with 5:28.

Late in the first half, a Salve punt put the ball at the MSU 7 with 1:46 to go. Merkle raced 38 yards out to the 45-yard line on the first play and Burch hit DAUNTE FLETCHER for 20 yards on a 3^rd-and-6 to the Seahawks' 31. Burch found CARSEN JOHNSON for 21 yards to the 10 on the next play and a pass interference penalty spotted the ball at the Salve two with 46 seconds. After an incompletion, Burch hit Merkle out of the backfield for a touchdown to finish off an 8-play, 93-yard drive that took just over a minute to complete as MSU led 30-7 at the half.

Salve Regina opened the second half with an 11-play, 80-yar drive to get within 30-14. Tyler McGovern found Nunes for a six-yard touchdown pass with 10:56 remaining in the third. The Seahawks had a chance to close the gap further however Andrew Verre missed a field goal attempt from 35 yards out near the end of the quarter.

Montclair State's final touchdown came from Merkle, who burst through the left side for a 50-yard touchdown run with 9:08 left.

Merkle finished with 13 carries for 124 yards while Barr added 75 on nine touches for MSU, which had 185 yards on the ground. Burch completed 19-of-31 passes to nine different receivers. Johnson led the ground with four for 34 yards. Campbell and Merkle had three apiece. The Red Hawks totaled 356 yards of offense and held the ball for just over 36 minutes.

Linebacker MAURO ALTAMURA led the defense with nine tackles and a sack. JAIER GARRETT had six tackles and three breakups with ROHAN PHILLIP registered four breakups. Rookie linebacker BRENNAN RAY had four tackles and four quarterback hurries.

Montclair State returns to action next Saturday at home. The Red Hawks host Southern Virginia at Sprague Field in their NJAC opener at 1:00 pm.