With the 15th season of Monmouth football kicking off this August, www.GoMUHawks.com will revisit the 15 greatest football victories of the past 14 years, with one game released each week until the Hawks open the season against Maine on Sept. 1, 2007.
MU FOOTBALL 6th GREATEST VICTORY: Sept. 30, 2003
TOUCHDOWN PASS TO RASPITZI WITH 17 SECONDS REMAINING
LIFTS FOOTBALL OVER GEORGETOWN
Boland Connects With Tight End to Lead Hawks to 12-10 Win at Georgetown
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- For the first time since the 2001 season, the Monmouth University football team got off to a 3-0 start as the Hawks capped off a comeback as freshman quarterback Brian Boland completed a 10-yard fade pass to senior tight end Pete Raspitzi for the go ahead score in the Blue and White's 12-10 win over Georgetown on September 30, 2003. The touchdown pass with only 17.8 seconds to play, capped off an 11-play, 69 yard drive. Boland, making his first career start in the game, kept the final drive alive by converting a fourth and 17 to senior wide receiver Billy Lynn.
“The last drive of the game demonstrated a great deal of poise by our offense,” said Kevin Callahan. “The fourth and 17 conversion was an outstanding play as it put us in position to win the game.”
On the ensuing kickoff following Raspitzi's touchdown, Georgetown executed a play reminiscent of the “Music City Miracle” and got the ball down to the 40 yard line before MU kicker Steve Andriola made a the tackle. The Hawks swatted down a Hail Mary attempt as time expired to preserve the win.
Monmouth's impressive final drive came as a surprising end to a mostly defensive struggle. The two defenses combined for eight takeaways, including three interceptions by Monmouth, two picks by Georgetown, three Georgetown fumble recoveries and a combined nine sacks for both teams. Neither team gained more than 300 yards of total offense, with Georgetown producing 288, and Monmouth squeezing out 225.
After doing little offensively most of the first half, Georgetown managed to take a 7-6 lead on a 31- yard touchdown pass from Andrew Crawford to Luke McArdle. The touchdown strike was set up with several rushes from back-up quarterback Alondzo Turner. The Hawks had earlier taken the lead on two field goals by Andriola of 41 and 26 yards.
Several scoring opportunities for both teams in the second half led to three Georgetown field goal attempts (1-of-3) and a missed field goal for Monmouth along with an intercepted pass by GU's Byron Anderson in the Hoyas' end zone.
Monmouth started their final drive at their own 31-yard line with only 2:25 to play. Boland orchestrated what would be their only touchdown drive of the day, including the conversion on fourth and 17 to Lynn with 1:22 to play.
“That fourth down conversion play sticks out in my mind more than any other play I was a part of at Monmouth,” said Lynn. “Brian (Boland) kept his cool on that play and I was matched up on a linebacker and got away from him.”
The Hawks would go on to end the season with a 10-2 record and claim their third Northeast Conference title. The win over the Hoyas marked the second time MU has defeated a Patriot League school, the first being their triumph over Towson, 24-17 in 2001.
“The upperclassmen from that team take a lot of pride in knowing that we helped turn the program around. The younger players took our lead and saw what it took to win games.”
