Monmouth University (2-2, 1-1 CAA) earned their first CAA win in a 49-42 upset against nationally-ranked Villanova (2-2, 0-1 CAA) on Saturday, Sept. 24.
The matchup drew a crowd of over 12,000 spectators at Villanova Stadium in Villanova, Pennsylvania for the Wildcats’ Family Day.
The Hawks started off strong with a four-play 75-yard drive that took just 1:45, initiated with a 43-yard pass play from quarterback Tony Muskett to wide receiver Dymere Miller. On the fourth play of the game, Muskett found wide receiver Assanti Kearney with an 18-yard pass to put Monmouth up 7-0. Notably, the Hawks held the lead for the entire matchup, never trailing the Wildcats.
Villanova responded on their first drive with several runs that ended with a nine-yard touchdown run from Jalen Jackson, tying the game 7-7 to end the first quarter.
The second quarter began with a 30-yard run from running back Jaden Shirden, kicking off a 10-play drive that ended with a three-yard run from teammate Owen Wright to secure another touchdown for the Hawks.
Villanova came back with a seven-play drive, ending in a one-yard touchdown run from Connor Watkins to tie the game 14-14 with almost two minutes left in the first half of play. However, Monmouth restored their lead with a mere 17 seconds left in the second quarter after Muskett found Miller for a six-yard touchdown pass, putting the Hawks up 21-14 going into the third quarter.
Villanova scored a touchdown on their opening drive of the second half to make it an even game, but the Hawks quickly responded with a 56-yard touchdown run from Shirden to gain the lead once again. The Wildcats ended the quarter with another touchdown, going 90 yards on eight plays to secure Jackson’s third rushing touchdown of the game with just over three minutes left in the quarter.
The fourth quarter was eventful for both teams, trading early touchdowns after Muskett hit Kearney with a 21-yard touchdown pass for Monmouth and Villanova came back four plays later with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Watkins to Rayjuon Pringle.
Monmouth’s Davis Smith secured an interception and return to set up Wright’s second touchdown of the game, making the score 42-35 with 6:21 left in the fourth. Villanova tied the game with a five-yard touchdown run from Watkins, making the score 42-42 with just over two minutes left in regulation. Monmouth ended the final quarter with a 16-yard touchdown run from Shirden to secure a 49-42 victory over the Wildcats after the teams traded scores for the full 60 minutes of play.
“The way the game was going, we had momentum and I knew we were going to score. Whether it was me or one of the receivers or one of the backs, we were going to score,” said Shirden.
Despite having a 34:38-25:22 advantage in time of possession, Villanova was unable to push ahead of Monmouth at any point during the matchup. The Hawks put up an amazing performance to dominate the ninth-ranked Wildcats in their first CAA victory, led by several key players. Muskett threw for 161 yards and three touchdowns, keeping his touchdown pass streak alive as he has now thrown for a score in 19 consecutive games and rushing for a career-high 78 yards. Kearney caught two touchdowns while Miller tallied five receptions for 62 yards. DaQuan Grimes finished with 12 tackles while Reid and Davis Smith had two takeaways.
Shirden has been an asset for Monmouth’s offensive effort throughout the season. The sophomore running back ran for 211 yards against Villanova, racking up two touchdowns for the Hawks while averaging 9.6 yards per rush. This marks his third consecutive week of surpassing 100-yards rushing, a feat that hasn’t been achieved since teammate Juwon Farri did it in the Spring 2021 season. Over his last three games, Shirden has rushed for 649 yards – this is the most for a Monmouth running back over a three-game stretch since Pete Guerriero ran for 697 yards in consecutive games against Campbell, Hampton, and Holy Cross late in the 2019 season. Shirden also became the 16th player in Monmouth history to rush for 1,000 career yards, a feat achieved in just 15 games.
“All credit to the offensive line. Without them I wouldn’t have had any of those yards. They played hard, they practiced hard all week. They were just focused, I saw the look on their faces to be dominant and they did a great job today,” said Shirden.
“I told the team last night and then again this morning that this was a game we could go out and win,” said head coach Kevin Callahan. “We had to take it one play at a time and the biggest thing was playing until there were zeros on the clock and we certainly did that – twice. Getting the first CAA Win is a great feeling and I am really happy for the team.”
Up next, the Hawks will return to Pennsylvania for another game on the road as they face Lehigh at Goodman Stadium on Saturday, Oct 1.
