Monmouth Routs North Alabama 49-38 In Classic 'Trap' Game

Photos courtesy of Monmouth University

WEST LONG BRANCH – Coming off the one of the biggest wins in program history after defeating No. 4 Kennesaw St. on the road last week, Nineteenth-ranked Monmouth University avoided a letdown Saturday in a classic trap-game scenario against North Alabama.

North Alabama was fresh off a stunning last-second 25-24 upset win of Big South foe Campbell last week and that might’ve caught the Hawks attention.

“We’re currently tied for first place in the league with Campbell and it was important that we came out here and got a win coming off the win last week down in Kennesaw,” said Callahan when asked if he was worried about a letdown after last week’s huge win. “I thought we had a pretty good week of practice, I thought our guys stayed focused and North Alabama is a good football team - you got to give them credit they’ve been in every game they’ve played this year. But we're just happy we were able to get this one on top of last week’s win and looking to move ahead now.’

The Lions are the newest member of the Big South Conference, however, their games do not count against the Big South standing until next season.

To their credit, Monmouth stayed focused on the task at hand and built a 35-10 third quarter lead before cruising to a 49-38 win over North Alabama Saturday at Kessler Field in front of a chilly crowd on Parents Weekend.

The game wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated as North Alabama scored two touchdowns in a chaotic final 19 seconds of the game.

Monmouth (8-2, 4-0) stands alone atop of the Big South standings after Kennesaw St. beat Campbell 38-35 on Saturday. With two conference games remaining on their schedule the Hawks are in control of their own destiny. If they can beat Campbell (6-3, 3-1) on the road next Saturday then take care of Hampton (5-5, 1-3) at home on November 23 they will capture their first-ever Big South Championship.

The Hawks did get off to a bit slow start. Twice the Lions moved into the red zone in the first quarter but both times they coughed up the ball after being stripped by a Monmouth player.

Freshman safety Tyrese Wright stripped Lions quarterback Christian Lopez of the ball as he was scrambling and senior cornerback Tymere Berry recovered. On the second one, senior defensive tackle Russel Davidson hit running back Jaxton Carson and forced a fumble with senior defensive tackle Kyle Mullin recovering.

In all, the defense forced four fumbles – recovering three – while sacking Lopez five times. The unit recorded 11 tackles for loss and limited North Alabama to 55-yards rushing on the day. Lopez did finish with 383-yards passing but much of his yardage through the air came in garbage time.

The Hawks finished with 22 first downs and 470 yards of total offense.

Following the second North Alabama fumble, the Hawks drove 77 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead with 2:16 left in the first quarter. On second-and-2 from the Lions 27-yard line, senior quarterback Kenji Bahar connected with junior wideout Terrance Greene Jr. around the 20-yard line and Green Jr. did the rest.

Bahar completed 27-of-36 passes for 319 yards and five touchdowns to become Monmouth all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 61 eclipsing Brian Boland’s (2003-2006) mark of 58. The record is just one of the many Monmouth records Bahar has shattered this season and he could very well be on his way to claiming the Big South Offensive Player of the Year award.

“This being my fifth year and a being a veteran on the team I needed to step up to the plate with a lot of young guys on the team,” said Bahar. “Whether it’s me handing the ball off, me throwing the ball or me using my legs, whatever way I have to do it I’ll do it, and that’s a good position to be been put in.”

Greene Jr. had stellar game catching nine passes for 125 yards a touchdown, including a number of crucial third down receptions for first downs.

Bahar was intercepted, only his second pick in six weeks, on the Hawks next possession deep in their own territory at the 20-yard line by K.J. Smith, who returned it to the Hawks 10-yard line. Four plays later, on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line, Lopez found Cortez Hall at the 1-yard line and he extended the ball over the goal line for the touchdown to tie the game at seven a minute into the second quarter.

With just under nine minutes left in the half, the Lions decided to go for it on fourth-and-3 from their own 49. Lopez faded back to pass and was smothered for a nine-yard sack by senior linebacker Da’Quan Grimes.

Grimes, Wright, senior middle linebacker Evan Powell, senior defensive end Kahari Scarlett, and senior defensive end Kyle Mullen all recorded sacks in the game with Scarlett leading the team in tackles for loss with 2.5.

