MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The Thiel Tomcats lost their season opener on the road Saturday to the Montclair State Red Hawks, 27-6.
 
Senior defensive back Raymond Jackson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Imani Christian Academy) gave the Tomcats early momentum when he picked off a pass at the Thiel 18-yard line and ran 82 yards down the near sideline to pay dirt to give his team a 6-0 lead with 6:13 remaining in the first quarter.
 
Montclair State took the lead early in the second quarter, 7-6, when Makai Mickens capped off an eight-play, 69-yard drive on a one-yard touchdown run. The Red Hawks led 14-6 at halftime after Mason Murdock threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Clarence Wilkins with 4:32 remaining in the second quarter.
 
Montclair State went on to score two more touchdowns in the second half, the last of which was scored on a 4-yard run by Mickens.
 
Mickens ran for 56 yards and a pair of scores on 16 carries. Abellany Mendez carried 18 times for 62 yards.
 
Murdock completed nine passes for 171 yards. He threw two interceptions and one touchdown pass.
 
Owen Trumbull (Bear Lake, Pa./Eisenhower) completed 10 passes for 100 yards. Deon Logan (Richmond, Va./James River) led the Tomcats on the ground with 39 yards on nine carries. Alexander Anderson (Warren, Pa./Warren) caught three passes for 63 yards.
 
Darnell Jordan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Westinghouse) and Justin Logan (North Chesterfield, Va./James River) made seven tackles apiece for the Tomcats. Jackson scored Thiel's touchdown on an 82-yard pick-six while Randall Miller (Mineral Ridge, Ohio/Mineral Ridge) also intercepted a pass.
 
The Tomcats will host the Allegheny Gators next Saturday at Alumni Stadium. Kickoff for the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) opener for both teams is set for 1 p.m.