Monmouth University Athletics

Final Score
#17/18 Monmouth (7-2, 6-0 CAA) – 34
Bryant (5-4, 3-2 CAA) – 21
 
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – No. 17/18 Monmouth football leaned on its ground game to power past Bryant, 34-21, on Halloween Saturday at Kessler Stadium. Kenny Smith Jr. and Elijah Jennings combined for 312 rushing yards and four touchdowns as the Hawks extended their winning streak to six games and remained the only unbeaten team in Coastal Athletic Association play.
 
Monmouth improved to 7-2 overall and 6-0 in the CAA, while Bryant fell to 5-4 and 3-2 in conference action. The Hawks have now won nine of 10 all-time meetings with the Bulldogs and are 7-1 against FCS opponents this season. The win also makes Monmouth 3-0 all-time on Halloween, all home wins.
 
The Hawks wasted little time establishing control, scoring on their first four possessions to build a 24-0 advantage. Jennings opened the scoring with an 18-yard touchdown run on Monmouth's first drive, capping a nine-play, 75-yard possession. Sky Sholder added a 21-yard field goal late in the first quarter after the Hawks put together an 18-play, 61-yard drive.
 
Jennings broke free for a 37-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, then Smith Jr. followed with a 55-yard scoring run to push the lead to 24-0. Bryant responded with a 16-play drive that ended with a 1-yard Jordan Bennett touchdown run just before halftime, making it 24-7.
 

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Offensive lineman Reed Collins credited the preparation up front for the explosive rushing performance. "Everything we saw on the field was pretty much what we practiced, so we felt really comfortable out there," Collins said. "Then it was about finding those explosive runs and just continuing to pound the rock."
 
Fellow lineman Kevin Shriner echoed that emphasis on execution. "It was really about imposing our will this week and putting our best foot forward," Shriner said.
 
Monmouth added to its lead in the third quarter. Sholder connected on a 34-yard field goal following an interception by Omar Ibrahim on Bryant's opening drive of the second half, his first as a Hawk. The defense forced a turnover on downs on Bryant's next possession, and Smith Jr. capped a six-play, 60-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run to make it 34-7.
 
Defensively, Charlie Sasso pointed to the team's approach from the opening kickoff. "We want to start fast and finish faster," Sasso said. "We want to start the game exactly how we did."
 
Bryant scored twice in the fourth quarter, but the Hawks maintained control to secure the 13-point victory.
 
Jennings led Monmouth with 175 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, averaging 7.3 yards per attempt. Smith Jr. added 157 yards and two scores on 19 carries, including his 55-yard touchdown. It marked Smith Jr.'s third consecutive 100-yard rushing performance and the second time this season both backs eclipsed 100 yards in the same game. It was also the first time since Oct. 21, 2017, that two Monmouth players rushed for at least 150 yards in the same contest.
 
The Hawks finished with 319 rushing yards on 47 attempts, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. Monmouth's 81 passing yards marked its fewest in a victory since Oct. 12, 2002, when the Hawks defeated Stony Brook, 14-9, without completing a pass.
 
Defensively, Ryan Russo recorded two sacks for the first multi-sack game of his Monmouth career, including one on fourth down to turn the Bulldogs over. The Hawks finished with two sacks and held Bryant to 297 total yards. Ibrahim's interception helped set up three points, while the defense also came up with two fourth-down stops.
 
"I thought we were the more physical team today," head coach Jeff Gallo said. "We're trying to make it known what it's like to play us here at home. We want to make this a real home-field advantage."
 
Monmouth continues its homestand next Saturday, Nov. 7, to face North Carolina A&T at noon in CAA play.
 
Notes
- Monmouth improved to 9-1 all-time against Bryant, and 3-0 all-time on Halloween.
- The Hawks have won six consecutive games and are 7-1 against FCS opponents this season.
- Monmouth remains the only undefeated team in CAA play, holding a 6-0 conference record.
- Kenny Smith Jr. and Elijah Jennings combined for 219 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the first half.
- Ryan Russo recorded the first multi-sack game of his Monmouth career.
- Omar Ibrahim recorded his first interception as a Hawk.
- Smith and Jennings each surpassed 100 rushing yards in the same game for the second time this season.
- Smith recorded his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game.
- Monmouth scored on six of its first seven drives, including four consecutive scoring drives to open the game.
- Sky Sholder has made five consecutive field goals and is a perfect 5-for-5 at home this season. He recorded his second multi-field-goal game of the year.
- The Hawks are 6-0 this season when scoring at least 30 points.
- Monmouth is 4-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 200 passing yards.
- Monmouth's last win while passing for 81 or fewer yards came on Oct. 12, 2002, in a 14-9 victory over Stony Brook. The Hawks completed zero passes (0-for-3) and rushed for 140 yards in the win.
- Monmouth averaged at least 300 rushing yards per game over a three-game stretch for the first time since at least 1998.
- The Hawks went 507 snaps between sacks allowed, dating back to the Western Michigan game and ending on the final play of the first half against Bryant.
- Monmouth has recorded at least four rushing touchdowns in three games this season.
- The Hawks had two players record multiple rushing touchdowns in the same game for the first time since Nov. 23, 2024, against Stony Brook.
- Monmouth had two players rush for at least 150 yards in the same game for the first time since Oct. 21, 2017.
- The Hawks have recorded a six-game winning streak in consecutive seasons.
 
Numbers Crunch
- Bryant had more first downs, 20-19.
- Bryant ran more offensive plays, 69-67.
- The Hawks outgained the Bulldogs, 400-297.
- Bryant had more time of possession, 31:08-28:52.
- MU was 8-of-15 on third down and 1-of-2 on fourth down.
- Bryant went 8-of-15 on third down and 0-of-2 on fourth down.
- Monmouth was 6-of-7 on redzone chances, and Hampton went 2-of-2.
- Each team had a pair of sacks – Monmouth for eight yards and Bryant for 19 yards.
- There was a total of seven penalties for 57 yards – MU had six for 52, while Bryant had one for five yards.
 
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