EWING, N.J. – The Salisbury University football team rolled through the TCNJ Lions, 70-17, in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) action on Saturday to push its record to 6-1 and 3-0 in NJAC play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After the two teams traded punts to start the game, Salisbury took control behind back-to-back rushing touchdowns by Dario Belizaire to take an early 14-0 lead at the 4:25 mark of the first.
• On the next Salisbury possession, Joey Bildstein burst right up the middle of the TCNJ defense for a 46-yard touchdown run to extend SU's lead to 21-0 at the end of the first.
• TCNJ got on the board in the early goings of the second quarter with a Bobby Wortman field goal but Salisbury responded quickly with a two-play drive capped off by a 50-yard Belizaire touchdown scamper to push the SU lead to 28-3 with 10 minutes left in the first half,
• Bildstein put a stamp on a nine-play drive with five minutes to go in the second quarter with a one-yard tote. Right before the end of the half, Ryan Muller returned a pick-six 23 yards for a touchdown that extended the lead to 42-3 at halftime.
• TCNJ struck first on its opening possession of the second half with an 11-yard touchdown by Trevor Bopp to Kevin Pennell.
• Salisbury got a passing touchdown of its own midway through the third as Ben Hutchins connected with Hunter Cleaver for a 45-yard pitch-and-catch.
• After Aaron Jahnke intercepted Bopp on the ensuing TCNJ drive, Belizaire tallied his fourth touchdown on the day a play later with a 33-yard run.
• The Sea Gulls capitalized on a muffed punt with a Hunter Hruz four-yard touchdown run three plays later to tack onto their lead, 63-10, at the end of the third quarter.
• The Lions scored to open the fourth quarter on a Stephen Begen 29-yard touchdown pass to Jake McKown but the Sea Gulls responded on the next drive with a Ronald Clark 16-yard touchdown run to give the game its final margin, 70-17.

 

FB: @SeaGullFootball loves homecomings. We'll be back for ours next Saturday ??#GoGulls | #d3fb pic.twitter.com/pwBzbeXIpW

— Salisbury Athletics (@suseagulls) October 22, 2022

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Salisbury notched a season-high 582 yards of total offense.
• Joey Bildstein bested his career-high rushing mark for the second consecutive game with 161 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
• Dario Belizaire also set a new career-high with 120 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground. The freshman tallied 15.0 yards per carry. Belizaire also added three catches for 38 yards.
• Ronald Clark notched 76 yards and a touchdown.
• Ben Hutchins completed four passes for 83 yards and a touchdown.
• The Salisbury defense caused five TCNJ turnovers, including four interceptions.
• Caleb Brubaker pushed his interception streak to five games with a pick in the third quarter. He also led with a team-high six tackles.
• Ryan Muller, Charles Barley and Aaron Jahnke also picked off passes in the victory. Muller returned his interception 23 yards for a touchdown.
• Casey Counts recorded two tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
• Muller, C.J. Wood and Carlton Johnson each registered five tackles.

TCNJ GAME NOTES

• The Lions were able to collect 319 yards of offense on a stout Sea Gull defense.
• Trevor Bopp and Stephen Begen each recorded a passing touchdown. Bopp was intercepted three times while Begen threw one pick.
• Matt Kuntz had a game-high 14 tackles and forced two fumbles.

UP NEXT

• Salisbury returns to the nest on Saturday, Oct. 29 against the Rowan Profs for Homecoming & Family Weekend.
• Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Sea Gull Stadium.
• Before the game, there will be a Flock Party on Wayne Street which starts at 11 a.m.

---

Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football, Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse and the Metropolitan Swimming and Diving Conference for men's and women's swimming. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, and dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on-and-off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 22 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 189 conference championships and 43 Academic All-Americans.

To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or on social media @SUSeaGulls.