MADISON, N.J. - Lebanon Valley College orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback with late touchdowns by sophomores Matt Donley and Charlie Parker as it beat FDU-Florham, 27-24, in MAC action Saturday.
Donley caught a 37-yard heave from sophomore Pat Weiss to put the Dutchmen (3-6, 2-4 MAC) up 20-17 with just over nine minutes to go. Parker then rumbled in for what held up as the game-winning score with 4:23 left in the game.
LVC appeared to have stopped the Devils (2-7, 0-6 MAC) with less than a minute in the game when Bill Dixon intercepted a ball in the end zone, but Dixon fumbled the ball before he hit the ground and FDU's Ray Kwiatowski fell on it for a touchdown.
The Dutchmen, however, recovered the ensuing onside kick and were able to run out the clock for their third win of the season.
Parker racked up his fifth 100-yard game of the season with 28 carries for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Weiss was 11-of-23 for 172 yards and two touchdowns, and for the first time this season, the LVC quarterback did not throw an interception. Senior Adam Brossman was Weiss' primary target, catching seven balls for 100 yards.
Mike Barnard booted three field goals for FDU-Florham, with his first, a 33-yard effort, opening the scoring in the first quarter.
LVC took the lead when Brossman hauled in an 11-yard catch from Weiss, and freshman Brittany Ryan's extra point made it 7-3 Dutchmen with 10:54 left in the half.
A late FDU drive ran out of time, and Barnard kicked a 28-yarder with no time left on the clock to make it 7-6 LVC at the half.
FDU came out of the half and scored on the opening possession, driving 60 yards and finishing with Kwiatowski's 21-yard reception from Bill Winters. The two hooked up again on a two-point conversion as the Devils took a 14-7 lead.
LVC responded with an 11-play, 65-yard drive of their own capped by Parker's first touchdown, a 1-yard punch-in. Ryan's PAT was blocked, however, and FDU kept a 14-13 lead to end the quarter.
The fourth quarter started with another long Devils drive, but the LVC defense held and Barnard had to settle for a 33-yard field goal.
It appeared as if LVC's next drive would be over as quickly as it started after two straight Weiss passes to Brossman fell incomplete. An FDU personal foul, however, moved the Dutchmen to midfield, and a pair of rushes by Parker put the Dutchmen on the FDU 37. On third-and-10, Weiss heaved a pass up for Donley in the end zone, and Ryan's kick made it a 20-17 lead for LVC.
FDU-Florham went three-and-out, and LVC also couldn't generate anything on their next possession. Brossman punted, but FDU's Justin William's muffed the catch and Andrew Shambach pounced on the ball at the 40 yard-line to give Lebanon Valley a golden opportunity late in the quarter.
The Dutchmen put the ball in the hands of Parker, who strung together runs of 12, 26, and 2 yards to score.
FDU's quirky late touchdown wasn't enough as the Dutchmen recovered the onside kick and kneeled out the game.
LVC will return home for its season finale next Saturday against Lycoming at 1 p.m.
