Box Score SALISBURY, MD – The #13/14 Rowan University football team lost its first game of the season, 31-28 at Salisbury University on Saturday.
 
The Profs have an overall record of 4-1 and they are 3-1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The Sea Gulls are 3-1 overall and they have a 3-0 mark in the conference.
 
Running back Withler Marcelin (sr. Ocean Twp., NJ/Ocean Twp) broke two more program records. He ran the ball 29 times for 190 yards and three touchdowns. Marcelin now has 31 career rushing scores, breaking the previous record of 29 set by Robbie Reid (1973-75). Marcelin had 14 receiving yards on three receptions and returned a kick for 19 yards. The 223 all-purpose yards gained gives him a career total of 4,567, passing Scott Lipford's all-time mark of 4,522 (1998-02). He has 33 total touchdowns, surpassing Lipford's total of 32.
 
Quarterback Dante Pinckney (so. Lawnside, NJ/Haddon Heights) threw for 130 yards (15-24). Wide receiver Russ Forchion (sr. Clementon, NJ/Hammonton) caught seven passes for 60 yards. Linebacker Darren Dungee (sr. Morristown, NJ/Morristown) totaled 15 tackles. Defensive back Bobby Barbieri (jr. Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton) added nine stops and defensive lineman Dylan DeVita (fr. Shewsbury, NJ/Red Bank Reg.) chipped in with eight. Defensive lineman Josh Popper (sr. Egg Harbor, Twp., NJ/Holy Spirit) and defensive back Shaquille Lee (so. Millville, NJ/Millville) each recorded six tackles.
 
For Salisbury, quarterback Ryan Jones (jr. Parkton, MD/Hereford) completed two passes in 10 attempts for 50 yards and one TD. He also rushed eight times for 42 yards. Slot Jerome Johnson (sr. Rehoboth, DE/Cape Henlopen) carried the ball 10 times for 94 yards and one score. Superback Connor Canonico (jr. Farmingdale, NJ/Colts Neck) ran for 105 yards on 17 attempts. Slot Aarron Moore (jr. Fenwick, DE/Indian River) scored one touchdown and had 10 carries for 43 yards. Wide receiver Isaiah Taylor (sr. Baltimore, MD/Hereford) made two catches for 50 yards and a TD. Defensive back Christian Wilson (jr. Upper Marlboro, MD/Frederick Douglass) and linebacker James Hall (sr. Capitol Heights, MD/Central) tallied 10 tackles apiece. Wilson also had an interception return for a touchdown and Hall had three tackles for a loss (17 yards) and one sack (11 yards). Linebacker Shane Marvel (jr. Seaford, DE/Sussex Tech) collected nine tackles.
 
Rowan jumped on the scoreboard as Marcelin ran the ball into the end zone on a fourth and goal from the one with 6:34 to play in the first. The Profs got the ball at the Sea Gull 21-yard line after a forced fumble by Barbieri that was recovered by Popper. The seven-play drive included 12 rushing yards by Marcelin. Salisbury recovered a Rowan fumble at the 25-yard line. The Sea Gulls drove down to the eight, but were stopped. Kicker Alex Potocko (so. Clarksville, MD/River Hill) converted a 25-yard field goal at the eight-second mark of the first quarter, making it 7-3.
 
In the second, the Sea Gulls went out in front (6:02) after a four-yard touchdown run by Johnson. The point after attempt was blocked by defensive back Eddie Davis (sr. Camden, NJ/Camden) and the score was 9-7. The drive traveled 63 yards in five plays. The Profs took the ensuing kickoff and drove 75 yards in seven plays, culminating in a 26-yard touchdown scamper (2:52) by Marcelin. He ran the ball three times for 47 yards. Rowan had a 14-9 lead at the break.
 
On the second play of the third quarter, Wilson intercepted a pass and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown (14:16). Johnson then rushed into the end zone for the two-point conversion and a 17-14 Salisbury advantage. After Rowan turned the ball over on downs, the Sea Gulls capped an eight-play 79-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown carry by Moore (7:43), extending the lead to 24-14. On Salisbury's next possession, Taylor caught a 42-yard touchdown (4:44). Pinckney cut the deficit to 10 points (31-21) on a one-yard run (1:07). The drive was sparked by a 41-yard run by Marcelin and totaled seven plays and 75 yards. The score was 31-21 heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Marcelin crossed the goal line for the third time with 6:13 on the clock in the fourth, scoring from two yards out. The four-play 71-yard drive included a 35-yard pass from Pinckney to wideout Kevin Lenart (jr. Roosevelt, NJ/Hightstown). On Salisbury's next possession, it took 5:14 off the clock in 10 plays. Rowan got the ball one last time with 50 seconds left, but could not score. The Sea Gulls held on for the 31-28 victory.
 
Next, Rowan hosts Southern Virginia University for Homecoming on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 2 p.m.