STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., September 20, 2024 – The Monroe University Mustangs football team got the job done on a short road trip to Staten Island on Friday, defeating the Wagner College JV team, 24-12, at Hameline Field at Wagner College Stadium. The Mustangs improve to 2-1 overall with the win.
 
The Mustangs got the scoring started on their second drive of the afternoon. Starting on their own 16, Raeden Oliver immediately got Monroe a big gain, hitting Donovan Brown across the middle of the field for a 24-yard catch-and-run. A pair of runs by Sean Robinson then had Monroe at midfield. An 11-yard completion to Lasalle Rose was then supplemented by a face-mask penalty that put the Mustangs in the red zone. Another penalty on Wagner later in the drive put the Mustangs on the three-yard line. After getting stopped on three consecutive plays, Oliver was able to hit Brown on an out toward the pylon for a two-yard score to give the Mustangs a 7-0 lead with 6:27 left in the first.
 
After the defense forced the Seahawks to punt again, the Mustangs swarmed the punter, leading to Matthew Courtney getting his fingers on the ball to force a short punt down to Monroe's 45. The Mustangs then took their time on the drive, eventually running out the final five minutes of the first quarter. A 17-yard reception by Brown gave the Mustangs first-and-goal on Wagner's eight-yard line. Wagner got the stop on third down, but Joseph Wright made a 32-yard field goal for the Mustangs to give Monroe a 10-0 lead just six seconds into the second quarter.
 
Monroe later got the ball back again after a 16-yard return by Jashaun Amin put them on their own 48-yard line. Robinson took the first play 12 yards on the ground to move the chains. A 19-yard completion to Amin then got the Mustangs down to the Wagner 18. A pair of Monroe penalties forced Monroe into a second-and-23, and later a third-and-11, but a 12-yard scramble by Oliver kept the drive alive. Oliver then completed the drive with a 17-yard strike to Charles Hornecker, pushing the lead to 17-0 with 8:45 left in the half.
 
Wagner's next drive was assisted by some big Monroe penalties that wiped away back-to-back interceptions. With the drive staying alive, the Seahawks managed to punch in a four-yard rushing touchdown with just 16 seconds left in the half, but could not convert a two-point conversion, sending the game to halftime with Monroe ahead, 17-6.
 
Monroe's defense bent, but did not break on the opening drive of the second half. Wagner went on a 10-play, 42-yard drive, but the Mustangs forced a turnover on downs after stopping the Seahawks at Monroe's 20-yard line.
 
It took a few more possessions before either team was able to move the ball up the field. Later in the third, the Mustangs took over on their own 26. After escaping pressure on second down, Oliver threw to the sideline for Rose, stretched to grab the ball and narrowly get a foot in bounds to get the Mustangs just across midfield. Two plays later, Oliver hit Khameen Powell down the sideline for 35 yards to get the Mustangs in the red zone. Robinson then wasted no time, taking a carry to the right and hitting the edge at full speed to sprint into the end zone for the 11-yard score, giving the Mustangs a 24-6 advantage over the Seahawks with 2:35 to play in the third.
 
The Mustangs put themselves in some trouble in the fourth quarter after a fumble recovered by Wagner ended up with the Seahawks taking over on Monroe's one-yard line. However, the defense had the offense's back, managing to push the Seahawks backwards before forcing a turnover on downs to keep the Mustangs up by 18. Later in the fourth, the Mustangs once again fumbled the ball, leaving Wagner on Monroe's five-yard line. This time, the Seahawks were able to punch it in, once again failing on the two-point conversion to reach the eventual final score of 24-12.
 
Oliver completed 16-of-25 passes for 216 yards and two scores in Friday's victory. He completed passes to nine different Mustangs receivers in the win. Brown led the Mustangs with five receptions and 50 yards, catching one of Oliver's touchdowns in the process. Rose caught two passes for 30 yards. Hornecker was on the receiving end of Oliver's second touchdown. Robinson led in the ground game with 81 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Kayee Williams added 28 yards on seven totes.
 
Trei Dansby tied for a team-high four tackles with Freddie Lenix while also producing two tackles for loss. Theodore McDuffie registered 1.5 tackles for loss. Joseph Pronchick had a tackle for loss and a pass breakup with his three total tackles on the day. Rowan Baptiste matched Pronchick with three tackles and a pass defended, adding a half tackle for loss. The Mustangs totaled eight tackles for loss on the day. In addition to Pronchick and Baptiste, each of Na'il Johnson, Kaiden Thompson, Romello Flowers and Daquan Stewart had a pass breakup on the afternoon. Courtney blocked a punt and made two tackles in the game.
 
Monroe outgained Wagner, 296-91, in the game. The Mustangs converted 16 first downs, while the Seahawks managed just nine. The Mustangs put points on the board on all four of their trips into the red zone.
 
The Mustangs face a big test next Saturday, Sept. 28, when they host No. 7 Georgia Military College at The Stadium at Memorial Field in Mount Vernon, N.Y. Kickoff next Saturday is set for 1 p.m. Get your tickets ahead of time at MonroeUMustangs.com/tickets, or download the Hometown Ticketing Fan App and search Monroe University to get tickets for each of Monroe's final three home games.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE UNIVERSITY
The athletic program at Monroe University encompasses a total of 28 teams competing across nine sports. There are 20 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well the Monroe University marching band, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I & II). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeUMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@MonroeMustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs). Read Full Article