With playoff spot on the line, Rowan travels to Montclair State
On Saturday, the Profs travel to Montclair State to take on the Red Hawks. Both teams are tied for second in the New Jersey Athletic Conference with identical 6-1 conference records. Each team’s only loss came by a touchdown against first place Cortland State earlier in the year. However, those aren’t the only things these squads have in common. The Red Hawks and Profs are fourth and fifth, respectively, in the East Region rankings, which play a large role in determining playoff positions. Rowan and Montclair also sport the top two defenses in the conference. Here’s how they stack up in the national rankings:
Rushing defense:
Rowan (10th)
Montclair (12th)
Total Defense:
Rowan (19th)
Montclair (15th)
The Profs are also 9th in turnover margin and rank in the top ten in sacks and tackles for a loss. Rowan’s defensive front three of Kyle Kane, Justin Hinds and Matt Hoffman are all in the top five in NJAC sacks, so look for defensive coordinator Pat Lancetta to continue to apply pressure on freshman quarterback Tom Fischer.
With rain in the forecast at Sprague Field, expect the game to be a defensive struggle. If the game is low scoring, give the advantage to the Red Hawks, who have scored 16 points or less in five of their seven wins. Rowan coach Jay Accorsi would rather take his chances in high-scoring shootout.
the winner of this seemingly evenly-matched game will likely earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, while the loser may very well be sitting at home following next weekend’s regular season finale.
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