CEDAR FALLS, Iowa, December 2, 2021 – Three straight seasons earning an invitation to a bowl game for the No. 6-ranked Monroe College Mustangs football team, but in their return to Iowa for The Graphic Edge Bowl, the Mustangs have their sights set on their first-ever bowl-game victory when they take on No. 10 Iowa Central Community College this Sunday, Dec. 5, at the UNI Dome.
 
GAME INFORMATION:
2021 The Graphic Edge Bowl: Feature Game
Sunday, Dec. 5 – 3:00 PM EST
UNI Dome
Cedar Falls, Iowa
 
No. 6 Monroe College (10-0)
vs.
No. 10 Iowa Central Community College (8-2)
 
GAME COVERAGE:
Live Stream: YouTube.com/TritonNation
Live Stats: MonroeCollegeMustangs.com/FBLiveStats
 
MONROE'S BOWL HISTORY:
The Graphic Edge Bowl this year marks the third straight season in which they have played that the Mustangs have earned a bowl-game invitation. Monroe's first bowl game appearance was in the Opening Game of The Graphic Edge Bowl in 2018 against the same Tritons from Iowa Central. The Mustangs then got an opportunity to play in the Salt City Bowl in 2019 at Hutchinson Community College.
 
Back in 2018, the No. 12-ranked Mustangs fell to No. 16 Iowa Central, 34-20, at the UNI Dome. Monroe fell behind early in the game and was unable to overcome the two-score deficit from the first quarter. Quarterback Jalen Brown completed 16-of-33 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the game, including a beautiful catch and run by running back Tyler Bailey for an 83-yard score. Bailey finished with 4 receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown through the air.
Read the full game recap here
 
The following year, the No. 18-ranked Mustangs took on No. 3 Hutchinson at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson, Kan., in the 11th annual Salt City Bowl. The Mustangs went score-for-score with the Blue Dragons in the first quarter before the home team scored three straight times in the second to take a 31-10 advantage into halftime. The Mustangs stayed competitive in the second half, but was unable to overcome the deficit, falling, 45-23.
 
Lucas Nunez shined for Monroe on offense that day with five receptions for 116 yards and a 57-yard touchdown. On defense, Tim Donnahue made a game-high 11 tackles and earned the game's Defensive MVP award.
Read the full game recap here
 
THE STATS:
Both the Mustangs and Tritons have had impressive seasons, and the statistics suggest a very competitive game on Sunday. As a team, the Mustangs are tops in the NJCAA in total defense, allowing just 211.3 yards from scrimmage per game, while ranking third in run defense (62.6 yards per game) and sixth in pass defense (147.7 yards per game). Monroe is tied for second in interceptions (18), fourth in fumble recoveries (15) and first in the NJCAA in defensive touchdowns (8). Monroe is also the fourth-ranked scoring defense, allowing just 13.6 points per game.
 
Offensively, Monroe ranks first in passing yards per attempt (10.3) and third in passing yards per completion (16.2). Monroe is sixth in the NJCAA in points scored (395) and seventh in scoring average (39.5 points per game). The Mustangs are tied for eighth with 24 rushing touchdowns.
 
Iowa Central ranks near the top in many categories as well. The Tritons are second in scoring with 431 points and 43.1 points per game, while ranking fourth in total offense with 475.7 yards per game. They lead the NJCAA with 34 passing touchdowns and rank eighth with 5.4 yards per rush this season.
 
On defense, Iowa Central is tied with Monroe with 18 interceptions. The Tritons are tied for seventh in the nation with 16.3 points per game allowed.
 
Monroe quarterback Shelton Applewhite Jr. leads the NJCAA in pass efficiency with a 189.8 rating. He is third in completion percentage (65.0 percent), ninth in yards (1,929) and seventh in touchdown passes (22). Troy Booker is the team's leading rusher with 497 yards on 92 carries, adding three scores. Kimon O'Sullivan leads the Mustangs with eight rushing touchdowns, rushing for 320 yards on 78 attempts. Halim Dixon-King has caught 31 passes for 663 yards and nine touchdowns on the season.
 
Zharell Walker leads the defense with 44 tackles on the season. Andrew Hardin has snagged three interception, while each of Sverri Finsson, Jakai Coker, Edmund Dennis and Tyee Martin Jr. has two picks apiece. Dennis has a team-high six pass breakups, while Hardin and Payton Edwards have four apiece. Coker, Walker and Michael Lufile have each forced three fumbles.
 
Iowa Central quarterback Byron Jarrett is also one of the NJCAA's leading passers this season. He ranks second in touchdown passes with 28, fifth in passing yards per game (249.8) and fifth in pass efficiency (163.6). Daylen Boddie leads the team with 621 rushing yards, but Jarrett has rushed a team-high 129 times for 534 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. Desna Washington is the Tritons' leading receiver with 35 receptions for 755 yards and 10 touchdowns.
 
Noah Epley is the Tritons' leading tackler with 60 on the season. Tristin Waugh has picked up six sacks. Four different defenders have grabbed three interceptions apiece for the Tritons, including CJ Christian, who is also tied for the team lead with two fumble recoveries.
 
THE REGULAR SEASON:
The Mustangs and Tritons took two different paths to reach Sunday's bowl game, a game they have dominated in for years. Monroe finished a perfect 10-0 in 2021, the team's first 10-win season and first undefeated regular season. Monroe had impressive victories over No. 12 Georgia Military College, No. 11 Lackawanna College and Div. III No. 1 Nassau Community College en route to an unblemished regular season.
 
Iowa Central went 8-2 this season, but those two losses were the definition of "quality losses" as both came at the hands of top-ranked Iowa Western Community College, which enters the first-ever NJCAA Football Playoffs this weekend as the No. 1 seed, joining Monroe as the only unbeaten team in the NJCAA. The Tritons opened the season with a 28-21 win over Lackawanna College, and followed that up with a 41-14 victory over College of DuPage, which will take on Nassau in the first-ever NJCAA Div. III Football Championship. Sunday will be Iowa Central's 26th appearance in The Graphic Edge Bowl, as they come in with a 16-9 record in the game. They have won 10 consecutive bowl games dating back to 2004, and have won their last seven under head coach Jesse Montalto.
 
For more information about The Graphic Edge Bowl, please visit TheGraphicEdgeBowl.com. There you will find information on location, tickets, game-day coverage, The Graphic Edge Bowl history, and more.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 35 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as the Monroe College marching band, and the newly added esports and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 14 teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).