Box Score
Photo Gallery (From The Second Half)
Postgame Interviews
 
KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Sept. 25, 2021) – For the second-straight game, the USMMA football team won by the convincing score of 56-7, as they toppled visiting Kean University on Saturday afternoon in the first game on the new turf at Tomb Field. The win improves the Mariners' record to 3-0, as they close out non-conference play for the season, while the Cougars fall to 0-3 in defeat.
 
The Merchant Marine offense accounted for all eight of the touchdowns on the day, four in the air and four on the ground. The Mariners registered 523 yards of total offense – 256 rushing and 267 passing on just 7-of-9 passing.
 
Senior Ian Blankenship (McRae, Ga.) had his hand in six of the TDs, running in two and tossing four – three to freshman Talsen Smith (Roseville, Calif.) and one to senior Brian McGovern (Cranford, N.J.).
 
Blankenship went 6-for-8 passing for 253 yards and amassed a game-best 84 yards on the ground on nine carries. Senior Matt Strong (Pacific, Mo.) had six touches for 63 yards and a score, while junior backup QB Jeremiah Wang (Manassas, Va.) scored in his second straight game, finishing with 37 yards on eight carries.
 
Smith finished the day with four catches for 169 yards and McGovern had one catch for a 46-yard TD in the second quarter.
 
For the second-consecutive game, freshman kicker Jackson Tinkis (Bossier City, La.) was a perfect 8-for-8 on PATs, while also averaging 45.4 yards on nine kickoffs. Senior Jack Ruark (Urbanna, Va.) had five punts that averaged 38.0 yards per with a long of 50 yards.
 
Enough can't be said about the Mariners' defensive effort, also, as their early pressure on the Kean QB, sophomore Justin Lucia, led to a total of five turnovers in the game. Junior C.J. Mustain (Oro Valley, Ariz.) accounted for a team-best nine tackles, 4.5 for losses, including an impressive 3.5 sacks for combined losses of 17 yards, to go along with one strip-sack, one pass break-up and one quarterback hurry.
 
Senior Eric Davidson (Savannah, Ga.) was second on the squad with seven tackles, with a half-tackle for a loss. And the Mariners' also had four interceptions on the day, two by junior Connor Caffrey (Spokane Valley, Wash.), and one each by juniors Daniel Falzone (Medford, N.J.) and Kurt Voll (Cotopaxi, Colo.).
 
To view a photo gallery of pictures taken during the second half of today's game, click here. To watch postgame interviews with Head Coach Mike Toop '77, Blankenship and Mustain, follow this link.
 
The first quarter was a quiet one, with Blankenship not opening the scoring until just over nine minutes in, but in the second quarter the Mariners pulled away with five TDs and never looked back.
 
Kean was held to 227 yards of total offense (just 13 on the ground and 214 in the air). Lucia finished the game 23-for-40 passing with one TD and four interceptions. The lone Cougars score came in the final seconds of the first half, caught by fifth-year senior Myles Toppin. Sophomore Donte Jamison hauled in a game-high nine catches for 136 yards with a long of 72 yards. Defensively, sophomore Raymond Gorny led all players on the afternoon with 11 tackles, including three for combined losses of 12 yards.
 
The Mariners' next game is also at home, it's the NEWMAC-opener against WPI next Saturday, Oct. 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Tomb Field. Live stats and a live video feed of the game will be available with links on the USMMA Football Schedule Page.
 
Receive USMMA Football News Right To Your E-Mail!
If you would like to receive all the latest news on the USMMA football team, including all press releases, delivered directly to your inbox, fill out this form.
 
Follow USMMA Athletics On Social Media!
Be sure to follow USMMA Athletics on social media to get up-to-the-minute updates on your favorite teams! Start following today on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!