Offensive Outburst Sends Monmouth Football Past Gardner-Webb 49-28

Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs (3-4, 1-1 Big South) – 28
Monmouth Hawks (5-2, 2-0 Big South) - 49

WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Compiling seven touchdowns and 599 yards of total offense, the Monmouth University football team ran past Gardner-Webb on homecoming, 49-28.

Fifth-year quarterback Kenji Bahar (Baltimore, MD/Calvert Hall) completed 20-of-26 passes for 327 yards and three total touchdowns. He now has the most 300+ yard passing games in Monmouth history with six, and needs seven more passing yards to become the all-time program leader. Bahar also moved into second place all-time for touchdown passes (53).

Junior running back Pete Guerriero (Lyndhurst, NJ/Lyndhurst) exploded for 131 yards and two touchdowns in the third quarter alone, and ended with 186 rushing yards. Fifth-year running back Devell Jones added another two touchdowns to go along with 68 yards on the ground.

Junior wide receiver Terrance Greene Jr. (Philadelphia, PA/St. Joes) had a career day, catching eight passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Lonnie Moore Jr. went over 100 yards for the third time this season, grabbing five passes for 103.

Senior linebacker Da’Quan Grimes (Gaithersburg, MD/Damascus) once again led the team defensively with seven total tackles and a sack. Fifth-year defensive back Tymere Berry (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) also compiled seven tackles to go along with three pass breakups.

Monmouth has won three straight games over Gardner-Webb, outscoring the Runnin’ Bulldogs 146-84 in that span. The Hawks improve to 5-2 (2-0 Big South) on the season, and the team is now 14-1 at Kessler Stadium since 2017.

NOTES AND QUOTES
“Obviously I’m very happy with the win today, I thought it was a great all around effort. Particularly very happy with the effort our offensive put forth today. We got the running game going there in the second quarter and that opened up alot the passing game. Kenji was extremely accurate today, hit Terrance on a couple times on beautiful throws and catches and also hit Lonnie on a deep ball as well. Pete on the ground and also Devell did an exceptional job. I really need to commend the job our offensive line did. That’s a team that doesn’t like to give up the run, their defense is designed to stop the run and I thought we did a really good job running the ball against them.” – Monmouth Head Coach Kevin Callahan

“I think he was 20-of-26 today, as I said very accurate. Threw some really nice balls. The two to Terrance on the touchdowns were put in a perfect place. Then the one to Lonnie down the middle of the field, there was a safety trying to get there and overlap but he was able to drop it in there. I thought he was just on all day long. In addition to what he did throwing the ball, he made some key plays with his feet running.” Callahan on Kenji Bahar
“When the offensive line did as well as they did today, it’s kind of easy. Kudos to the line, when you have a line that’s protecting you, you can make plays, go through your reads and hit guys on the outside like the ones to Lonnie and Terrance.” – Kenji Bahar on making plays today

“We all feed off of each other. If one person makes a big play, we all go crazy. We all want to be the one making the big play but if someone else makes the play we all feel the same energy. Today I felt like we were swarming.” – Kahari Scarlett on the recent play of the defensive front seven

-The Monmouth defense forced a three-and-out on the first drive of the game. The offense went for it on a fourth-and-1 from the Gardner-Webb 49, and Jones picked up the first down with a seven-yard rush. On the very next play, Bahar launched a 42-yard touchdown down the middle to Greene Jr., putting Monmouth up 7-0.
-The Runnin’ Bulldogs answered with a 10-play, 60-yard touchdown drive to tie the game at 7-7.
-After Monmouth’s second drive stalled, sophomore punter Ryan Kost pinned Gardner-Webb at its own five.
-Early in the second quarter, Grimes sacked Gardner-Webb for a loss of 11, eventually forcing a punt.
-Bahar threw another touchdown to Greene Jr. two plays later, this time with a grab over the defender from 22 yards. Monmouth led 14-7 with 6:30 left in the second quarter.
-After another three-and-out forced by the Monmouth defense and a punt return to the 50 from Morales III, Jones pounded in a one-yard touchdown right before halftime. At the break, the Hawks led 21-7.
-Moore IV took the second half kickoff 45 yards into Gardner-Webb territory. Guerriero later broke one down the left sideline, going 58 yards for a touchdown to put the Hawks up 28-7.
-An eight-play, 50-yard touchdown drive from Gardner-Webb cut its deficit to 28-14.
-Junior wide receiver Brandon Batts grabbed two catches for 37 yards on the ensuing drive, and Bahar eventually put the Hawks up 35-14 with a five-yard rushing touchdown to the left side.
-Guerriero made a cut to the right and sprinted 65 yards for his second touchdown of the game. By the end the third quarter, Monmouth doubled up Gardner-Webb at 42-21.
-Early in the fourth, Bahar threw a perfect 50-yard pass down the seam to Moore IV. Jones later scored his second touchdown of the game, this one from four yards, to put Monmouth up 49-21.

-The offensive outburst continued, as the Runnin’ Bulldogs connected on a 45-yard touchdown pass just over three minutes later to finish the day’s scoring
NUMBERS CRUNCH

* The Hawks are 14-1 at the new Kessler Stadium dating back to 2017. MU has outscored opponents 607-366 in that span, averaging 40.5 points per game.
* Greene Jr. compiled six catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone.
* In the third quarter, Moore IV moved into second place all-time for kickoff return yards. He’s up to 1,111 in his career, just 244 yards behind the leader Mike Avent (2007-10).
* Guerriero is up to 2,780 career rushing yards. Only David Sinisi (2006-09) has more with 5,049. Guerriero also has a rushing touchdown in seven of his last eight games.
* Guerriero and Jones both have 24 career rushing touchdowns, which ranks t-5th all-time.
* A 41-yard punt return from sophomore Eddie Morales III set Monmouth up at the opponent’s 23. Morales finished with a career-high 66 punt return yards.
* Grimes leads the team with 47 tackles this season.
* Senior defensive lineman Kahari Scarlett registered a sack, and now has 5.5 in his career.
* Freshman defensive lineman DeAndre Clifton started for the first time in his career.
* Neither team turned the ball over.

UP NEXT
The Hawks will travel to Charleston Southern next Saturday. The Buccaneers have a slight 3-2 lead in the all-time series, but Monmouth has won the last two contests. Last season in West Long Branch, the Hawks won 37-3.