MONTCLAIR, N.J. – It was another thrilling finish for the Franklin & Marshall football team as the Diplomats came from behind to claim a 31-25 overtime victory at Montclair State on Saturday afternoon, starting the season 2-0 for the first time since 2019. Despite racing out to a 17-0 lead, the Diplomats needed a crucial 17-play, 79-yard drive and two-point conversion to tie the game before Dante Wilson's two-yard touchdown run sealed the victory.
First Quarter (F&M 7, Montclair State 0)
The defenses had the better of the play early on, including an F&M stop on fourth down that set up the first scoring drive of the game. The Diplomats got the ball out to midfield on their own before back-to-back 15 yard penalties were whistled on the Red Hawks defense to set up an eventual 19-yard touchdown reception from Jack Sutton off the pass of Jake Fant.
Second Quarter (F&M 17, Montclair State 12)
A short punt allowed the Diplomats to take over inside Montclair State territory early in the second quarter. Another big pass play saw Jack O'Hearen haul in a 44-yard reception from Ty Tremba before being tackled at the one. The Diplomats ultimately settled for the field goal to go up by two scores. Nevertheless, they were back in business in short order as Kyle Jones forced a fumble that he recovered on a quarterback sack that allowed F&M to take over at the MSU 21. Just two plays later, Tremba found Gary Lewis for a 15-yard touchdown reception that put the Diplomats up 17-0 with 10:01 still remaining in the first half.
The Diplomats looked as though they might be headed for a 24-0 lead, but an interception in the back of the end zone by the Red Hawks' defense brought life back into the home sideline as they capitalized on that momentum with a 68-yard touchdown reception before missing the extra point. The home defense forced a three-and-out and trimmed its deficit down to just five points as Montclair State quarterback Andrew Sanborn completed two passes before scrambling 16 yards to cap off a 58-yard drive just before the half.
Third Quarter (F&M 17, Montclair State 12)
Franklin & Marshall's defense started to take the game back over in the third quarter as it allowed just eight yards during a pair of three-and-outs to start the second half. Montclair State finished that period with just 77 yards of offense, as 45 of them came on a single run attempt before the Diplomats once again forced their opponents to punt. F&M's best chance to score appeared on the ensuing possession during a drive which featured a 46-yard reception from Lewis to get the visitors into enemy territory. However, another interception by Montclair State's defense in the end zone denied F&M from extending its lead.
Fourth Quarter (F&M 25, Montclair State 25)
The Red Hawks had their second big play of the third quarter to get the ball to midfield as that quarter came to a close. MSU finished that drive during the fourth quarter with a touchdown to take an 18-17. Another missed PAT - this time a two-point conversion - would end up looming large in the final moments. Montclair State's opportunistic defense continued to impress with a strip sack that left just five yards to go for the score that put the hosts up 25-17 with 3:51 left in regulation.
Needing a touchdown and two-point conversion just for the tie, Franklin & Marshall embarked on the aforementioned 17-play, 79-yard touchdown march that ended with Tremba finding Lewis for his second touchdown reception of the day. That score came with just 28 seconds remaining, but more work was needed as the Diplomats broke out a little Keystone State magic. Using the "Philly Special" which was made famous during the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl victory, Tremba caught a pass on the end zone from O'Hearen to knot the score at 25.
Overtime (F&M 31, Montclair State 25)
Montclair State got the first possession of the overtime period, but saw Matt Scully pick off their scoring chance in the end zone on just the second play of that drive. Wilson took over at running back late in the game and had a nine-yard run before the Diplomats thought they had the game-winning touchdown before being called for an offensive pass interference. Backed up to 36, Tremba hit O'Hearen for 14 yards to make it a manageable third down. Facing a third-and-seven at the 22, the Diplomats elected for a draw as Wilson caught the MSU defense off guard with a 14-yard rush down to the eight. That left just two more carries for Wilson as he went for six and two, sending the F&M sideline into jubilation following game-winning plunge to set the scoreboard to a 31-25 final.
Key Stats/Performances
Franklin & Marshall out-gained Montclair State 377-331 throughout the game. The majority of that came from 304 yards through the air. Tremba finished with 285 yards passing and two touchdowns. Lewis was his favorite target as he finished with nine receptions for 119 yards and two scores. O'Hearen also went over the century mark with 10 catches for 111 yards. Jack Sutton added three big receptions for 63 yards as all three of those receivers showed big play potential with catches over 20 yards. Mitch Wagner got the start and went for a team-high 42 yards rushing, while Wilson carried the ball six times for 34 yards – averaging 5.7 per touch during his time in the backfield.
The Red Hawks' offensive attack was nearly identical with 167 yards rushing and 164 yards passing. In addition to his interception during the overtime period, Scully led the F&M defense with eight tackles – including six solo stops. He also forced and recovered a fumble during the win. Jeff Decker was second on the team with six tackles, while Owen Walsh and Kyle Jones additionally forced Montclair State to put the ball on the turf. Both defenses seemed to have the upper hand on third down plays, but the Diplomats were able to step up when it mattered most as they were a perfect 3-for-3 on fourth down attempts during the fourth quarter.
Up Next
Sitting at 2-0, the Diplomats will now go for a redo of their home opener against The College of New Jersey that was initially spoiled by lightning. That rescheduled game will now come back to Shadek Stadium this Thursday for another 7 p.m. kick under the lights. It will mark the first of three home games F&M will play during the next four weeks as they embark on the second leg of their nine games in nine weeks trek during the regular season.
