UNION, N.J. (10/10/09) - The Kean University football team scored 17 points in the second quarter en-route to defeating Buffalo State College, 37-0, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Saturday afternoon.The Cougars (4-1, 4-0 NJAC) recorded nine tackles for a loss of 37 yards in posting a shutout for the first time in a conference game since 1995, while the 4-0 start in NJAC play is a first in school history.
Senior running back Jared Chunn (Tinton Falls, N.J.) carried the ball 15 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns, as the Cougar offense rushed for 242 yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore linebacker Richard Esdaile (Neptune, N.J.) finished with eight tackles, including four tackles for a loss of 19 yards and two forced fumbles.
For Buffalo State (1-4 overall, 1-3 NJAC), rookie Eddie Weiser (Grand Island, N.Y.) finished with a team-high seven tackles, while junior Eric France (Bronx, N.Y.) had six tackles and an interception.
Kean scored the only points of the first quarter on a two-yard rushing touchdown by senior Derric Harris (Freehold, N.J.), capping the 10-play, 84-yard drive with 3:16 remaining in the opening period. On the drive, junior Matt Puorro (Point Pleasant, N.J.) had a 23-yard reception and Chunn had four rushes for 24 yards, before Harris gave Kean the 7-0 lead following the extra point by sophomore Billy Daniels (Ridgewood, N.J.).
In the second quarter, the Cougars scored on 3-of-4 possessions, including their first two drives of the period to extend the lead to 24-0 at halftime.
On the first drive of the second quarter, Daniels capped an eight-play, 64-yard drive with a 38-yard field goal to push the lead out to 10-0 with 9:37 to go.
The Cougars forced their first turnover of the game on the Bengals' next series, as Esdaile recovered the fumble at the Buffalo State 44-yard line when the ball came out of the hands of Buffalo State quarterback Kenny Murphy (Lancaster, N.Y.) as he dropped back to pass.
On the ensuing drive, a 30-yard completion from sophomore quarterback Thomas D'Ambrisi (Eatontown, N.J.) to senior tight end Alex Cade (Absegami, N.J.) set up the touchdown run for Chunn, who recovered his own fumble to take it in the final six yards one play later for the 17-0 lead.
The Cougars added one more touchdown in the quarter, when rookie defensive back Justin McLendon (South Brunswick, N.J.) had his third interception of the year deep in Buffalo State territory to set things up. Four plays later, D'Ambrisi hit a wide-open Sean Atkins (Perth Amboy, N.J.) in the end zone for the 24-0 lead at the break.
Chunn scored on Kean's first drive of the third quarter with a 30-yard touchdown run and senior Jason Liberti (Marlton, N.J.) followed up a 19-yard carry with a seven-yard scoring run for the final points of the game in the fourth quarter.
D'Ambrisi finished 8-of-14 for 141 yards and one touchdown, as Cade caught three passes for 66 yards and Puorro added a pair of receptions for 35 yards.
Sophomore linebacker Bekim Bujari (Secaucus, N.J.) made a game-high 11 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for a loss of 12 yards and had a sack for a six-yard loss.
Buffalo State freshman running back Gibran Johnson (Buffalo, N.Y.) had eight carries for 67 yards. Murphy completed 7-of-11 passes for 81 yards before leaving with an injury, while freshman Ryan Lehotsky (North Royalton, Ohio) was 5-of-12 for 73 yards in relief.
