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Monmouth University Athletics

Pete Guerriero at Kennesaw State
Willis Glassgow
21
Monmouth MU 9-2 , 4-1
52
Winner KSU KSU 10-1 , 5-0
Monmouth MU
9-2 , 4-1
21
Final
52
KSU KSU
10-1 , 5-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
MU Monmouth 7 14 0 0 21
KSU KSU 14 21 10 7 52

Game Recap: Football |

FOOTBALL FALLS IN SEASON FINALE TO KENNESAW STATE

KENNESAW, GA - Monmouth University (9-2, 4-1 Big South) dropped its regular season finale on the road to Kennesaw State (10-1, 5-0 Big South), 52-21 in the Big South Championship on Saturday.

The Hawks will now await the NCAA FCS Selection Show on Sunday at 11 AM on ESPNU to learn if it receives an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs. A field of 24 teams will be selected to compete in the single elimination tournament. Of the 24 teams, 10 conference champions receive automatic qualifications with the remaining best 10 teams being selected on an at-large basis by the Division I Football Championship Committee.

Kennesaw State forced Monmouth into a season-high five turnovers, including on three straight second half drives, to win their 10th consecutive football game. KSU quarterback Chandler Burks scored four times on the ground and threw for another score in the win.

Monmouth was led by redshirt freshman running back Pete Guerriero (Lyndhurst, NJ/Lyndhurst), who checked in with his sixth 100-yard performance, finishing with 141 yards on 19 carries with a pair of touchdowns. Guerriero also led the Hawks in receiving with 44 yards for 185 all-purpose yards. He became the first Monmouth back to eclipse 1,000 yards since the 2013 season.

The Hawks got two big plays from tight end Jake Powell (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) on the opening drive, including a nine yard pick up from the redshirt sophomore on third down. It was tight end Shawn Clark (Potsdam, NY/Potsdam/Cushing Academy) who recovered a fumble on a goal-line dive to put the Hawks up 7-0. Monmouth's opening drive went 11 plays, 61 yards and covered 6:53 of game time.

Kennesaw State answered immediately with a 45 yard Shaquil Terry touchdown run, needing just three plays to equal the score. A three and out for the Hawks and a shanked punt gave KSU the ball inside Monmouth territory with the Owls taking the lead five plays later on a two-yard Chandler Burks touchdown. Guerriero's 28 yard run tied it up at 14-14 at the start of the second quarter.

Monmouth's defense held for the first time all game but the Owls forced their league-leading 28th turnover and scored five plays later to retake the lead, 21-14 with 10:14 to play in the half. Monmouth coughed up the ball just over midfield on their next possession and the Owls drove down and scored on an eight-play drive to go ahead 28-14 with 3:27 to play. Monmouth responded with a 19-yard Guerriero touchdown to cut it to one score, but the Hawks gave up a 36-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds left in the quarter to go down 35-21 into the break.

KSU added a field goal at the start of the second half then went up 45-21 on Burks' third rushing score of the game. The Owl defense forced a trio of turnovers in the final 30 minutes, adding a fourth quarter touchdown to finish the scoring.

NOTES & QUOTES
"Kennesaw State is a very good team and we knew that coming in. There wasn't anything that they showed, as far as their athletic ability, the way they run the ball and how they run to the ball and create turnovers on defense, that surprised us. We knew they were a very good team and we were going to be our best.

We said going into the game we knew we weren't going to stop them every time they had the ball. We had to slow them down enough and be very efficient ourselves moving the ball and certainly, above all else, we couldn't turn it over.

I think when we mishandled the punt, that was a key point in the game. It was a tie game at that point and we were getting the ball back after the third series and gaining confidence and from that point it was tough sledding. The most difficult thing in preparing for that offense is to simulate the speed in which they do it, and even then, they did it at a higher speed than I anticipated."
- Head Coach Kevin Callahan
  • Monmouth is now 0-3 all-time against Kennesaw State and 0-2 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium
  • The Hawks had their seven game win streak snapped with the result
  • After going 0-5 last year in conference play, Monmouth turned around and had a program record four wins in the Big South this season.
  • The 52 points surrendered and five turnovers were both season-highs for the Hawks
  • Monmouth was shut out by the Kennesaw State defense in the second half, with KSU scoring 21 points off of its five turnovers in the game
NUMBERS CRUNCH
  • Pete Guerriero's 31 yard first quarter screen was a career-long reception
  • Joey Aldarelli caught his second career reception- a key 20-yard third down pass that set up Monmouth's third TD
  • Matt White unleashed a 73 yard punt- a career long and the third longest punt in school history
  • Monmouth held the ball for 11 minutes in the first quarter but still trailed 14-7 in the first frame
  • Kennesaw's first touchdown drive of the second half went for 96 yards
  • Monmouth had 358 yards of total offense, with KSU had 519
  • MU had six penalties for 80 yards, Kennesaw 2-for-22
UP NEXT
  • The Hawks will now await the NCAA FCS Selection Show on Sunday at 11 AM on ESPNU to learn if it receives an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs.
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