newjerseynewsroom.com

BY JEREMY SCHILLING

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. -- Monmouth University football has lost games this year in varying fashions. They have had too many turnovers, too many penalties, and got swept away in a rain, wind and snow storm.

Today, they had their playoff hopes end because of they simply gave up too many big plays over the middle of the field.

The stat sheet said it all: six running backs and receivers for Albany had their longest play be of 20 yards or more. They exploited the weaknesses of the Hawks defense, which has now had two consecutive poor performances.

“As you look at the game, I think it was very simple,” head coach Kevin Callahan said afterwards. “Albany demonstrated the ability to make some big plays with their offense. I think that was really the story of it. The [62] yard run, the screen pass that followed that up really was the difference in the game. That created a gap where we had to get out of what we would typically do and play a different type of game. I think ultimately the story of the game was…our defense giving up big plays.”

This game was all nodded up at 17 with 5:12 left in the third quarter, but the Hawks’ missed assignments and blown coverages soon started to add up. Two plays after a Monmouth punt, Drew Smith burst 62 yards for an Albany touchdown, which made it 24-17 with 1:36 left in the period.

On their next possession, Albany missed a 52-yard field goal, so Monmouth got the ball back at their own 35 yard line early in the fourth quarter only down a score. But quarterback Craig Peterson made his one big mistake of the day, an interception to Leon Saddler.

“We actually had him beat on the play,” Peterson said. “It was a sprint-out [and] we did a good job sealing the edge. But I think one of the linebackers came once he saw I was sprinting out and I just really wasn’t able to get it off as clean as I would have liked to.”

Albany turned the turnover into points when their coaching staff called the perfect play for the situation at hand:  a screen pass to combat a seemingly endless blitz by the Hawks. The defense left running back Dillon Romain uncovered and he would run 53 yards for the easy touchdown, putting the Great Danes up 31-17 with 8:39 left in the fourth.

Following a Monmouth punt, Albany put the game out of reach for good when they reached into their bag of tricks. Smith took the direct snap with the Danes in punt formation and threw it to Justinian Mason for the 44-yard catch and run touchdown to make it 38-17 with 6:35 left in the game.

Albany would add a 39-field goal and Peterson found wide receiver Tristan Roberts in the closing seconds for a 31-yard score to make the final outcome 41-24 Albany.

Peterson finished with 32-for-49 passing for 296 yards and two touchdowns along with the one interception. Julian Hayes ran the ball 18 times for 78 yards and one touchdown.

Monmouth got on the board first when Eric Spillane hit a 37-yard field goal to make it 3-0 after the opening possession of the game.

Albany took the lead soon after, however, after Smith capped off a two-play drive with a score from one yard out. A Dan Di Lella to Cole King 32-yard throw and catch set up the touchdown.

The second quarter featured two touchdowns. The first was tight end Mike McLafferty’s six-yard reception from Peterson that capped off a 16-play, 78 yard drive to give the Hawks a 10-7 lead.

The Albany response was another big play and another quick strike. On the third play of their possession, Di Lella hit tight end Brian Parker who was wide open over the middle of the field for the score, making the score 14-10 Great Danes late in the first half.

Albany had another chance to score a touchdown right before the end of the half but Monmouth had a successful goal line stand, with linebacker Mike Upham making the stop on fourth and goal.

Monmouth got a touchdown to start the third quarter when Hayes ran it in from five yards out to make it 17-14. Albany tied it up a few minutes later with a Herb Glass 23-yard field goal, and soon the floodgates opened for Albany, leading them to victory.

Di Lella finished 16-for-26 passing for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Smith ran for 131 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns.

Monmouth finishes their season next Saturday at home against Wagner. Kickoff is Noon. It will be Senior Day for the Hawks. The most noteworthy senior on the squad is star safety Jose Gumbs.