In the first half of Monmouth’s game against North Carolina A&T on Saturday, it seemed like it was going to be a high scoring shootout, where the last team to get the ball would be the one to win the game.
However, the game turned into a battle of which defense would make the most plays, and in this game, it was Monmouth’s.
The Hawks defense gave up zero points in the second half to help the team win its seventh game in a row and remain undefeated in conference play.
Of the ten drives in the first half, six of them led to a score. Monmouth got the ball first to open the game, and it only took them 10 plays to march 90 yards into the endzone. A 39-yard run from Elijah Jennings set the Hawks up near the goal-line, and Nazir Treadwell finished the drive off with a 2-yard run from the wildcat to give Monmouth an early 7-0 lead. This marked the second game in a row that Monmouth got the ball first and scored a touchdown on their opening drive.
The Hawks defense quickly got the Aggie offense off the field via a three and out, giving Monmouth the ball back with a chance to extend their lead. Once again, it only took Monmouth 10 plays to drive down the field. This drive was highlighted by a 44-yard catch by wide receiver Gavin Nelson that set the Hawks up with goal to go. After a three yard run on first down, the Hawks lined up in the wildcat formation on section down. The Hawks snapped the ball and instead of running, flipped it back to Tra Neal who was sweeping across the field. Neal then passed the ball into the end zone to quarterback Frankie Weaver, who was lined up out wide and ran a route. Weaver, the man who usually throws the touchdown passes, was on the receiving end here and it gave the Hawks a 14-0 lead early in the game.
This lead would be Monmouth’s largest of the whole game, as North Carolina A&T quickly cut the Monmouth lead in half thanks to a 29-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter.
With the score now at 14-7, the Hawks got the ball back before punting for the first time on the day after stalling around the NC A&T 40 yard line.
The next Aggie drive was the longest of the game, as it took seven minutes off the game clock and lasted 16 plays. Starting at their own four yard line, the Aggies drove 91 yards and got into Monmouth’s red zone, but the drive stalled and North Carolina A&T was forced to settle for a field goal. Despite this, Monmouth’s lead was cut to four points.
After another Hawk punt, the Aggies took their first and only lead of the game thanks to a 20-yard, acrobatic catch by Michael Carlock-Williams with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. The score gave the Aggies 17 unanswered points.
North Carolina A&T’s lead only lasted for 29 seconds of game time. On 3rd & 9 around midfield, Weaver threw a deep ball to wide receiver Christian Harrison, who got behind the Aggie defender and walked into the end zone. The score was the Hawks third touchdown of the game and gave them a 21-17 lead.
Unexpectedly, Harrison’s touchdown was the last scoring of any type for the rest of the game. Both defenses put together second half shutouts after a 38 point first half. The second half had a total of 12 punts combined. In the third quarter, every single possession ended in a punt. North Carolina A&T was able to get into Monmouth territory twice, but each drive didn’t get close enough to at least field goal range. The first drive of the second half for the Aggies ended in a sack from Bryce Rooks and Avery Barnes.
Monmouth’s offense struggled in the third quarter, as they failed to get into NC A&T territory at any point. The only turnover of the game came in the fourth quarter when North Carolina A&T got inside of Monmouth’s 10-yard line looking to take the lead. On a second down run, quarterback Kevin White got to the Hawk one-yard line and Mir Haskett knocked the ball loose before White crossed the goal line. Donovan Fey recovered the fumble for the Hawks and prevented NC A&T from taking the lead.
The Aggies last chance to pull ahead in the game ended in a sack from J.J. Lewis forced them to punt stranded deep in their own territory. The Hawks needed one first down to ice the game, and they got it thanks to a 28-yard run from Kenny Smith Jr. that secured a 21-17 victory.
Weaver, despite only completing 14 passes, threw for 201 yards and a touchdown. Nelson and Harrison led the team with 61 receiving yards apiece. Jennings led the team on the ground with 115 yards rushing.
Defensively, Ryan Russo and Charlie Sasso each had eight tackles to lead the team, with Sasso having 1.5 tackles for loss. Lewis, Mounir Keshen, and Jahide Lesaine Jr. each had a sack, with Rooks and Barnes combining for a sack of their own.
With the win, Monmouth moved to 8-2 on the season and clinched at least a share of the CAA conference title. They have not yet clinched the outright title or the automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The only team that can catch Monmouth in the standings is Campbell. The Camels have two games left to play in conference play. If they lose against Elon on Saturday, Monmouth will clinch the outright CAA title and a bid to the FCS playoffs. If they win against Elon, the Nov. 21 matchup between Monmouth and Campbell will determine who gets the automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. Monmouth has a non-conference game against Merrimack on Saturday before the Campbell game.
As for North Carolina A&T, they fell to 4-6 on the season with the loss. They go on the road to face 1-9 Hampton on Saturday.