“I think we’re a very unique kind of defense that has a lot of playmakers on different levels,” said Powell. “We have D lineman making plays, linebackers, DB’s, young guys, old guys all trying to do their part and make plays and that’s what makes us very dangerous. And if we keep playing like this I think we’ll like where we’re at down the road .”

Monmouth now has 21 sacks this season after recording just 11 all of last year.

“We’ve been coming with a little more pressure than we have in the past,” said Callahan. “And it’s put our guys in to position to make those plays and put pressure on the quarterback and that leads to turnovers which you saw today.”

Following Powell's sack, the Hawks took over at the Lions 40-yard line. Five plays later Bahar found junior wideout Lonnie Moore IV in the back of the end zone and he laid it in to Moore beautifully for a 15-yard score to give the Hawks a 14-7 lead after Matt Mosquera’s extra-point kick with 7:09 remaining in the first half.

Mosquera was wide right on a 32-yard field goal attempt with 46 left in the half and the score stood at 14-7 at intermission.

Monmouth took control of the game with a nine play, 62-yard scoring drive to open the second half.

Bahar had two critical third-down runs for first downs to keep the drive alive before senior running back Devell Jones finished off the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to extend the Hawks lead to 21-7.

Following a Joe Gurley 25-yard field goal, the Hawks struck quickly. Bahar found senior tight end Quentin Parham wide open down the right sidelines for a 61-yard run-and-catch touchdown pushing the Monmouth lead to 28-10 with 6:23 left in the third quarter.

Powell’s 10-yard sack of Lopez on the Lions ensuing possession turned the ball over to the Hawks at the North Alabama 16-yard line and two plays later on second-and-15 at the 21-yard line, Bahar found Moore again and had his fourth touchdown pass of the game.

Moore IV made a sensational leaping grab on a ball that Bahar lofted to a spot only Moore could get to for a 21-yard touchdown that pushed the Hawks lead to 35-10 with 3:08 left in the third quarter.

It was Moore’s second touchdown of the game and he finished with five catches for 61 yards.

Between Moore and Greene Jr. the two combined for 14 receptions for 186 yards and three touchdowns.

“They’re two great receivers,” said Bahar. “I give them chances out there to make one-on-one plays and they’re coming down with the ball. Reggie (White Jr.) was a great player and an All-American but these guys are stepping up to the plate.”

North Alabama then scored two touchdowns in under three minutes to make it interesting, the second coming off the direct result of a blocked punt. One play after Jacob Terry blocked Ryan Kost’s punt, Lopez hit Carson for a 40-yard touchdown to pull within 35-24 with 13:51 remaining in the game.

Monmouth quickly put to rest any thought of a Lion comeback answering North Alabama’s threat with 10 play, 61-yard scoring drive followed by a nine play, 35-yard drive that gave the Hawks a 49-24 lead with 5:59 left in the game.

Parham, who’s two touchdown were the first of his career, gathered in Barhar’s fifth touchdown pass of the day on a third-and-goal from the eight to make it 42-24. And following Scarlett’s 14-yard sack of Lopez on fourth-and-9 at the 49, Jones pushed the lead to 49-24 finishing off the nine play, 35-yard drive for his second touchdown of the day, this one from 2-yards out, and his ninth of the season.

The Big South’s leading rusher, Pete Guerriero, had a quiet day - for him - rushing for 92 yards on 20 carries without scoring a touchdown for the first time since the fourth game of the season against Montana. Guerriero has 1,191 yards rushing and nine touchdowns on 210 carries for a 5.7 yards per carry average.

“They gave us a lot of different fronts, walking the linebacker up and coming with some double plus pressure a lot of times and it’s tough to run the ball into that stuff – they outnumber you,” said Callahan. “So, if they’re going to commit that many players to the line of scrimmage to stop the run then we’ve got to able to exploit them in the pass game and that’s what you saw today.”

All eyes are now on next week’s game at Campbell with a 1:00 p.m. kickoff scheduled.

“There’s not much room for error now, we just got to out and win each game we play,” Callahan added.

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