By Tyler Fennell
Staff Writer
Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, was the fourth New Jersey Athletic Conference game of the season. After losing their first NJAC game against Salisbury, the Lions have won three straight games, the most recent of which was against Kean University. The Lions now sit 6-1 on the season, and 3-1 in NJAC games.
Although Kean had struggled with scoring all year and had a record of just 1-5 heading into their matchup against the Lions, this game was still an important one for the College, which was looking to grab their fourth consecutive conference win.
After a scoreless first quarter, the game looked as if it could be a low-scoring war of attrition. Those concerns were quickly diminished after the College exploded in the second quarter to score 17 points before the first half concluded.
Junior wide receiver Alex Dille opened up the scoring with an eight-yard rushing touchdown. And after Kean responded with a touchdown of their own, Dille quickly answered back with another rushing touchdown. After Kean went for it on fourth and two and failed, they turned the ball over to the College for the Lions to close the first half with a field goal.
After another scoreless quarter in the third, senior running back Joe Visaggio opened the fourth quarter with a rushing touchdown. The stout Lions defense kept it locked down for the remainder of the game for a final score of 24-7 and a win.
The rush-heavy games continue to show results. The College had 322 yards of offense, with 258 of those yards coming from the rush. Only one opponent has been able to stop the rush so far. It remains to be seen if the College’s unique offensive style will be able to keep up in games where they fall behind early. The Lions' defense has to continue to stymie opponents for their ground and pound style to continue to lead to victories.
Head coach Tyler Moody has transformed the culture of the College immediately, already making his mark by leading the squad to match the win total in 2024, still with three games left to play. The College now has a 3-1 conference record, as they sit third in the NJAC only behind Salisbury and Christopher Newport, who the College will face off against in their final game of the season.
Winning three games in a row gives them a lot of momentum going into next week's game against Rowan at home. Rowan is a very strong program. While their record of 4-2-1 is worse than the Lions, they have a much more diverse offense that can spread the ball around and speed up the College. That might not be an issue for the Lions' defense, considering how well they’ve played in not just stopping the rush, but also the pass. However, the College should have concerns with how effective their offense will be when confronted with a strong program. This game will be a major measuring stick to see where this offense can take them.
The College is back in action when they kick off their game against Rowan on Nov. 1 at 12 p.m.
