MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga., September 2, 2022 – After numerous consecutive years in the NJCAA Football Rankings and reaching NJCAA bowl games in three straight seasons, the No. 13-ranked Monroe College Mustangs football team pumped up the competition level on this year's schedule, looking to put the nation on notice, beginning with a road trip to Georgia to open the season against Georgia Military College this Saturday.
 
The Mustangs had a perfect 10-0 regular season last year, heading into bowl season as the No. 6-ranked team in the NJCAA, narrowly missing out on the inaugural NJCAA Football Playoff. Monroe opened the year with a 34-16 victory over then-ranked No. 12 Georgia Military for a huge start to the season. They later defeated No. 11 Lackawanna College on the road with a thrilling 49-48 win in overtime. Monroe took down NJCAA Div. III No. 1 Nassau Community College, 9-7, on the road as well for another quality victory.
 
The Mustangs were invited to The Graphic Edge Bowl in Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the second time in three seasons (four years), where they took on No. 10 Iowa Central Community College. Unfortunately, the Mustangs came away still looking for their first bowl-game victory, falling in a close matchup, 35-27.
 
The Mustangs' roster features 36 returning or redshirt student-athletes from the 2021 team, with 59 newcomers, including freshmen and transfers, to bolster the roster. Monroe will be led by new head coach Kevin Pulley Jr., who took the reins from longtime head coach Terry Karg after the 2021 season. Pulley has been with the Mustangs since 2015, specializing with the offense for six seasons before being elevated to head coach.
 
Monroe entered the season ranked No. 14 in the NJCAA Div. I Football Preseason Rankings, but jumped up one spot after Week 1 despite having yet to play a game. The 2022 campaign features notable matchups with Georgia Military (receiving votes), two games against No. 15 Lackawanna, a road game at Div. III No. 2 Nassau, and a trip out to Utah to take on No. 5 Snow College at the end of the season.
 
The Georgia Military game opens the season on Saturday, Sept. 3, down in Milledgeville, Ga. The Mustangs will look to repeat the 2021 season opener to get off to a hot start. It doesn't get any easier the following week, when Monroe hosts Lackawanna at Joseph F. Fosina Field in New Rochelle on Saturday, Sept. 10. A 4 p.m. kickoff will see the top two teams in the northeast face off for the first time this year.
 
Nassau comes up next on Saturday, Sept. 17, in nearby Garden City, N.Y. The Mustangs are on the road once more on Sunday, Sept. 25, taking on the Sacred Heart University JV football team in Fairfield, Conn.
 
The Mustangs return to New Rochelle for the second and final home game of the season on Saturday, Oct. 1, when they host Sussex County Community College at 1 p.m. They then take a week off before a short trip to Staten Island on Friday, Oct. 14, to play the Wagner College JV team.
 
For the first time ever, Monroe and Lackawanna go head-to-head twice in the same season, with the second matchup taking place on Saturday, Oct. 29, in Scranton, Pa. Monroe then caps off the regular season with possibly the toughest regular-season test in the program's history, a matchup at No. 5 Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, on Saturday, Nov. 12. Snow was one of four teams to qualify for the 2021 NJCAA Football Playoff, losing in the semifinals to No. 1 Iowa Western Community College in overtime, 30-29.
 
The Mustangs and Bulldogs kickoff the 2022 season on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on JockJive.
 
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 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 11 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).