SALISBURY, Md. - Special teams mistakes have been costly for the No.10-ranked Salisbury University Sea Gull football team this season. But those miscues were magnified Saturday afternoon as the Montclair State University used kickoff returns of 92 and 84 yards and a bad snap on a Sea Gull punt situation to turn them into 17 points in a 31-27 upset of No.10-ranked Salisbury in non-conference action at Sea Gull Stadium.

Salisbury, which lost one of its first nine games of the season for the first time since the 2001 season, outgained the Red Hawks, 472-301, but couldn't put the game a way when the Gulls had opportunities. Salisbury (3-1) lost despite senior quarterback Dustin Johnson (Delmar, Md./Delmar) rushing for 178 yards on 14 carries, averaging 12.7-yards per rush. It was his third-highest rushing total of his carrier, but he left the game late in the fourth quarter with an ankle sprain. It was only the second time in his career that he rushed for more than 100 yards and SU lost. He has crossed the century mark 14 times in his college career, including every game this season. Johnson has rushed for 638 yards and averaged 8.5-yards per rush this season.

Senior running back Leroy Satchell (Balitmore, Md./Waynesboro) also broke the century mark, running 20 times for 120 yards. He averaged 6.0-yards per rush and has totaled 497 yards and has averaged 6.2-yards per rush. Teddy Savage (Owings Mills, Md./Poly) also had an outstanding effort in defeat, finishing with 96 yards on 12 carries, averaging 7.9-yards per play.

But it was Montclair State (1-2) that made its stats count.  Despite rushing for only 121 yards as a team, senior quarterback Eric Ferriol (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) completed 11-of-21 passes for 180 yards and a pair of scores. Fred Carter (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) hauled in three aerials for 60 yards and a touchdown, while Brian Reitmeyer (West Orange, NJ/West Orange) caught two for 24 and a score.

Salisbury, which entered play Saturday ranked No.3 in the nation in rushing (367.0 per game), moved the ball on the ground throughout the contest, finishing with 440 yards, but it wasn't enough as the average field position for SU to begin drives was its own 29.

The Gulls broke on top 7-0 with 9:51 left in the first half when Savage culminated a seven-play 55-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run. Salisbury obtained possession on an interception by junior James Jones (Hyattsville, Md./Northwestern).

After forcing the Red Hawks to punt, the Gulls put together a 13-play, 71-yard drive that took 6:07 off the first-quarter clock. Brock Boland (Newfield, NJ/Delsea Regional), who made both field goal attempts on the day, drilled a 26-yarder to give SU a 10-0 lead with 59 seconds remaining in the opening stanza.

But MSU freshman Jared Greensberg (Butler, NJ/Butler) (two kickoffs, 176 yards) put the Red Hawks back in business when he took the ensuing kickoff at his own one-yard line and didn't stop until Boland brought him down with a shoestring tackle at the Salisbury seven. Ferriol scored on the quarterback sneak from one yard out and junior Vin Doffont (North Arlington, NJ/St. Mary's) tackled on the PAT to pull the Hawks within 10-7 with 14:35 left in the half.

The squads traded possession until Montclair moved 73 yards in 10 plays to take the lead. On a third-and-10 situation, Ferriol hit Reitmeyer coming across the endzone for the score. Salisbury junior defensive back Byron Westbrook (Fort Washington, Md./DeMatha) got a hand on the pass, but Reitmeyer kept his concentration and hauled it in. Doffont kicked the extra point to give MSU the lead, 14-10, heading into intermission.

The Sea Gulls, who elected to defer to the second half after winning the pregame coin flip, took the third-quarter kickoff and regained the lead. SU's six-play, 65-yard drive resulted in a 17-yard scoring run by Johnson with 12:53 left in the period and Boland's point after gave SU a 17-14 lead.

Salisbury then added what the Gulls thought was an insurance touchdown on their next possession when Johnson hit Kevin Tillage (Woodbridge, Va./Gar-Field) for 20-yard scoring play. The four-play, 60-yard drive elapsed just 1:04 of the quarter, but SU led 24-14.

Greenberg got loose again on the ensuing kickoff returning it 84 yards to the Salisbury 12. Four plays later the Sea Gull defense held and Montclair had to settle for a 27-yard field goal from Doffont with 8:33 remaining in the third to cut the SU lead to 24-17.

Special teams problems once again hurt Salisbury on its next possession when the snap to Sea Gull punter Bryan Prichard (Frederick, Md./Thomas Jefferson) sailed over his head on fourth down and he was forced out of bounds at the SU 36.

Ferriol hit Carter on a post pattern behind the Sea Gull secondary five plays later and Doffont tied the score at 24-24 with 4:19 remaining in the third quarter.

SU was able to regain the lead, 27-24, at the 11:56 mark of the fourth quarter on a 27-yard pass field goal by Boland. Johnson keyed the drive with a 56-yard run.

Montclair then took the lead for good 4:08 later. A nine-play, 88-yard drive ended with Ryan McCoach (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Hills) (10 carries, 52 yards) hitting paydirt from 12 yards out with 7:44 remaining.

Salisbury managed one final drive to capture the victory. Starting at their own 24-yard line, the Sea Gulls drove 61 yards in 11 plays. Johnson left the contest during the early segment of the drive, but senior Travis Peters (LaPlata, Md./McDonough) took up where he left off, picking up 24 yards on a second-and-11 situation. But the drive fell short when Peters' pass to Tillage fell incomplete with SU at the MSU 15-yard line.

Jones led the Salisbury defense with nine tackles including six unassisted. In addition to his interception, he had one tackle behind the line of scrimmage. Jacquis McCray (Silver Spring, Md./Kennedy) added eight tackles and Joe Galloway (Pasadena, Md./Cardinal Gibbons) finished with six tackles, including two quarterback sacks.

Derrick Simmons (Red Bank, NJ/Monmouth) led the Red Hawks with 10 tackles, including eight unassisted. He also intercepted one pass for 12 yards and broke up two passes. John Valkos (Rumson, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven), Troy Bishop (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) and Morgan Burklow (Pompton, Plains, NJ/Pequannock) each added eight tackles.

Salisbury will continue its homestand next Saturday when the Sea Gulls host Newport News Apprentice School for the SU homecoming game at 1 p.m.