WEST LONG
BRANCH, N.J. - Colgate rushed and passed for more than 200 yards each as
the Raiders defeated Monmouth, 26-14, Saturday afternoon at Kessler Field. With
the loss, the Hawks fall to 2-3, while the Raiders improve to 3-3.
"It was a tough physical game just like we thought it was going to be," said
Kevin Callahan. "Colgate ran the ball
very well which is not only an issue for our defense but also our offense in
terms of time of possession and keeping our offense off the field. I thought we did a pretty decent job in the
first half, in the second half they controlled the lines of scrimmage on both
sides of the ball. We weren't able to
generate any pressure on their quarterback when we needed to and he had a lot
of time to throw the ball."
All-American running back Nate Eachus led the Raiders with 146 yards on 27
carries, while quarterback Gavin McCarney followed with 87 yards and a
touchdown run. McCarney also threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Daniel
Cason led the Raiders receivers with 71 yards and a touchdown.
Monmouth quarterback Kyle Frazier (Gaithersburg, Md./Damascus) had 185 yards
passing and a touchdown through the air, as well as 71 yards rushing. Frazier
was sacked twice and threw two interceptions. Neal Sterling (Belmar,
N.J./Manasquan) and Mitchell Pollard (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) had five
receptions each for the Hawks, with Sterling accumulating a team-high 62 yards
and a touchdown.
After the Hawks' defense forced a Colgate punt on the Raiders' opening drive, Julian
Hayes (Middletown, Conn./Xavier/The Hun School) capped a six-play, 35-yard
drive by punching it in from yard out. Eric Spillane's (Howell, N.J./Colts
Neck) extra point made it 7-0 Hawks at the 8:59 mark of the first quarter.
The Raiders responded with an 18-play, 80-yard drive, including two fourth-down
conversions through the air from McCarney, the second of which gave Colgate a
15-yard touchdown to CJ Stempeck on the first play of the second quarter. Joe
Uglietto's PAT sailed wide to preserve the Hawks' 7-6 lead.
The teams exchanged possession twice each before the Hawks gained momentum by
quickly getting up to the line of scrimmage on several plays. The Hawks marched
74 yards on 13 plays in 6:16 to cushion its lead on Frazier's four-yard
connection with Sterling in the back corner of the endzone at the 3:09 mark.
Colgate got six points back, due in large part to Eachus' 46-yard scamper on
the drive's first play. Two plays later, the Raiders had a 2nd-and-1
from the Monmouth goal line. The Hawks twice stuffed Eachus for no gain before
McCarney took it himself off his left guard for the score with 36 seconds left
in the first half. Uglietto was again unsuccessful on the PAT, giving the Hawks
a 14-12 advantage at the half.
After the Hawks stalled on their first drive of the second half, the Raiders
went 87 yards on seven plays to take an 18-14 lead on Cason's 22-yard touchdown
catch from McCarney less than five minutes into the third quarter. McCarney
then ran in the two-point conversion to make it 20-14 Colgate.
Three plays into the Hawks next possession, Frazier was sacked and fumbled,
giving the ball back to Colgate at their own 39. The Hawks forced a
three-and-out, but Spillane had his 34-yard field-goal attempt blocked. Later
in the fourth quarter, Colgate milked 7:28 off the clock on a 14-play, 80-yard
drive, capped by Eachus' touchdown from one yard out. Uglietto's PAT attempt
was blocked to account for the final score, 26-14.
Monmouth's three turnovers marked the first time this season the Hawks lost the
turnover battle and failed to force an opponent miscue. Safety Jose Gumbs (Queens, N.Y./Hebron
Academy) led the Hawks with nine tackles and a blocked kick.
The Hawks return to Northeast Conference action next Saturday, when they travel
to Smithfield, R.I., to take on Bryant. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
The Hawks return to conference action next Saturday, when they travel
to Smithfield, R.I., to take on Bryant. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
