On Sept. 27, Montclair State University’s football team will take on Wilkes University at 5 P.M. for Homecoming. Montclair State is 1-1 through their first two weeks, picking up their first win of the season against Lycoming College on Sept. 13.
Sophomore quarterback Luke Henrich, in just his second game as a Red Hawk, threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns, as well as leading the team in rushing with 105 yards. Senior wide receiver Jalen Carter also scored his first touchdown as a Red Hawk with his first reception, a 49-yard pass from Henrich, to contribute to the 27-24 final score.
This performance was significant considering how week one’s loss unfolded against the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Montclair State had five total turnovers, four of which were Henrich interceptions.
Montclair State will need to stop the run in Saturday's matchup vs Wilkes University. Photo credit: Syd Boni
Additionally, on the very first drive of the game versus Lycoming, Montclair State turned the ball over once again after a wide snap that senior kicker Roger Rubinetti couldn’t get to. However, it was how the Red Hawks responded afterwards that told the story; they were down by just seven points at halftime and still pulled out the win.
Head coach Mike Palazzo expresses his pride of their pull-through.
”Proud of the guys for bouncing back after a tough first half,” said Palazzo. “We preach overcoming adversity and we did just that in the second half. Going to heal up during the bye week and get ready for an exciting homecoming matchup with Wilkes.”
Wilkes is 1-2 on the season, with their last game on Sept. 20 against Muhlenberg College. In that game, senior quarterback Cooper King threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Despite King’s performance, Wilkes wasn’t able to get their running game going, with just 50 total rushing yards in the game.
Wilkes’s running game could be a big factor this week, as in week one, their running game drove them to victory against King’s College, with 127 total yards and a touchdown. However, in week two, against The College of New Jersey, they only ran for 12 yards.
The results of these games correspond to how well their running game was established, with a win in week one and losses in weeks two and three. It’s also important to note that Montclair State’s defense has struggled in stopping the run in its two games as well. Against Lycoming, Montclair State gave up 169 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and the week before that, against Merchant Marine, they gave up 365 yards and three touchdowns.
Neither of these numbers is sustainable for either team, as stopping the run is key for a successful defense and establishing at least the threat of a running game is key for an offense. However, it will be interesting to see how this game plays out, with both teams’ success hinging on the run game, one way or the other.
With Wilkes quarterback Cooper King attempting 44 passes this past week and Montclair State’s quarterback Luke Henrich rushing for over 100 yards, the stage is set for a great matchup on Homecoming at Sprague Field this Saturday.
