Monmouth University’s Dymere Miller Passes Miles Austin’s Single-Game Receiving Record

WEST LONG BRANCH – Monmouth University senior Dymere Miller had the greatest single game any receiver has ever had in the 30-year history of the program on Saturday, but there was one stat he would’ve taken over all the others.

Miller surpassed the single-game record of Monmouth’s most prominent alumnus, former Dallas Cowboys receiver Miles Austin, with a monster 333 yards receiving and two touchdowns on 11 catches, but it came in a 31-24 heartbreaker against New Hampshire on Senior Day at Kessler Stadium.

“Real frustrating,” Miller said. “The records is cool, but that's not really going to be the first thing on my mind throughout the rest of this weekend. It will hit sooner or later.”

It’s the highest single-game yardage total for any receiver in all of the FCS this season and the second-highest in the history of the Coastal Athletic Association. He was in striking distance of the single-game FCS record of 376 receiving yards set by former NFL wideout Kassim Osgood for Cal Poly in 2000.

His prolific day gave him 85 catches for 1,243 yards this season, which are both single-season school records. The 6-foot, 180-pound star from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, also showed out with multiple NFL scouts in attendance, including ones from the Giants, Jets and Broncos.

Anytime a receiver is doing something to surpass Austin at Monmouth, that is an accomplishment to savor. Austin, who was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2016, starred for the Hawks from 2002-05 before going on to become a two-time Pro Bowler in a 10-year NFL career. He had the previous single-game record of 235 yards against Sacred Heart in 2005.

“It's definitely great to sit up there with those group of guys,” Miller said. “Obviously I set goals for this season and I reached them, but I had bigger goals than just myself. I wanted to win a championship and win games, and we didn't do that.”

“We thought going in that we could put Dymere in some positions in the inside position where he could take advantage of some of their coverages,” Monmouth head coach Kevin Callahan said. “They're a quarters team primarily. He was going to have a safety defending him for most of the time, and we thought he could win those, and that's what happened. He had a great game.”

It ended in particularly frustrating fashion because Miller spent much of the Hawks’ final drive on the sideline with leg cramps after dominating all afternoon. He got back into the game with 21 seconds remaining and Monmouth down by seven with the ball at the New Hampshire 39-yard line.

Monmouth quarterback Marquez McCray, who finished with 402 yards passing and two scores, just missed connecting with Miller on a touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone after he reentered the game.

“I've got to stay healthy so that I can be 100 percent,” Miller said. “I just wasn't running my fastest out there. I've been having trouble with that all year, coming out of the game in the end of the game and not finishing in the fourth quarter. I've just got to work on that myself. Those are balls that I can get to.”

Miller was then nearly a hero when McCray’s pass to the end zone on the final play of the game was tipped. He dove for the deflection but couldn’t come up with it.

“Literally a fingertip,” he said.

Miller’s explosive all-around game was on full display in his record-setting afternoon. He caught a 15-yard pass over the middle and outraced the safety down the sideline for a 63-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Then he got behind the defense for a 53-yard catch that set up a field goal late in the third quarter.

“We just connected as soon as we got here,” Miller said about McCray. “When you've got a good quarterback who can throw the ball, obviously I'm going to get open. It's not hard to build that chemistry.”

Early in the fourth quarter, he came across the formation and took a little pop pass from McCray, patiently waited for a hole to open up, and then hit the accelerator through the seam for a 75-yard touchdown that gave Monmouth a 24-17 lead. Miller finished the day with a mind-boggling 183 yards after the catch.

Miller now has nine touchdown catches heading into the season finale next week on the road against the University of Albany. His heroics were ultimately not enough as New Hampshire scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to drop the Hawks to 4-6 overall and 3-4 in the CAA.