WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Monmouth University's (0-2, 0-1 CAA)) football team racked up 49 points and 713 yards of offense but it wasn't enough as Fordham (2-0) scored with 56 seconds left to edge thee Hawks.
 
Monmouth was able to move the ball out to the Fordham 42 with 18 seconds left but couldn't earn another completion as the Hawks fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2015.
 
Sophomore Jaden Shirden set the Monmouth record 299 yards on just 13 carries, scoring on runs of 95 and 80 yards. It was the second career 100-yard rushing game for the Connecticut native, while the Hawks' 390 yards on the ground is the second most in school history.
 
The two teams combined for 54 points and 768 yards of offense in the first half. Fordham took a 7-0 lead after Tim DeMorat threw his first of four first-half touchdown passes. The Hawks rattled off three consecutive touchdowns, including a 60-yard touchdown pass from Muskett to Alex Bryant and a 95-yard Jaden Shirden touchdown run. Monmouth went up 20-7 on a one-yard Owen Wright score to finish the first quarter scoring.
 
Fordham cut the lead to 20-14 before Muskett hit Dre Tucker for a 15-yard touchdown pass to put Monmouth up 26-14 with 11:58 left in the half. The Rams would score a pair of touchdowns in the final 3:45 of the half to take a 28-26 lead into the break.
 
Fordham pushed their lead to 35-26 early in the third quarter before Shirden's 80 -yard run cut the lead to three with 9:58 left. After the teams traded field goals DeMorat engineered a five-play drive 58-yard to give the Rams a 45-35 lead. Back to back Owen Wright touchdowns regained a 49-45 lead for the Hawks but Fordham drove 75 yards on 11 plays to cross the enzone for the final time.  
 
NOTES & QUOTES
"I have to congratulate Jaden and our offense who did a phenomenal job today. They kept answering the bell, getting us out of a hole and giving us the lead. We didn't finish on defense, on the end of the first half and at the end of the game. We couldn't do that today, we couldn't get ourselves off the field on third down and we gave up too many big plays." Head Coach Kevin Callahan
 
"We're playing hard. Obviously, the scores of the past two games are not how we want it. Its not how we wanted to start the season but at the end of the day we have nine-plus games to still play. The leaders on this team are playing hard, we are attacking every game and we aren't losing because of lack of effort or lack of focus. At the end of the day we have to keep pushing, keep working together as a defense." Senior Captain Eddie Morales
 
"I think the numbers speak for themselves, setting a record with 299 yards rushing in a single game I think Jaden demonstrated his explosiveness and his ability to take it to the house on every run. I thought he had great vision when he was running the ball, finding the right hole and having patience with it and accelerating at the right time." Callahan on Jaden Shirden's performance
 
"They blitzed to the left side, I saw a cutback lane and took it to the house. If I see an open crease, I'm going to take it." Shirden on the 95-yard touchdown run

• Shirden's 299 yards rushing eclipsed David Sinisi's 2008 record of 243 yards against Saint Francis. Shirden had just 12 carries in the game, finishing with an average of 24.9 yards per carry with two touchdowns.
• Alex Bryant scored a career-long touchdown on his 60-yarder in the first half. Bryant caught a touchdown in back to back weeks
• Speaking of back to back, senior defensive back Eddie Morales recorded his second interception in back to back weeks when he picked off DeMorat in the first quarter
• Wideout Assanti Kearney recorded his first career 100-yard receiving day with 105 yards on four catches
• Owen Wright had two touchdowns on back to back weeks
• Monmouth's 713 yards on offense is the second most in school history (790 vs Gardner-Webb in 2018)
• Tony Muskett finished with 323 yards and two touchdowns on 14-of-27 passing

 
NUMBERS CRUNCH

• Monmouth was just two-of-nine on third down while Fordham was 7-of-14
• It was just the fourth loss at home for Monmouth since opening Kessler Stadium in 2017
• The Hawks have lost two in a row against Patriot League teams, after winning 11 consecutive matchups against the league
• Fordham had 706 yards of offense and 35 first downs in the contest.
• The Rams held the time of possession 35:52 to 24:08

UP NEXT
Monmouth returns home to host Georgetown at 1 PM on Saturday, September 17, 2022.