CHARLESTON, SC – Monmouth football's defense pitched a first half shutout and Devell Jones (Iselin, NJ/Lincoln) picked up key first downs to close out a 23-20 win at defending conference champion Charleston Southern on Saturday evening at Buccaneer Field. The win improves the Hawks to 7-1 and 2-0 in conference play, with the Blue and White picking up its fifth consecutive victory.

Jones carried for 35 total yards to put the game away for Monmouth on the final possession of the game, plowing his way to three first downs over the final 4:21. CSU had scored 20 consecutive points after MU led 23-0, including a pair of Kenny Dinkins catches and a two-yard run from Noah Shuler. Shuler's touchdown cut it to a three-point game with 4:21 to go before Jones was able to help MU run out the clock.

On the third play of the second half, Agbai Iroha (Union, NJ/Union) put a hit on Bucs quarterback Shane Bucenell and the ball popped into the hands of Gerron Pendarvis (Waterbury, CT/Holy Cross HS), who ran 21 yards to the endzone for MU's second defensive score of the season to make it 23-0 Hawks.

Just before the half, Monmouth went 86 yards in just 2:03 and capped it with a one-yard plunge from Jones, his ninth touchdown of the season. Matt Mosquera (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) drilled a 35-yard field goal after a 13-play drive to put the Hawks up 9-0.

The first scoring of the game came in the second quarter on a drive where three different receivers had catches and Monmouth took advantage of a Charleston Southern penalty. Eric Zokouri (Silver Spring, MD/Montgomery Blair) took a screen pass and ran through several Bucs tackles to score from eight yards out and put MU up 6-0.

Monmouth drove down the field to set up a 32-yard field goal attempt, but an errant snap gave Charleston Southern the ball near midfield. Teddie Martinez (Baltimore, MD/St. Paul's School) slid across an out route to intercept his ninth career pass and halt the Bucs drive.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"It's a great win for us, to get to 7-1 is a terrific accomplishment for these guys. It was a hard fought contest and we knew going in it was going to be. Charleston Southern for the last four years has been one of the best, if not the best team in the Big South. To come away with a victory down here, I think says a lot about the progress we are making as a team in the Big South. They've had our number of the last three years and we put together a great effort tonight. – Monmouth Head Coach Kevin Callahan

"To be able to bring Devell off the bench and give him the ball to pound out those first downs and take those final four minutes off the clock was huge. It really just won the game for us." Coach Callahan on Devell Jones' fourth quarter play

"We are playing a lot of young guys on defense and we knew going in they were going to have to really step up and make some plays. They did a terrific job. For a team who runs the ball as well as they do, I thought we did an outstanding job." -Coach Callahan on the play of the young defensive players

-Monmouth is 2-0 in Big South play for the first time ever.
-Monmouth picks up its first ever win over Charleston Southern.
-The Hawks have won five in a row for the first time since 9/20-10/25 2008.

-Anthony Budd picked up a career high eight tackles.

-Mike Basile led the Hawks in tackles for the eighth time this season.
-Devell Jones moved to the team lead with his ninth touchdown of the season.

-Kurt Aumer recorded a sack for the second consecutive week.

-Nine Hawks caught passes, with four receivers recording multiple receptions.
-Monmouth held an opponent scoreless in a half for the first time since the season opener against Lafayette, pitching a first half shutout against CSU.
-Gerron Pendarvis scored his first career touchdown on a 21-yard interception return on the first drive of the second half, Monmouth's second defensive score of the season.

-Mahmoud Shabana made his first career start at left tackle.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
- Monmouth held Charleston Southern, which averages 215 yards rushing per contest, to 130 on Saturday night

-The Hawks won the turnover battle for the fourth time this season and has lost it only once in the first eight games

-Kamau Dumas, who leads the Big South with 8 passes defended, had two more against CSU

-Martinez is now all alone for fourth all-time at Monmouth in interceptions with 10

-The Hawks have scored on interception returns in two of the last three games

-Prior to today's game CSU had outscored Monmouth 99-14

UP NEXT
Monmouth hosts Presbyterian next Saturday at 1:00 p.m. on ESPN3.