STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., September 17, 2017 – The No. 20 Monroe College football team hit the road once again to take on the Wagner College junior varsity team on Sunday, and took down the Seahawks by a score of 45-3 with a strong defensive effort at Wagner College Stadium. The Mustangs improve to 3-0 on the season, with all three victories coming on the road so far.
 
The defense shined in Sunday's win, evidenced by the three points the Seahawks managed to score in the game. The Mustangs were dominant in the trenches, making a ludicrous 16 tackles for loss, as well as four sacks. They also scored a pair of defensive touchdowns, forced three fumbles, recovered two of them, and added an interception.
 
The Mustangs were unable to get anything going on their first drive, stalling on their own 45-yard line and being forced to punt. Wagner's returner made the mistake of not calling for a fair catch, and was lit up by Joshua Boyd, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Monroe at the Wagner 15-yard line. Three plays later, Jalen Brown came in to take the snap, and rushed it in from three yards out for Monroe's first touchdown of the game, putting the Mustangs ahead, 6-0.
 
Dejohn Rogers set the Mustangs up in good field position after a 25-yard punt return that put Monroe just across midfield. The Mustangs took their time, using nine plays to eventually score and double the lead. One on one-yard line, Sean Kelly took the snap and quickly shoveled it forward to the motion-man Aaron Lewis, who then ran a sweep to the left and found his way over the goal line for the score.
 
Three plays into Wagner's next drive, Darrius Stokes jumped in front of the receiver for the interception, and worked his way across the field, shaking off would-be tacklers left-and-right, finding pay dirt down the left side of the field for the touchdown to make it a 19-0 game early in the second quarter. With under two minutes to play in the half, Jake Smith pinned the Seahawks deep into their own territory with a 53-yard punt down to the four. After a penalty put the Seahawks on the one-yard line, Jason Simon broke into the backfield to strip the quarterback, and Jeremy Perry was able to secure it in the end zone for Monroe's second defensive score of the day, making it a 25-0 lead heading into halftime.
 
Late in the third quarter, the Mustangs found their rhythm once again, working their way to the Wagner 32 with a couple of big plays. None was bigger than the final play of the drive, when Kelly hit Tyler Hodge streaking down the right sideline for a 32-yard touchdown, making it 32-0 in favor of the Mustangs.
 
Wagner got on the board for the first and only time in the game after a nine-play, 51-yard drive that resulted in a 26-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. Later in the final frame, De'Ron Maxwell fielded a short punt at the Monroe 45, and took it 17 yards to the Wagner 38 to give the Mustangs another short field. Jalen Brown then fired a rocket up the seam to Nyjaliek Williams, who sprinted into the end zone for six, pushing the lead to 39-3 after the extra point.
 
After holding the Seahawks for what appeared to be the final time in the game, the Mustangs were looking to run out the clock after getting the ball back with 27 seconds remaining. Makiya Caesar took the handoff that could have ended the game, but managed to break right through the line and find nothing but daylight ahead of him, shedding one final tackler down the field for a 74-yard touchdown run.
 
Kelly completed 12-of-19 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns on the evening, improving his season total to seven touchdown passes and 11 total scores through three games. He also rushed for 33 yards on six carries. Brown was productive in his few snaps, completed one-of-two passes for a 38-yard touchdown, and rushing four times for eight yards and another score. Tyler Bailey rushed 12 times for 87 yards, adding two receptions for 19 more yards. Hodge caught two passes for 45 yards and a touchdown, while Aaron Lewis hauled in four passes for 43 yards and a score.
 
Simon tied for a team-high nine tackles, four of which went for a loss of yards, two were sacks, and he also forced two fumbles in a huge defensive effort. Clayton Glasco also made nine total tackles, three of which resulted in a loss of yards. Tyrik Glenn and Gene Brown combined for a sack. Stokes made Monroe's lone interception and took it to the house for six.
 
With three wins in the bag, the Mustangs finally end their road trip on Saturday, Sept. 23, when they visit Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster, Pa. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. The Mustangs will then begin a three-week home stand the following weekend.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 26 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's rugby, and the newly added club women's rugby team, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, will have six teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level beginning in the fall of 2017.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe College Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs), and follow Mustang football on Twitter (@MJCMustangs).
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