Unwrapping Monmouth University's 31-28 Comeback Win At Dartmouth

WEST LONG BRANCH – Monmouth University watched a 21-7 lead evaporate as Dartmouth scored 21 unanswered points to take a 28-21 lead with 7:32 remaining in the third quarter.

Playing on the road for the fourth time in five games, the Hawks dug down deep and, with their backs against the wall, refused to be denied, rallying for a hard-earned 31-28 win at Dartmouth.

The victory carried added historical weight, marking the first-ever meeting between Monmouth and Dartmouth and giving the Hawks the opening win against the long-time Ivy League powerhouse. It also marked Monmouth’s first victory over an Ivy League opponent since the Hawks defeated Columbia, 61-28, on October 11, 2014.

“When you win on the road and beat an Ivy League school, especially on the road, I love that for our program,” said Monmouth head coach Jeff Gallo. “This was about getting some respect, playing well against a quality team, getting a quality win.

“I love the fight they had,” Gallo said of his team. “When we had to get a stop, we got the stop. When we had to close the show, we closed the show.”

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM MONMOUTH’S GUTSY ROAD WIN

FRANKIE WEAVER PUT LAST WEEK’S MELTDOWN BEHIND HIM AND DELIVERED AN MVP PERFORMANCE: Weaver came out firing in a heavyweight road test at Dartmouth, delivering a clutch performance when the Hawks needed him most. With Monmouth on the ropes, Weaver took the pressure head-on and drove the Hawks to the tying and winning scores, putting his stamp on one of the Hawks' most dramatic comeback wins in program history.

He was 20-of-25 for 187 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone, including converting on four third-down possessions on the Hawks' first scoring drive. He finished 33-of-42 for 313 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. With the Hawks trailing 28-21, Weaver engineered a nine-play, 50-yard scoring drive with 12:56 remaining in the game, completing three critical passes on the drive to put Monmouth in scoring position at the 12-yard line. Junior running back Kenny Smith Jr. finished off the drive with runs of eight and four yards, with the latter accounting for the score that knotted the game at 28-28. He then drove the Hawks down to the Dartmouth six-yard line for the game-winning field goal.

MONMOUTH RUSHES FOR 170 YARDS, GRINDS DOWN DARTMOUTH ON GAME-WINNING DRIVE: On the Hawks' game-winning drive, following two Weaver completions, they ran the ball 10 consecutive times down to the six-yard line to set up the winning field goal. Nazir Treadwell converted a crucial third-and-1 at the Dartmouth 43-yard line, slicing through the line for a seven-yard pickup. Smith Jr. ran for 30 yards on five carries behind Monmouth’s vaunted offensive line that pounded the Dartmouth front into submission. Smith Jr. finished with 93 yards on 23 attempts and one touchdown, a four-yard scoring plunge up the middle, that tied the game at 28-28. Redshirt sophomore Elijah Jennings added 68 yards on 18 attempts and a one-yard touchdown run, capping an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive on the Hawks' first possession of the game.

HARRISON HAS BREAKOUT GAME, GENROSS SETS CAREER HIGH: Transfer Christian Harrison had a game-high nine receptions for 79 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown catch that gave the Hawks an early 14-7 lead. He also had a 13-yard catch on fourth-and-3 on a third-quarter drive and a critical 12-yard reception on a third-and-10 down to the Dartmouth 38-yard line that kept the Hawks' game-tying drive alive; one play later, he added 10- and 4-yard receptions that moved the ball to the Dartmouth 12-yard line. Two plays later, Smith Jr. found the end zone to knot the game at 28-28. On that drive, transfer Greg Genross added a 12-yard reception down to Dartmouth 26 to keep the drive moving. Genross had five receptions for 79 yards, a career high. He did, though, have a critical fumble. With Dartmouth leading 28-21 late in the third quarter, the Hawks had a first down at the Dartmouth 40-yard line when Weaver found Genross for 35 yards, but the 6-foot-7 tight end fumbled at the five-yard line, and Dartmouth recovered. Tight end Marcus Middletown caught five passes for 33 yards, including several pivotal second-half receptions. Wideout Gavin Nelson added seven receptions for 51 yards, and Tra Neal had three catches for 55 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown catch that gave the Hawks a 21-7 lead.

YOU CAN’T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT MONMOUTH’S OFFENSIVE LINE: Monmouth’s offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage again, driving Dartmouth’s front off the ball and clearing running lanes for a 170-yard rushing attack. Its dominance showed when it mattered most, as the Hawks hammered out 10 consecutive runs on the final drive, marching to the six-yard line to set up the winning field goal. The front also kept Weaver clean, surrendering no sacks for the second straight game and just two through five games, which ties them for second-best in the country.

DEFENSE GETS GASHED EARLY, SLAMS THE DOOR LATE: After Dartmouth opened the second half with a touchdown drive, converting five third downs and improving to 9-of-11 for the game to take a 28-21 lead, the Monmouth defense had surrendered 321 yards of total offense. They had no answer for mobile quarterback Greyson Saunier and redshirt freshman running back Myles Craddock, who rushed for a career-high 148 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. The Hawks couldn’t contain Saunier’s runs out of the pocket, and they had no answer for the former Rhode Island Gatorade Offensive Player of the Year. Honestly, the game looked like it was going to turn into a rout. The defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed, let alone Dartmouth’s relentless ground attack, which piled up 235 yards on the ground and averaged 5.5 yards per attempt. Then, something clicked for the defense. From there, the Hawks' defense forced a punt, a fumble, another punt, and a missed 59-yard field goal attempt that would’ve set a new Dartmouth record. The defense held them to 79 yards during that span, but more importantly, it gave the Hawks offense the opportunity to go out and win the game. Linebacker Ryan Russo had another strong game, finishing with 11 total tackles, including an impressive 10 solo stops and a forced fumble. Edge Mounir Keshen added four tackles, three solo stops, a sack, a TFL, and two QB hits. He now has 2.5 sacks, tied for the team lead.

CAN MONMOUTH FIND A RELIABLE PLACEKICKER? Incredibly, the Hawks attempted just two field goals last season. That’s not a misprint. They couldn’t trust anyone on the team to even make a short kick. Drives ended in turnover on downs because they lacked a placekicker they could trust. This season, Sky Sholder won the job, but the jury is still out on him. Against Dartmouth, he missed a 41-yarder before banging his chip-shot, game-winning field goal off the uprights, which then barely eked through. Maybe Sholder is the answer; I hope so, but he needs to show more than what I saw Saturday.

“And now we’re back to 0-0,” said Gallo. “If you look too far ahead or too far behind, it doesn’t do you any favors. We’re going to be really locked in on what this challenge is this week. Learn from this game – hopefully build some confidence off it – but learn from it. And see if you can take another step here at home.”

Monmouth returns home to face Towson this Saturday.