WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ- Monmouth University (7-3, 6-0 Big South) scored 38 consecutive points while the defense didn't allow a point for the final three quarters en route to a 44-7 hammering of long time rival Robert Morris (3-6, 2-4) on Saturday at Kessler Stadium.
 
Monmouth won its 16^th consecutive Big South game and will face Kennesaw State next Saturday for the Big South Championship and the league's autobid to the FCS Playoffs.
 
The Hawks strung together 44 consecutive points and piled up a season-high 508 yards while the defense allowed just 160 yards. Tony Muskett threw four touchdowns for the second consecutive week while freshman running back Jaden Shirden had his first 100-yard game while backfield mate Owen Wright adding 98 on the ground himself.  The defense allowed just 37 yards rushing, held RMU to 1-of-8 on third down and forced six punts.
 
The game got off to an inauspicious start for the Hawks following a three and out on three consecutive incompletions. On the ensuing drive, Robert Morris drove 55 yards in just over two minutes to go ahead 7-0 on an 18-yard completion from George Martin to Demonte Martin.
 
On Monmouth's first attempted rush of the game Jaden Shirden went untouched for 75 yards to tie the game up at 7-7 with 12:04 left in the first quarter.  The Hawks took their first lead of the game when Muskett found Tredway wide open in the left side of the endzone for a 19-yard touchdown. From there the Hawks scored on their next two drives, touchdown passes by Muskett to Ezrah Archie and Gene Scott. By the time the first half ended, Monmouth had scored on five consecutive posessions to take a 38-7 lead into halftime.
 
After an hour long lightning delay the two teams agreed upon 12 minutes quarters for the remainder of the game. Each team had one possession in the third quarter before the Hawks stopped the Colonials on the final play of the stanza to take over on downs to being the fourth. The Monmouth rushing machine went to work, grinding out first down after first down and driving the length of the field. The drive was capped with a five-yard Austin Castorina touchdown run that finished the scoring at 44-7.
 
NOTES & QUOTES
 
"If you're going to play for a championship in November you've got to play championship level football, and that is the challenge that we issued to our team this week. We wanted to see a team that went out and played with a high level of concentration, a high level of focus and play a physical game, and I thought we did just that." Monmouth head coach Kevin Callahan
 
"I just wanted to be a spark for the team. We were down 7-0, I had to step it up. Initially, was trying to get the first down but saw the crease and I was able to take it to the house." Freshman Jaden Shirden on his 75-yard touchdown run
 
"Every conference game is important. We knew that it could come down to the last game against Kennesaw if we took care of business. It was great to have us firing on all cylinders this week to set that matchup up next week" Offensive tackle Mahmoud Shabana
 

• It was Senior Day for 20 seniors
• Muskett completed touchdowns to four different players
• Mike Reid recorded the games only turnover, his first career interception which he returned for 20 yards
• Robert Morris had 61 yards in the third quarter and just two yards in the fourth quarter
• Monmouth had 180 yards of offense in the first quarter.
• After their first drive of the game went 55 yards, Robert Morris had just 42 yards of offense in the remainder of first half
• The final Monmouth drive lasted 17 plays going 81 yards and took up 11:39 of a 12-minute quarter
• Shirden's 75-yard touchdown run ties the freshman for his longest run of the season – also the longest run of the season by any Hawk
• The true freshman finished with 16 carries for 156 yards for a 9.8 yard per carry average
• Ezrah Archie had two catches for 65 yards to pace the Hawks, including the 30-yard TD
• Monmouth is now 11-10 all-time against RMU and has won four straight in the series
• Muskett threw his 24^th touchdown of the season with is the second most in school history behind Kenji Bahar's 30 in 2019

 
NUMBERS CRUNCH

• Monmouth was a season-best 9-of-14 on third down
• The Hawks had 266 yards rushing compared to 37 for RMU
• MU held a 36:50 to 17:10 advantage in time of possession
• The Hawks were 5-5 in the redzone
• Both running backs for Monmouth went over 100 all-purpose yards with Shirden's 156 and Wright's 110

 
UP NEXT
Monmouth will head to Kennesaw State for a 1 PM showdown that will decide the Big South Championship. That game will air on ESPN+