NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - MU quarterback Kyle Frazier (Gaithersburg, Md./Damascus) completed 21-of-27 passes for 195 yards and scored once each through the air and on the ground as the Monmouth University (2-1, 1-0 NEC) football team knocked off preseason Northeast Conference favorite Central Connecticut State (2-2, 1-1), 24-12, Saturday afternoon at Arute Field.
The win snapped the Blue Devils' 15-game home winning streak, dating back to the season opener in 2008. The Hawks improve to 2-1 with the win, while the Blue Devils fall to 2-2. Monmouth scored 17 straight points in the first half and forced three turnovers to down the defending conference co-champions.
"I think it was a great win for us" said Head Coach Kevin Callahan. "It certainly was a first step for us, getting our initial win in NEC play. This conference always comes down to the wire because there is so much parity. To get a win in our first league game will give us confidence going forward. CCSU is an excellent team they played hard right until the very end. I was very happy with the way our guys stayed after it and kept playing to put the game away in the fourth quarter."
Julian Hayes (Middletown, Conn./Xavier/Hun School) rushed for a game-high 79 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Hayes' yards and carries were both career highs. Mitchell Pollard (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) had a game-high six receptions, while Neal Sterling (Belmar, N.J./Manasquan) had five catches for a career-high 78 yards. Steve Barroso (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) led the Hawks' defense with 12 tackles and a sack.
Monmouth scored on its opening drive for the second time in three games, the first of which came when Sterling dragged three CCSU defenders into the endzone for a 32-yard TD. Sterling finished with 48 yards on the drive, which went six plays, 69 yards and took up 2:54 of time.
After a MU stop on defense, the Hawks took over at their own 19 and used a 13-play 57 yard drive that culminated with a Eric Spillane (Howell, N.J./Colts Neck) field goal of 41 yards. Frazier hooked up with Tristan Roberts (Ansonia, Conn./Ansonia/Lakawanna CC) for a couple of passes on the drive but it was really sprung by a 15 yard shovel pass to tight end Mike McLafferty (Morgan, N.J./War Memorial).
The Hawks went up 17-0 on Julian Hayes' (Middletown, Conn./Xavier/Hun School) second career touchdown from six yards out with 12:59 to play in the second quarter. Disaster struck the Hawks as they were driving after another defensive stop when Balial Sloan El (Pennsauken, N.J./Roman Catholic (Pa.)) fumbled at the CCSU 13. Blue Devil linebacker Lorenzo Baker came in unabated and met Sloan El a split second after the exchange to force the fumble.
Taking over after the fumble, CCSU drove the length of the field and capped off a 14-play 85-yard drive with a nine yard Brian Fowler touchdown to cut the lead to 17-7 with 1:18 to play in the first half. The drive ate up 7:16 yards and the Blue Devils were able to convert four third downs on the drive.
Frazier finished the first half 14-of-15 for 116 yards with a touchdown, while running for 28 yards on five carries.
The Blue Devils cut the Monmouth deficit to 17-10 on a 26-yard Juan Duque field goal with 9:37 remaining in the third quarter.
A key play in the fourth quarter came when, faced with a 4th-and-10 from the CCSU 35, Callahan called a pooch punt for Frazier. The junior signal caller pinned the Blue Devils inside the 10-yard line.
After the Hawks' defense forced a three-and-out for Central Connecticut, Frazier capped a seven-play, 49-yard drive at the 9:42 mark of the fourth quarter on an eight-yard touchdown run. With the score, the Hawks took a 24-10 lead.
Backed up deep in their own territory with just over five minutes remaining in regulation, the Hawks elected to take a safety to account for the final 24-12 score.
The Monmouth defense allowed just 267 yards total, including 148 through the air. The Blue Devils were dropped for a loss 19 times, including two sacks. Monmouth defenders also had seven pass breakups on the day. Dan Sullivan (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) and Bill Lauch (Wall, N.J./Wall/Erie CC) each had eight tackles in the game, including three for a loss.
Jasperson finished 15-of-32 for 148 yards with an interception. Fowler led the Blue Devils on the ground with 54 yards on 10 carries.
Monmouth returns home next week to host Robert Morris for a 12 p.m. affair on Kessler Field. The game will be televised on MSG +.
