SMITHFIELD, R.I.-  Monmouth University's football team (3-3, 2-1 NEC) remained perfect on the road in 2011 with a wild 40-35 affair at Bryant University (4-3, 2-2 NEC) on Saturday afternoon.

The Hawks forced three turnovers and got career-highs out of running back Julian Hayes (Middletown, Conn./Xavier/The Hun School) and wideout Neal Sterling (Belmar, N.J./Manasquan) to improve to 2-1 in the Northeast Conference.  Hayes had 32 carries for 89 yards and three touchdowns, all career highs.  Sterling finished with a personal best 11 catches for 102 yards and the eventual game-winning touchdown.

"Early on we generated some positive momentum with the three turnovers and the safety," said Head Coach Kevin Callahan.  "Unfortunately, late in the third quarter it [the momentum] began to slip away from us but the players responded.  I was really happy with the way the players stayed with it, fought and played hard."

Down by five with under a minute to play, Bryant had a fourth and one from the Monmouth six yard line.  The Bulldogs, which had 155 yards and three touchdowns from junior RB Jordan Brown, elected for wide receiver screen which fell incomplete and clinched Monmouth's fourth straight win in the series.

Bryant turned the ball over on the first drive of the game after Croce served up a floating pass into the wind which was intercepted by Jose Gumbs (Queens, N.Y./Hebron Academy) and returned into Bryant territory.  The possession didn't last long as Frazier coughed up the ball on a run, his second straight game with a fumble.  It was the first time in his career that Frazier has fumbled on consecutive weeks. 

Bryant drove to the MU endzone, sparked by a 44 yard Jordan Brown run down to the Monmouth 13.  Three plays later Jordan took it in for the score, capping a seven-play 71 yard drive with a two yard score.

Monmouth answered with an impressive drive of its own, driving 62 yards on 13 plays.  Hayes powered in off the left side for a five-yard touchdown to tie the game with a 4:06.  On the drive Sterling made three catches for 27 yards on the drive as Frazier was 5-of-8 passing.

Croce, who came into the game with just four interceptions, tossed his second pick of the game on the next BU possession.  Croce dropped back and got hit by two MU defenders as he threw and the fly ball was intercepted by freshman LB Colin Cooper (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva).  The MU offense answered immediately with a 67 yard drive on seven plays.  Hayes scored his second TD of the game from two yards out for MU to take a 14-7 lead on the first play of the second half.

Bryant tied the game up quickly, 7-play 67 yard drive with the scoring play coming on sophomore Jordan Harris' 46 yard reception.  Harris had three catches for 66 yards on the drive that tied the game at 14-14 with 11:47 to play in the second half.

Frazier gave the Hawks the lead with his legs, rushing for 58 yards on the ensuing drive.  Frazier's career-long run of 50 yards set MU up on the Bryant 25.  Three players the redshirt junior went untouched into the endzone for an eight yard TD, putting the Hawks up 21-14 with 9:05 to play in the half.  That score held up until halftime, which each team punting.

Monmouth's first drive of the second half stalled but a special teams play by junior Tristan Roberts () set Bryant up on their own 1 yard line.  One play later Brown couldn't escape the MU tacklers who dropped him in the endzone for a safety.  It marked the second straight season Monmouth recorded a safety over Bryant.

Hayes put Monmouth ahead on the ensuing drive with a 14 yard td run, his third of the game.  Hayes carried the load on the majority of the drive but backup Craig Peterson (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) picked up a fourth and one on a sneak and hit Sterling for 12 yards and a first down.

Down 33-14 with three minutes to go in the third quarter a kickoff return by Brown set Bryant up at the MU 24 yardline.  Two plays later Brown was in the endzone, cutting the lead to 33-21 with 2:04 showing on the clock.
Brown scored on a 38 yard scamper on the next Bryant possession to cut Monmouth's lead to 33-28 with 13:54 left in the fourth quarter.

The Hawks answered back on a Peterson to Sterling 18 yard TD pass.  Peterson's pass was the first scoring toss of his career and put the Hawks up 40-28.

Bryant got the ball at midfield and then moved deep into MU territory with a Croce to Harris pass.  Two plays later Croce found tight end Matt Tracey wide open for an 11 yard touchdown.  The play got Bryant to within 40-35 with 5:31 to play in the game.

Monmouth ran three minutes off the clock but was forced to punt, which was downed on the MU 46.  Bryant used little time getting down the field and set up a first and 10 from the Hawk 15.  On first down Croce fumbled the snap and lost five yards.  After an incompletion on second down, Croce found Jose DePadua on the right side of the field for 14 yards.  Rushing to the line, Bryant tried a screen on fourth and one from the MU 6, which fell incomplete.  Peterson took two knees to end the game.

The Hawks outgained Bryant, 398-337, including 235-155 on the ground. Hayes paced the ground attack with 89 yards on 32 carries and a career-best three scores while Frazier carried three times for 67 yards and a touchdown. Pollard carried twice for 30 yards, while Sloan-El ran eight times for 25 yards.  Peterson finished 7-of-11 for 70 yards and a touchdown while Frazier was 13-of-19 for 93 yards before leaving the game.   

The Hawks had three interceptions in the game and just one fumble, marking the fifth time they won the turnover battle.  Gumbs had seven tackles and an interception while Andrew Sutton (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown) had five tackles and was credited the safety.  Cornerback Reggie Hildebrandt Jr. (Seat Pleasant, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt/Morgan State) recorded his first interception in the third quarter.
 
Brown finished with 160 yards on 26 carries with three touchdowns while Croce was 13-of-27 with two touchdowns and three interceptions.  Harris finished with 114 yards on five receptions.

Monmouth is back on the road again next week when it plays Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Conn.