Monmouth University Looks To End Two-Game Skid As Fordham University Visits

Photo above courtesy of Monmouth University: Basile holds ball high after interception in last weeks game

WEST LONG BRANCH – After absorbing their first conference loss of the season last weekend to Charleston Southern, Monmouth University will face another stern test this Saturday when Patriot League power Fordham visits Kessler Field for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.

The Hawks (2-2) will be looking to break a two-game skid after losses to FBS (D1-A) member Kent State two weeks ago and last Saturdays 35-7 loss to Big South juggernaut Charleston Southern - ranked No. 9 nationally.

In that game, Monmouth hung tough holding the Buccaneers to seven first-half points before Charleston Southern scored on a Mike Holloway 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second half to go up 14-0.

Monmouth could’ve easily folded after that deflating start to the half but the Hawks answered with an 11 play, 77-yard drive culminating in a Cody Williams to Reggie White Jr. 31-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-14. However, Charleston Southern then went on to score 21-unanswered points as their triple-option rushing attack had the Hawks worn down and ate up huge chunks of the clock in the process.

The Buccaneers rolled up 322 yards on the ground and 456 yards of total offense as their rarely seen triple-option offense gave the Hawks fits, especially in the second half when the Hawks bend but don’t break defense finally broke. The win marked Charleston Southern’s 10th straight against the Big South, which they won with a perfect 6-0 record last season and finished ranked seventh in the country.

Fordham, who picked up 15 votes in this week’s ESPN FCS top 25 poll and are on the bubble, come’s into Kessler Field sporting a 2-1 record after losing 52-16 to the Navy in their season opener in a game that was statistically a lot closer than the score would indicate. The Midshipmen did pile up 427 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns out of the difficult to defend triple-option offense but only outgained the Rams by a 550-464 margin with Fordham passing for 302 yards and rushing for 162-yards.

The Rams also held a one minute advantage in time of possession and had 24 first downs to Navy’s 18. A lost fumble on the opening kickoff with Navy scoring on the next play and going 8-of-18 on third down conversions certainly didn’t help their cause. They also lost second team All-Patriot league linebacker Niko Thorpe and defensive line stalwart Manny Adeyeye to injuries just prior to the game.

They rebounded nicely the next week blowing out Elizabeth City State University 82-21 in a game they outgained their opponent 707-220. The following game, they beat a very good University of Pennsylvania squad – picked to finish second in the Ivy League – 31-17 at Jack Coffey Field. Junior running back Chase Edmonds rumbled for 162-yards rushing and three touchdowns and senior quarterback Kevin Anderson passed for 231 yards and one touchdown.

Edmonds and Anderson were two of 40 players named to the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) FCS National Player of the Year Trophy Watch List prior to the season and haven’t disappointed.

Edmonds was named a consensus All-American as well as the 2015 Patriot League and ECAC Offensive Player of the Year after rushing 251 times for 1,638 yards and 20 touchdowns while also catching 31 passes for 383 yards and five scores in 2015. Over his career he’s rushed for 3,486 yards and 43 touchdowns, both second best on the Fordham career lists. He needs just 752 yards and one touchdown to become Fordham’s all-time rushing and scoring leader. This season Edmonds has gained 377 yards on the ground with 6.0 per carry average and four touchdowns while catching seven Anderson passes for 112 yards and a touchdown.

Last season Anderson went 229-for-342 for 3,183 yards with 32 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in leading Fordham to a spot in the final FCS top 25. This year he’s picked up right where he left off going 62-for-106 for 748 yards passing with six touchdowns and two interceptions and a 133.5 quarterback rating.

Anderson leads an explosive offense - currently ranked ninth in rushing and 18th passing nationally. They run a no huddle, high-tempo spread offense that takes advantage of misplaced defenders utilizing the zone-read game and play action concepts off of it.

His main targets in the spread are Austin Longi (15-195-2 TD’s), Jorge Solano (10-86) Robbie Cantelli (9-108-2 TD’s), Phazahn Odom (5-85-TD) and Jordan Allen (2-90-TD). Behind Edmonds, Kendall Pearcey (26-211-2 TD’s) and D’Angelo Palladino (19-119-TD) are capable are taking it to the house on any given play.

