EDWARDSVILLE – With Wilkes University leading by two points late in the fourth quarter, visiting FDU-Florham connected on a 21-yard touchdown pass with three seconds on the clock to post a thrilling 32-28 come-from-behind Middle Atlantic Conference victory over the Colonels Saturday afternoon on Homecoming at Schmidt Stadium.
 
With the defeat Wilkes falls to 1-4 overall standing 1-3 in MAC contests. FDU-Florham picks up its first win of 2016 moving to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in league games.
 
FDU-Florham gained the momentum right from the start after the Colonels won the toss and elected to receive. The Devils opted for an on-side kick and recovered the ball to setup their first score. Five plays later, Jagger Green threw a 15-yard fade pattern to Esaun Mobley who hauled in the catch over a well-defending Marcellus Hayes (Camp Hill, PA/Camp Hill) as FDU led 6-0.
 
The teams traded punts over the next three possessions before Bobby Nye (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata) shanked a punt that setup the Devils deep inside Wilkes territory at the Colonel ten yard line. Three plays later Green called his own number form one yard out to push the visitors advantage to 13-0 after a successful extra point attempt with 6:04 left in the first quarter.
 
Three more Wilkes possessions over the next eight minutes finished with three more Colonel punts as the offense struggled early to find its rhythm. Starting inside Wilkes territory for a third time in the first two quarters, Green found Mobley for a 31-yard connection to move down inside the five. Two plays later another fade pattern from Green to Mobley kept the Devils out front 19-0 following a failed two-point conversions with 13:42 left in the first half.
 
The Wilke defense forced an FDU punt setting up the first Colonel touchdown drive midway through the second stanza. Greg Albertson (Easton, PA/Easton) took a sweep wide for 35 yards to the FDU 45 before four straight Jacob Brook (Layton, NJ/Kittatinny) carries moved Wilkes to the FDU 29. After another run, Ryan Dailey (Easton, PA/Wilson) hit his tight end Garrett Armstrong (Hampton, NJ/Kittatinny) for a 24-yard touchdown score as Armstrong dove into the end zone for his fourth scoring reception of the season. Wilkes trailed 19-7 with 6:50 remaining in the half following Mike Hauck (Fredericksburg, PA/Northern Lebanon)'s extra point.
 
The Colonel defense started another Wilkes rally late in the second quarter when Hayes grabbed his third interception of the season to setup the offense on the Colonel 20. The Dailey-to-Armstrong connection came through again on the scoring drive as the senior duo connected for gains of 32 and 10 yards to move down to the FDU 23. Facing a third and goal, Dailey found Jeff Steeber (Berwick, PA/Berwick) in the end zone on a six yard touchdown catch to cut the lead to 19-14 with just under a minute remaining.
 
FDU used its own quarterback-receiver duo to score its fourth touchdown of the game when Green found Mobley for a 37-yard score to start the third quarter pushing the Devils lead to 26-14. Dailey and Armstrong answered back on the ensuing Wilkes drive capping a 12-play, 56-yard drive with a 14 yard touchdown pitch and catch. Wilkes trailed 26-21 with 8:09 left in the third.
 
The Colonels finally carried the momentum over to take the lead when FDU was forced to punt on its next drive. The snap sailed over the Devils punter which was fumbled away into the end zone as Kyle Gattuso (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) recovered the ball for the Colonel touchdown. Wilkes took its first lead of the game with 3:08 left in the third up 28-26.
 
FDU punted with just over 6:03 left in the game giving the ball back to Wilkes at its own 23 yard line. The Colonels drove down the field using 5:07 of the clock before facing a fourth and one from the FDU 8. The Colonels decided to go for the first down and end the game but a Brook run was stopped short giving the ball back to FDU with :56 left on the clock.
 
From there, FDU hit completions of 18, 15 and 21 before a personal foul of roughing the passer on Wilkes put the Devils at the Wilkes 21. On a first and ten, Green found Mike Panzarino across the middle of the field in the end zone scoring the game-winning touchdown with three seconds on the clock.
 
Dailey finished with 258 yards on 25-for-36 passing and three touchdowns, two to Armstrong and one to Steeber. Armstrong posted five catches for 87 yards and the two scores. William Deemer (Washington Township, NJ/Warren Hills) made six catches for 79 yards.
 
Brook led the Wilkes ground game with 23 carries for 49 yards.
 
Isaiah Robinson (Pittsburgh, PA/Milton Hershey) led the Wilkes defensive unit with a team-high 10 tackles and one forced fumble. Tanner Stengel (Allentown, PA/Parkland) finished with nine tackles and one fumble recovery while Jones Mensah (Philadelphia, PA/Central), Joseph Gaglioti (Washington Twp., NJ/Westwood) and Bobby Nye (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata) each recorded a sack for the Colonels.
 
Green led FDU throwing for a career-high 361 yards on 32-for-48 passing and four touchdowns. Mobley made nine catches for 145 yards and three scores.
 
Wilkes remains idle entering its bye week on October 8 before returning to MAC play Saturday, October 15 at Delaware Valley University at 12:00 p.m.