Final Score
Monmouth 55 (4-3, 2-1 CAA)
Bryant 17 (2-5, 0-3 CAA)

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. — The Monmouth University football team surged to a commanding 55-17 victory over Bryant on Saturday, thanks to a dominant ground attack and a balanced performance on both sides of the ball. 

Monmouth wasted no time setting the tone, scoring three touchdowns in the opening 10 minutes. Running back Sone Ntoh got things rolling with a 5-yard touchdown run after an 11-play, 86-yard drive to give the Hawks a 7-0 lead. Just two minutes later, T.J. Speight sprinted 64 yards for another score on the first play of Monmouth's next possession.

Ntoh added a second rushing touchdown—a 1-yard plunge—to extend the lead to 21-0 after a 6-play, 57-yard drive. Though Bryant's Keylijah Williams answered with an 86-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to narrow the margin to 21-7, Monmouth maintained control.

In the second quarter, the Hawks continued to control the tempo. Quarterback Derek Robertson connected with Tra Neal for a 16-yard touchdown pass, pushing the score to 27-7. Bryant managed a 41-yard field goal by Bryce Soli as time expired in the first half, cutting the deficit to 27-10.

Ntoh scored his third touchdown of the game with a 5-yard run, capping a 14-play, 93-yard drive that chewed up over five minutes of clock. Robertson added another strike, connecting with Speight on a 7-yard touchdown pass to make it 41-10 by the end of the third quarter. Monmouth's offense clicked at every level, highlighted by Robertson's efficient passing performance. He finished 22-of-29 for 237 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.

Monmouth kept its foot on the gas in the fourth quarter, with Ntoh adding his fourth touchdown of the day on a 2-yard run. Backup quarterback Frankie Savino got in on the action late, tossing a 10-yard touchdown pass to Speight, his second receiving touchdown of the game, to stretch the lead to 55-10. Bryant managed a late score when Brennan Myer connected with Drew Montez for a 6-yard touchdown pass, but by then, the game was well out of reach. The Bulldogs struggled to find any rhythm against Monmouth's swarming defense, which held them to just 103 rushing yards and forced two interceptions.

Speight contributed across the board with 159 all-purpose yards, including 51 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Rodney Nelson also had a strong showing, leading the ground game with 101 rushing yards on 16 carries.

Monmouth's defense played a pivotal role, with Israel Clark-White and Justin Bennin each recording an interception. The defensive front applied consistent pressure, recording three sacks and limiting Bryant to just 303 total yards.

Notes and Quotes
"I was very pleased with how we came out of the open week. Sometimes you have a bye week and it kind of slows your momentum down and you are not as sharp as you were heading into it. We were coming off the loss to Delaware just prior to the bye, but it was a game we played pretty well in. I think we continued putting forth great effort during the open week. We had a good week of work this past week, so there was no doubt in my mind we would be ready for this game."
Head Coach Kevin Callahan on the team's performance coming after the bye week

"We made plays on both sides of the ball. We were able to move the ball well on offense with 584 yards of total offense and defensively came up with some really big plays at key times. We forced a couple turnovers and had some key fourth down stops. All in all it was a really good game, and there are still some things that we can do better and improve upon as we move forward."
Callahan on the balanced attack

"You gain a ton of experience when you open the season against a nationally-recognized program like Eastern Washington. Speaking from experience, the first time when you get out there as a freshman or sophomore it is a surreal experience and to get that out of the way with two challenging games, I think our defense has matured years in only a few weeks time. Those guys are playing amazing right now and doing a great job and really only scratching the surface of what they can do."
Linebacker Remi Johnson on the team's progress on the defensive side of the ball

Monmouth is now 16-15 all-time on homecoming, including wins in six of their last seven games.
The Hawks are 20-13 all-time following a bye week, including seven straight wins at Kessler Stadium.
Monmouth has won four of its last five games.
The Hawks moved to 3-2 at home this season.
Monmouth is now 7-1 all-time against Bryant, including three consecutive wins.
It was the first meeting between the two teams since 2015.
The 38-point win was Monmouth's largest ever against the Bulldogs.

Numbers Crunch
Israel Clark-White led Monmouth with seven tackles, an interception, one pass breakup and two quarterback hurries.
Clark-White set a new career-high in tackles and it was his first-career pick.
Justin Bennin secured his first-career interception.
Remi Johnson, Joe Loiseau and Miles Mitchell each contributed sacks in the win.
Monmouth has scored at least 42 points in its last seven victories.
The Hawks have put up at least 50 points three times this season. The last time they scored 50 points in three games in the same season was 2018.
Sone Ntoh ran for four touchdowns and TJ Speight scored three times in the win.
Ntoh has 17 touchdowns on the season and 31 for his career. He passed Chris Reed for fourth in team history in career rushing touchdowns.
Ntoh's 17 TDs are tied for fourth in a single season in MU history with Monmouth legend David Sinisi's 2007 campaign.
TJ Speight's 64-yard touchdown run was his sixth-career play of 64 yards or more.
Tra Neal caught a 16-yard touchdown pass for his fourth receiving touchdown of the season and second in as many weeks.
Speight and Josh Derry each had seven catches to lead Monmouth through the air.
Rodney Nelson led Monmouth in rushing with 101 yards on 16 carries.
Luke Schabel recorded a new career-long punt of 72 yards.
Derek Robertson threw for 237 yards on 22-of-29 passing and two touchdowns.
Frankie Savino threw his first-career touchdown pass.

Up Next
Monmouth closes its four-game home stretch with a pivotal CAA matchup against Towson on Saturday October 26. Kickoff at Kessler Stadium is set for 1 p.m. and tickets are available online at MonmouthHawks.com/tickets