MADISON, N.J. – In a wild game that features six lead changes and 1,064 yards of combined total offense, the Albright Lions football team suffered a heartbreaking 50-45 loss to FDU-Florham on the final play of the game in MAC play on Saturday afternoon.
 
With the loss, the Lions drop to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in conference play. Meanwhile, the Devils snap a three-game losing streak to improve to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in MAC play.
 
Despite the loss, the Lions saw numerous career-high performances on offense. Senior quarterback Jimmy Lahay went 26-of-46 for 322 yards, and matched a career-high five touchdown passes. Lahay last threw for five touchdown passes against Wilkes in 2018. Sophomore running back Tony Thorpe ran for a career-high 91 yards on 18 carries, and scored two touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Kevin Zehner registered a career-high 181 yards on 10 catches along with two scores, while senior wide receiver Zack Miller hauled in three touchdowns in addition to his 87 receiving yards on 11 catches.
 
The Devils started with the ball to begin the game, and quickly moved down the field on nine plays that was capped by a three-yard touchdown pass to put FDU-Florham up 7-0 at the 11:54-mark. Lahay found Zehner on the Lions first offensive play for 55 yards, but the Lions failed to convert on 4^th down in the red zone. First-year cornerback Omar Sesay picked off Devils quarterback Anthony Casterta on the Devils first play of the ensuing drive to set the Lions right back up in the red zone. Lahay found Miller in the end zone on third and goal from the four-yard line to make it 7-6 before the Lions missed the extra point. FDU-Florham seemed they were going to respond to the Lions score as they advanced to the Albright six-yard line, but senior safety Trevan Harris-Dorman picked off Caserta in the end zone to end the scoring threat. Lahay opened the next drive with a 37-yard completion to Zehner before capping a 10-play 87-yard drive with a second four-yard touchdown pass to Miller on fourth and goal to make it a 12-7 game. The Devils made quick work of their next offensive drive as they took the lead back at 14-12 on just six plays in a 1:37.
 
Sophomore quarterback Todd Shelley made his first appearance of the game on the next Lions offensive series, and drove Albright into Devils territory as the second quarter began. Unfortunately for the Lions, a failed fourth down conversion ended the drive at Devils 28-yard line. FDU-Florham used another quick offensive series to extend its lead following a 45-yard rushing touchdown. However, Sesay kept the deficit at eight points with a blocked extra point. Albright got good field position at the FDU-Florham 45-yard line following a sneaky onside kick attempt from the Devils, and needed just to plays to score as Lahay found Zehner for a 15-yard touchdown. The Lions seemed to tie the game at 20 following an initially successful two-point conversion attempt, but an offensive pass interference penalty negated the first attempt. Lahay was intercepted in the end zone on the next attempt. The Devils looked to respond as they got as far as the Lions eight-yard line, but back-to-back holding penalties both wiped out a touchdown and eventually forced a failed fourth down conversion attempt. Lahay gave the Lions the lead back at 24-20 following an efficient scoring drive on the next Lions possession as he found Miller for a third time with just 45 seconds left in the second quarter.
 
Lahay continued with his hot hand in the second half as he opened the Lions first drive in the third quarter with five-straight completions. Thorpe then finished the job with a 21-yard touchdown run to make it a 30-20 game following another missed two-point conversion. FDU-Florham beat the Lions secondary deep again on their next offensive drive with a 58-yard pass on first down. The pass eventually set up a three-yard rushing touchdown to cut the Lions lead down to 30-27 at the 9:22-mark of the third quarter. Albright responded to the Devils score with a 10-play 58-yard drive in 4:15 to go back up 10 points at 37-27 following a six-yard score from Thorpe.
 
FDU-Florham kept the wild seesaw affair going into the fourth quarter as they made it 37-34 on a third down 13-yard touchdown pass. The Devils went 77 yards in 12 plays on that drive that saw one fourth down conversion. Albright got a big return from first-year running back Lucas Roselli to set them up at the Devils 47-yard line, but eventually failed on fourth down at the 30-yard line. FDU-Florham tied the score at 37 with a 25-yard field goal with 8:52 left in regulation following a 12-play 61-yard drive that saw another key fourth down conversion keep the Devils drive alive. Albright advanced back into Devil territory on their ensuing offensive drive, but the drive was stalled by a sack of 14 yards to force the Lions to kick the first punt of the entire afternoon. The Devils opened their next offensive drive with a bang on a 45-yard run that set them up at the Lions 38-yard line. FDU-Florham then took the lead for the first time in the second half at 44-37 on a nine-yard touchdown pass with 2:25 left in regulation.
 
The Lions went on a valiant 13-play 65-yard drive that was capped by a 23-yard touchdown pass from Lahay to Zehner on 4^th and 18 from the Devils 23-yard line. Albright decided to go for two for the fifth time in the game, and would convert to take the lead at 45-44 on a pass from Bootman to Lahay in similar style to the Philadelphia Eagles famous "Philly Special." However, the Devils were not done yet as they started at the Albright 49-yard line following a short kickoff.  Three completions left the Devils at the 31-yard line with three seconds left in regulation. Caserta found time in the pocket, and lofted a perfect throw to the right corner of the end zone to Damarquis Price for a stunning touchdown as time expired to give the Devils the win.
 
Sesay led the Lions with nine tackles (six solo), one interception, and one blocked extra point. Sophomore linebacker Sam Viera followed eight tackles (six solo), and senior defensive lineman Tyler Foster recorded eight tackles (five solo), 2.0 TFL, and one sack.
 
Caserta went 30-of-50 for 431 passing yards along with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Alnazir Blackman totaled 235 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns with 180 of them coming on the ground off 20 carries. Price capped his day with 180 receiving yards on eight catches and two touchdowns.
 
Albright will return to action on Saturday, October 12^th as they will host Wilkes in MAC play at 1 p.m.