GLASSBORO, NJ –
John Maldonado caught two touchdown passes and
James Fara ran for 133 yards to lead Rowan past the University of New England (5-5), 38-20, in the season finale for both teams. With the win, Rowan finishes the year at 7-3 and posts the most wins since 2014.
Maldonado had back-to-back touchdowns in the second half and closed out his career by racking up 139 yards. Fara had 26 carries and scored one touchdown. Quarterback
Mike Husni completed 10 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns, while also running for a personal-best 107 yards in his final game. Rowan totaled 452 yards on offense while scoring 28 points in the second half to break open a 10-10 game.
Defensively, linebacker
Mike Mascioli led all players with 14 tackles and
John Perez had an interception at the start of the third quarter, with a 17-yard return.
Javen Cuff and
Brandon Armstrong had a sack apiece for Rowan.
With the game tied at 10-10, Rowan came out after halftime and promptly put more points on the board as Husni connected with Maldonado on a deep pass in the end zone from 26 yards out. After UNE scored on its next possession, the Profs' next play from scrimmage was a pass over the middle to a wide-open Maldonado, who took it 65 yards for the score, giving Rowan a 24-17 lead after the extra point by
Jake Hurler.
UNE started off the fourth quarter with a 31-yard field goal to cut the Rowan lead to 24-20. The Profs then put together an 11-play drive, ending in a 24-yard touchdown pass from Husni to C.J. Barrett to extend the Rowan lead to 31-20 at 6:41.
Rowan sealed the win in the fourth quarter on a five-yard run by
Kyrin Rhone, completing a quick six-play drive that included an 11-yard run by Fara.
The Profs struck first after the opening kickoff and put together a 13-play, 84-yard drive, that consisted of only runs by Husni and Fara. The junior running back scored the touchdown with a two-yard run up the middle as Rowan ate up 7:50 of the clock to take a 7-0 lead.
New England got on the board late in the quarter on a 35-yard field goal by Robert Innis.
The combo of Husni and Fara again drove the Profs at the start of the second quarter, as they went 51 yards with the result being a 41-yard field goal from
Jake Hurler, to extend Rowan's lead to 10-3.
The No'easters tied the game at 6:37 of the second quarter, when Jarrett Henault completed a 22-yard pass to Shane LaPorte on fourth-and-seven.
The Profs' seniors were honored in their final game –
Danny Kay,
Miles Cook,
Malik Boyde,
Jake Hurler,
Mike Klein,
Jeff DeJean,
CJ Barrett and co-captains
Mike Husni,
John Maldonado and
Mike Mascioli.
