Monmouth University Athletics

WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – The #22 Monmouth University football team overwhelmed Big South foe Gardner-Webb on Saturday, taking the 41-14 win to move to 9-1 (4-0 Big South) on the season. The Hawks improved to 5-0 at home this season, outscoring opponents 216-113 and averaging 43 points per game in the new Kessler Stadium. With the win, the Blue & White position themselves to compete for a conference championship next Saturday at Kennesaw State. Monmouth quarterback Kenji Bahar completed 15 of 24 passes for 175 yards and four touchdowns, including two scores to junior wide receiver Reggie White Jr. The three-headed backfield of freshman Pete Guerriero, junior Devell Jones, and senior Michael Jolly combined for 277 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 37 carries (7.5 average). The Hawks defense held Gardner-Webb to just 1-for-12 on third down in the win.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"I'm very excited for this team to be in this position. The message that we talk about as a team, as a program is win each day, and if you do that, when you get to the end of a season you'll be where you want to be. It's a credit to these guys. They bring a lot of energy. I'm just very happy for their success."  -Monmouth head coach Kevin Callahan
"I know our players are very proud to play in this new facility. The guys are excited to play here and I think that shows. Our performances at home have been really outstanding this year." – Kevin Callahan on being 5-0 at home
"It has been great to see how much this program has improved from my freshman year until now. It was a lot of hard work from the older guys to the younger members of the team. We just wanted to get the win today." – All-American Safety Mike Basile
-On the opening possession, the Hawks drove 76 yards in just seven plays, and took the 7-0 lead on Jones' 11^th touchdown of the season. The drive included a 36-yard Vinny Grasso catch and a 17-yard Matt Castronuova reception to the 1-yard line.
-After a Gardner-Webb 15-yard punt, Bahar moved around the pocket and fired a 24-yard touchdown pass to freshman Joey Aldarelli to make it 13-0 Monmouth.
 -Freshman Anthony Budd earned his first career interception on the following drive. The Hawks then used a 35-yard Guerriero run and a 6-yard touchdown pass from Bahar to TE Jake Powell to take the 20-0 lead.
-Halfway through the second quarter, the Hawks drove 66 yards in seven plays, and Bahar found Reggie White Jr. in the back of the endzone for a 14-yard touchdown. Monmouth led 27-0 with 4:54 left in the half.
-With time running out in the first half, Gardner-Webb converted on a fourth down and then scored on a 24-yard touchdown pass from QB Tyrell Maxwell to RB Jonathan Blackmon. The teams went into the locker room with Monmouth leading 27-7.
-After a mostly quiet third quarter for both teams, Bahar found White Jr. for another touchdown with 3:05 to play in the frame. Bahar rolled left and found the redshirt junior, who secured the catch for the 8-yard score and the 34-7 Monmouth lead.
-Late in the fourth quarter, Jones broke free for a 53-yard rush down to the Gardner-Webb 6-yard line, where Michael Jolly scored on the next play. The Hawks took a 41-7 advantage,
-Gardner-Webb would add a late touchdown to make it 41-14, which would hold as the final score.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-The Hawks won their seventh straight game. It is the fourth time in 25 seasons that Monmouth has gone unbeaten at home, and just the second time is has gone 5-0 (2003).
-Monmouth improves to 9-1 for the first time since 2006, when it won the NEC Championship.
-In nine games played this season, Guerriero has amassed 876 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 6.0 yards per rush.
-Monmouth has outgained opponents on the ground this season 2173 to 1036.
-Aldarelli caught his first career touchdown pass in the first quarter on his second career reception.
-Monmouth dominated the first quarter, outscoring Gardner-Webb 20-0 and outgaining the Runnin' Bulldogs 175-5.
-The Hawks led 27-7 at halftime, outgaining the Runnin' Bulldogs 247 yards to 81.
-Bahar threw three touchdowns in the first half and four overall for the first time in his career. He's the first Monmouth quarterback to do it since Brandon Hill vs Columbia in 2014  
-White Jr. caught the 7^th and 8^th touchdown of the season, as well as the 19^th and 20^th of his career.
-Junior wide receiver Brandon Batts made his first career catch in the second quarter (5 yards).
-Senior Mike Basile made nine tackles in the win, increasing his career total and program record to 413.
-Freshman DB Justin Terry made a career-high six stops, which were all solo tackles.
-Junior Diego Zubieta and freshman DaJaun Cooper each added six tackles on the day.
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks will travel to Kennesaw State next Saturday for a 2:00 PM matchup in the final regular season game of 2017. With a win, Monmouth would clinch the Big South crown and earn a spot in the FCS playoffs.