MADISON , NJ –Freshman
tailback Louis Smith rushed for 113 yards, including the game-wining
touchdown with 1:24 remaining as host FDU-Florham outlasted King’s
College 15-10 on a soggy Robert T. Fields in Madison , NJ .
Trailing 10-9 with 5:11 remaining in the
contest, FDU would mount the game-winning drive. Beginning at its
own 20, quarterback Dan Huff hit Mike Smeja for 19 yards to the Devil 40.
Two players later, Huff found Smith out of the backfield for a 24-yard
gain to the Monarch 34. Facing a fourth-and-seven play, King’s was
flagged for a defensive holding penalty, giving the Devils a first down at
the Monarch 15. On the next play, the 220-pound Smith broke three
tackles and raced into the end zone to put the Devils ahead 15-10 with
1:24 remaining in the contest. FDU would attempt a two-point
conversion but Smith came up a yard short on a running play.
On the ensuing kickoff, King’s was flagged for holding and would assume
possession at the 16-yard line with 1:15 left on the clock.
Chris Barnic would hit Julian Walker for 22 yards to the King’s
38. Two plays later Barnic was sacked by Joe Sangiaovanni, moving
the ball back to the King’s 31. An incomplete pass would then
force King’s into a fourth-and-17 from its own 31. From there,
Barnic’s pass to Matt Nicodemus fell incomplete as the Devils would take
over on downs with 0:23 left and ran out the clock.
FDU took a 6-0 lead when Smith scored on a one-yard run. King’s
Joe Tassoni would block Steve Zanetti’s extra-point kick as FDU held a
6-0 advantage with 9:46 remaining in the half, a lead the Devils would
take into the locker room break.
In the third quarter, King’s defense
would come up with a big play when the Devils took over at their own
five-yard line following a punt. On second down, Monarch cornerback Craig
Haywood picked off quarterback Dan Huff and raced 10 yards into the end
zone for a King’s touchdown. Bobby Nawrocki’s conversion kick gave
King’s a 7-6 lead with 8:03 remaining in the third quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, FDU would move
to the King’s 41-yard line where the drive stalled. The Devils
sent out he punt team but executed a fake punt with a short snap to up-man
Daniel Harrison, resulting in a six-yard gain and a first down at the King’s
35. FDU moved to the Monarch 17 and took a 9-7 lead when Mike
Rabasca’s 33-yard line-drive field goal barely cleared the crossbar with
12:59 left in the contest.
King’s responded on the next possession
when Barnic found Blake Letchford for a 24-yard gain to the Devil
47. Two plays later, the duo hooked up again for 13 yards to the
Devil 33. The Monarchs moved to the FDU 15 where the drive would
stall. From there, Bobby Nawrocki drilled a 32-yard field gal to
give King’s a 10-9 lead with 8:49 left in the contest.
Two possessions later, King’s had a
chance to pad the lead but Nawrocki’s 31-yard field goal attempt sailed
wide right with 5:11 left in the game and the Monarchs clinging to a 10-9
lead.
The Monarchs failed to capitalize on three
first-half scoring chances which would eventually come back to haunt them.
In the first quarter, the Monarchs moved to
the Devil 34 after Barnic hit Julian Walker for 24 yards. On the
next play, King’s was flagged for a personal foul call, before Barnic
was sacked on consecutive plays, moving the ball back to the King’s 32
and ending the threat.
Later in the first quarter, King’s took over at its own five-yard line
following a punt and moved the ball to the FDU 20. The Monarchs
would face a fourth-and-six play from the FDU 14 but Barnic’s pass to
tight end Bernie Mullen fell incomplete to end another scoring threat.
Early in the second quarter, King’s would
force FDU to punt from deep in its own territory and took over at the
Devil. The Monarchs moved the ball to the Devil 25-yard line before
FDU linebacker Greg Martone picked off a Chris Barnic pass at the 18 and
returned the ball 33 yards to the King’s 49.
Smith, who averaged 4.7 yards per-carry in
the game, tallied two touchdowns to pace FDU. Huff added 71 yards on
14 carries and completed 7-of-23 passes for 131 yards and a score.
King’s was led by Richard Jackson who
rushed for 137 yard on 34 carries. Barnic was 11-of-32 for 157 yards
with an interception. Letchford had a team-high five catches for 61
yards while Julian Walker added three for 52 yards.
King’s will return to action Saturday
when the Monarchs host Widener University at 1:30 p.m. at Betzler Fields.