Odam, a 6-foot-8, 250 pound senior tight end was a second team All-Patriot pick last season as was 6-foot-5, 300 pound Anthony Coyle, who anchors the offensive line.

After allowing 451-yards rushing against Navy, the Rams defense has rebounded nicely surrendering just 298 yards on the ground in their two wins and rank No.1 among FCS teams allowing just 118 yards per game passing in three games.

With Thorpe and Adeyeye still out, senior linebacker George Dawson has really stepped up for the Rams defense recording a team-leading 19 tackles (14 solo) with two tackles for losses, a sack, three interceptions, three pass breakups and six passes defended. Freshman linebacker Max Roberts is second on the team with 16 tackles, four tackles for losses and three sacks while sophomore cornerback Dylan Roberts also checks in with 16 tackles.

Junior free safety Caleb Ham has registered 13 tackles (8 solo) and first team All-Patriot League cornerback Jihaad Pretlow leads the team with six passes defended and six broken up along with 13 tackles. Defensive ends Ty Green (8 tackles, 1.5 sacks) and Brandan Weir (8 tackles, 1.5 sacks) provide outstanding speed from the outside.

The Hawks will have their hands full for the third game in a row against the high-flying Rams offense. Hopefully last week’s defensive performance was an aberration and can be chalked up to the triple option.

Leading up to the Charleston Southern loss Monmouth’s defense had been solid, especially in their two wins. Against Patriot League foe Lehigh they held the Mountain Hawks to 239 total yards (159 passing, 80 rushing) and Delaware St. managed just 221 total yards (97 passing, 124 rushing) in Monmouth’s 34-20 win. Kent State - a FBS team - picked up 343 total yards against the Hawks with 235 yards coming on the ground and 108 via the pass.

Monmouth’s defense is led by preseason All-American selection Mike Basile, who’s averaging 11 tackles per game with 28 solo tackles to his credit. He has one interception, three blocked punts, one FR, one TFL, one QBH and one PD.

Senior middle linebacker Payton Minnich is second on the team with 25 tackles plus two TFL, one sack and a FF. Defensive end Darnell Leslie (19 tackles, three TFL, one sack and two FR) and defensive tackle Dimitrius Smith (16 tackles, QBH, blocked pass) anchor the defensive line.

Safety’s Teddie Martinez (16 tackles) and Marcus Leslie (14 tackles, one INT and one PD) are nice complements to Basile in the secondary with senior Kamau Dumas (six tackles, one TFL, one INT, three PBU, four PD) having an outstanding year at cornerback.

After rushing for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the Hawks win at Lehigh, then picking up 50 yards on nine carries against Delaware State before leaving the game with an injury in the first half, second team All-Big South running back Lavon Chaney returned against Charleston Southern. However, he still appeared to be slowed by injury rushing for just 42 yards on 14 carries. Senior Zach Welch, who did a nice job in Chaney’s absence, has rushed for 181 yards on 43 carries and two touchdowns.

Chaney, who rushed for 864 yards and seven touchdowns with another 176 yards receiving and one touchdown a year ago, is expected to start and a healthy Chaney would be a big boost to Monmouth’s chances.

Sophomore quarterback Cody Williams (53-94-1, 556 yards, TD) has been inconsistent. He has all the talent in the world looking like a world-beater on one drive then has you scratching your head on the next. Monmouth needs a big game out of Williams for them to have any chance at winning this game. Redshirt freshman quarterback Kenji Bahar (19-30-1, 195 yards) is waiting in the wings should Williams falter.

Sophomore wide receiver Reggie White Jr. has really come into his own this season catching 25 balls for 275 yards and a touchdown and together with first team All-Big South pick Darren Ambush (17-178) provide Williams with two big-time targets to get the ball to.

A win Saturday would do wonders for the Hawks who were visibly down after last week’s loss. They need to regroup, put that loss behind them and focus on Fordham. A win here won’t be easy, but to get to where the Hawks want to get as a program beating Fordham at home would be a gigantic step in the right direction and is by no means out of the question.

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