30-29 at Lafayette
in season opener
Monmouth falls
30-29 at Lafayette
in season opener
By tim morris
Staff Writer
Monmouth University opens its Northeast Conference (NEC) football season at home tomorrow against NEC’s defending champion, Sacred Heart.
The Hawks (0-1) will be looking to pick up their first win of the season after dropping a 30-29 decision to Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. last Saturday.
A 32-yard field goal by the Leopards’ Martin Brecht with just 1:11 remaining in the game provided the winning margin for Lafayette.
Monmouth had a 16-0 lead in the second quarter on a 29-yard touchdown run by Bobby Smith and a Bill Rankin-to-Miles Austin scoring strike from 41 yards out.
Ryan Peterson had put the Hawks up 3-0 in the first quarter on a 33-yard field. He kicked the extra point following Smith’s touchdown, but Lafayette blocked the PAT following Rankin’s touchdown pass to make it 16-0.
That blocked extra point would loom large later in the game.
Lafayette stormed back from the 16-0 deficit with a 17-0 run. Brecht’s 41-yard field goal made it 16-3. Joe McCourt’s six-yard TD run highlighted a three-play 57-yard drive.
The Leopards struck 1:29 later following a Monmouth fumble. Marko Glavic found John Wyrauch racing down the sideline past the Hawk secondary and hit him for a 37-yard scoring strike. Brecht’s extra point gave Lafayette its first lead, 17-16.
Monmouth would take the lead before the half expired on another Rankin pass.
This time his four-yard pass to Jay Wolfstirn capped a beautiful eight-play, 80-yard drive that took 3:09. Rankin completed four passes.
The Hawks went for a two-point conversion, but fullback Mike DiBella was stopped short of the end zone, leaving Monmouth to take a 22-17 lead into the locker room.
Both teams scored touchdowns in the third quarter as Monmouth took a 29-24 lead into the fourth quarter.
Monmouth opened the second half with a defensive score. With Lafayette driving, linebacker Joe Sentipal put a hard hit on Glavic, forcing a fumble that Todd Stevens picked up and ran 68 yards for a touchdown.
With the extra point, Monmouth was up 29-17.
Lafayette’s third-quarter score was a McCourt 18-yard drive that culminated an eight-play, 80-yard drive.
Trailing 29-24 in the fourth quarter, the Leopards pulled out the win when Brecht converted field goals of 22 and 32 yards in the final quarter. Both kicks were after long drives by the Leopards.
Monmouth did get one last chance to win it, but Peterson’s long 45-yard field goal attempt was wide left.
Rankin had one of the finest passing games of his career, going 16-31 for 225 yards with two touchdowns. He threw no interceptions.
Smith picked up 72 yards on 17 carries. Bill Worfolk was the top receiver, with four catches for 44 yards.
Monmouth picked up 337 yards of total offense.
With four solo stops and 14 assisted tackles, Sentipal led the defensive effort.
Monmouth, whose defense was nationally ranked in 2001, will be looking to shore up a defense that permitted 465 total yards and 23 first downs to Lafayette.
Sacred Heart dropped its season opener, 38-27, to Marist.
The kick-off time for tomorrow’s important NEC game is 1 p.m.