Monmouth football bulldozed over the Runnin’ Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb in their Homecoming game on Saturday at Kessler Stadium by a score of 49-28 led by Big South Offensive Player of the Week, fifth year quarterback Kenji Bahar.
Bahar, the Preseason Big South Offensive Player of the Year, converted 20 of his 26 passes on the afternoon compiling 327 yards through the air and three total touchdowns. He leads the entire league in total offense, passing yards, and completion percentage while also being just seven yards shy of passing former Hawk Brian Boland for most passing yards in program history.
“When the offensive line did as well as they did today, it’s kind of easy,” said Bahar. “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 (Moore IV) and Terrance (Greene Jr.).”
Bahar led a Hawks offense that totaled seven touchdowns on the day and 599 yards total with 237 coming through the air and 272 on the ground.
Junior wide receiver Terrance Greene Jr. was Bahar’s go-to-guy on Saturday hauling in a career-best eight catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns both coming in the first half of play.
His first touchdown kicked off the game’s scoring on MU’s first drive as Bahar took a shot downfield to Greene Jr. for a 42-yard touchdown following a fourth down conversion for the 7-0 lead.
Monmouth’s next score also came from Greene Jr. in the second quarter after Gardner-Webb had tied the game up, the receiver leaped over the defender to snag a 22-yard touchdown from Bahar giving the blue and white a 14-7 lead.
It looked like this would be the score going into intermission before sophomore returner Eddie Morales III took a strong burst into Gardner-Webb territory setting up the first of fifth year running back Devell Jones’ two touchdowns on the day making it a 21-7 halftime score.
Monmouth opened up the second half of play with a 45-yard return from junior wide receiver Lonnie Moore IV that set up the long 58-yard breakaway touchdown down the sideline from junior running back Pete Guerriero who finished the day with 186 rushing yards and two scores.
“Pete on the ground and also Devell did an exceptional job,” said Head Coach Kevin Callahan. “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.”
Bahar’s third touchdown of the game came in the third quarter on the ground from five yards out followed by Guerriero’s second touchdown from 65 yards out to put the Hawks in front 42-21 to begin the fourth quarter.
The blue and white tacked on one more score in the final quarter of play while allowing one as well to result in the 49-28 final improving their record to 5-2 on the year and 2-0 in Big South play.
“We all feed off of each other. If one person makes a big play, we all go crazy,” said senior defensive lineman Kahari Scarlett. “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.”
Scarlett helped lead a defensive attack that combined for five tackles for loss with Scarlett contributing 1.5 himself and five tackles.
Senior linebacker Da’Quan Grimes also had seven tackles two of which went for a loss of yardage.
The Hawks will now leave home for the first time in weeks as they travel to Charleston Southern on Saturday Oct. 26 to face the 2-5 Buccaneers at 6:00 p.m.
PHOTO COURTESY of Monmouth Athletics
