WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? The Monmouth University football team fell to Wagner 45-16 on Homecoming on Saturday afternoon at Kessler Field. The loss drops Monmouth's record 1-5 and 1-2 in the Northeast Conference, while Wagner improves to 5-1 and 3-0 in the league.
Wagner's 45 points is the most Monmouth has ever allowed at Kessler Field in their 15 years of football.
Wagner took the game's first lead when Piotr Czech drilled a 39-yard field goal from the right hash to give the visitors a 3-0 lead with 10:22 showing in the first quarter.
Wagner then scored on their second straight possession to start the game when Jason Butler ran into the line, bounced it outside and rumbled into the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown scamper to give the Seahawks a 10-0 lead with 4:50 left in the opening quarter. The touchdown run was the first of the season for Butler, who came into the game leading the league in rushing with 659 yards but had yet to cross the end zone.
On Monmouth's next possession, facing a third and 11 on their own 11 yard line, Brett Burke (Wall, N.J./Wall) hit Troy Yudin (Stevenson Ranch, Calif./William Hart) for a first down to the 25-yard line. On the next play, Burke tried to go deep to Adam San Miguel (North Bergen, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) but reigning All-Northeast Conference first-team defensive back Al Philips intercepted the pass, giving Wagner the ball at their own 40-yard line. After a pass interference penalty gave Wagner the ball on the MU 27-yard line, Butler broke off another scoring run to give the Seahawks a 17-0 lead with 12:44 left before halftime.
After a Monmouth drive stalled, Butler scored his third rushing touchdown of the half when he ran around left end from six yards out to give Wagner a 24-0 lead with 5:18 left in the first half.
On MU's next possession, Burke hit Yudin on a 24-yard completion down to the Wagner 27-yard line, their second first down in a row, with 3:20 remaining before halftime. After another Yudin grab and an Al Phillips defensive holding penalty, David Sinisi (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) took a Burke screen pass and went the final eight yards for a touchdown, the 18th straight game he has scored, extending his nation-leading streak, to cut the lead to 24-7 with 1:30 left in the first half.
With Wagner trying to run out the first half, Abbey fumbled a snap and Monmouth University freshman Pierre LaFontant (Montgomery Village, Md./Gaithersburg) recovered at the Seahawks 49-yard line with less than a minute left before halftime. Burke hit Yudin for another first down at the Wagner 29-yard line with 13 seconds left, but his next pass was intercepted by Phillips again in the end zone to end the half.
Butler had 121 rushing yards in the first half as the Seahawks outgained Monmouth 258-130 in the first half. Burke completed 10-of-14 passes for 109 yards and a score, and Yudin led MU with four grabs for 63 yards before halftime.
Burke began the second half by connecting with Sinisi on a screen pass on a third and six for a 23-yard gain down to the Wagner 33 yard line. Burke then hit Bobby Giles (Burlington, N.J./Burlington) for an eight-yard gain down to the 25-yard line, where the MU drive stalled. Fred Weingert (New Egypt, N.J./New Egypt) came on and drilled a 42-yard field goal to cut the lead to 24-10 with 11:57 left in the third quarter.
The Seahawks needed only 20 seconds to respond on their next drive when Rodney Davis rumbled 55 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown to inflate the lead back to 31-10 with 11:37 left in the third quarter. Butler then did all the work on the next Seahawk drive as he scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the game to increase the cushion to 38-10. After Monmouth went three-and-out again, Davis broke a tackle and rambled 75 yards for his second score of the day to make the tally 45-10 with 2:49 left in the third.
Sinisi scored from a yard out early in the fourth quarter for his second tally of the game to cut the lead to 45-16 with 14:15 left in the game.
Wagner outgained Monmouth 518-333 in the game, including 363-44 on the ground. Butler finished with 201 yards and four scores, while Davis ran for 117 yards.
Burke went 31-for-49 passing with 289 yards, all career highs, to go along with one score and two interceptions. Yudin caught seven passes for 89 yards, while Steve Dowens (Lincroft, N.J./Middletown South) nabbed seven passes for 83 yards.
Monmouth has their second bye of the season next week, and returns to action on Saturday, October 27 when they take on Central Connecticut State at 11:00 a.m. in New Britain. The game will be televised on FoxSports New York.
