SEPTEMBER 14, 2012

KING'S FOOTBALL FALLS TO FDU-FLORHAM, 30-14

MADISON, NJ -- The host FDU-Florham football team built a 23-0 half-time lead and amassed 446 yards of total offense as the Devils posted a 30-14 victory over visiting King's College Friday night in Madison, NJ.

With the win FDU-Florham improved to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the MAC. Kings, meanwhile, slipped to 0-3 and 0-2 in the MAC.

FDU-Florham raced out of the gates on the first possession of the game when Mike Santos connected on a second-down pass of 51 yards to Anthony Fruncillo to the King's 16. A 40-yard field goal by Mike Georgetti gave the Devils a 3-0 lead with 12:58 left in the first quarter.

Two possessions later King's took over at its own 19 following a Devil punt and began to march. The Monarchs reached the Devil 40 before stalling and faced a fourth-and-10 play. Tyler Hartranft kept the drive alive when he found Adam Kudlacik for 18 yards to the Devil 22. On the next play Hartranft connected with Dan Kempa for 21 yards to set up King's a first-and-goal at the one. Two running plays lost a pair of yards and a third-down incomplete pass gave King's a fourth-and-goal from the three. The Monarchs sent in the field goal team but Kevin Mulvihill missed a 20-yard attempt as FDU maintained a 3-0 lead with 0:48 left in the first quarter.

FDU made King's pay on the ensuing possession when Jon Bennett raced 72-yards on a second-down carry to reach the end zone to extend the Devil lead. Georgetti made good on the point-after as FDU built a 10-0 advantage with 14:49 left in the second quarter.

Two possessions later FDU drove to the King's 32. After Santos found James Ognibene for 10 yards to the Monarch 22 the Devils scored on the next play when Bennett found the end zone on a reverse to pad the FDU lead. The extra-point failed and the Monarchs would trail 16-0 with 9:26 remaining in the half.

After a King's punt pinned the Devils at their own four-yard line with 4:41 on the clock, the Monarchs committed a costly roughing-the-passer penalty on second down, giving the Devils a first down at their own 22. After a nine-yard pass to Ted Cebusi and a eight-yard run by Craig Kimbrough, FDU faced a third-and-four at the King's 45. A down later Santos threw a 28-yard completion to Fruncillo at the Monarch 16 with 2:07 on the clock. Three plays later Santos found Fruncillo again with a fade pass in the left corner of the end zone for another Devil score. The extra-point was good as FDU built a 23-0 advantage with 1:19 left in the half, a lead the Devils would take into the break.

FDU amassed 316 yards of total offense in the first half compared to 105 for the Monarchs. The Devils threw for 183 yards while rushing for 133. King's rushed for 34 yards while passing for 71.

King's caught a break on the second possession of the third quarter when Kimbrough fumbled and Ben Ray recovered for the Monarchs at the Devil 16. McGrath would carry for five yards before Judens Goimbert raced into the end zone from 10 yards out. Mulvihill made good on the conversion kick as King's trimmed the lead to 23-7 with 11:08 left in the third quarter.

The Monarchs created another opportunity when the King's defense came up with a key stop, forcing an FDU punt which gave King's good field position at its own 43. Back-to-back McGrath runs of 14 and 13 yards moved the Monarchs to the Devil 30. But the drive stalled and a fourth-and-11 play resulted in Hartranft avoiding a sack and scrambling for nine yards as the Devils took over on downs at their own 23.

FDU Once again came up with another big play on second down when Santos hit Ted Cebulski for 40 yards to the King's 36. Later in the drive, Bennett picked up seven yards for a first-and-goal at the Monarch nine. Santos then hooked up with Cebulski on the next play for a Devil touchdown. The point-after upped the FDU lead to 30-7 with 3:13 remaining in the third quarter.

After King's assumed possession at its own 44 on the ensuing kickoff, McGrath had runs of seven and six yards to give the Monarchs a first down at the Devil 43. Later in the drive an 18-yard pass to Jordan Buford moved King's to the 38. Two plays later Hartranft connected with Goimbert for a 14-yard touchdown pass. Mulvilhill convterted the extra-point as King's cut the score to 30-14 with 13:56 left in the contest.

After the Monarchs took over at its own 10 after forcing an FDU punt, King's used nine plays to reach the Devil 37. But on a second-down play, Monarch fullback Steven Duncan fumbled a screen pass from Hartranft as FDU recovered at its own 33 to end the Monarch scoring threat with 6:45 to play.

King's force another punt and assumed possession at its own 41 with 4:36 to play. But King's was unable to move the ball as FDU took over on downs at the Monarch 46 when Hartranft was sacked on a fourth-and-two play.

King's managed 282 yards of offense, including 137 rushing yards and 145 passing yards. McGrath led King's offensively with 114 rushing yards on 23 carries. Hartranft was 13-of-28 for 137 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions but was victimized by several dropped passes. Duncan caught four passes for 26 yards while Buford, Kudlacik, and Goimbert caught two passes each.

Santos completed 22-of-30 passes for 257 yards and two scores. Bennett rushed for 114 yards on 11 attempts and two scores. Fruncillo made eight catches for 154 yards with a touchdown and ran for 32 more.

King's will return to action Saturday when the Monarchs host Misericordia University at 1:00 p.m. on Homecoming Day at King's.