Saturday, September 20, 2008
MONMOUTH DEFEATS BRYANT 30-17 SATURDAY
Bulldogs Travel to Wagner Next Saturday
BOX SCORE
SMITHFIELD, R.I. (9/20/08) -- Senior running back
David Sinisi rushed for 171 yards on 26 carries and scored twice as
visiting Monmouth earned its first victory of the season defeating
Bryant University 30-17 in non-conference football action Saturday
before 2,107 at Bulldog Stadium.
Monmouth (1-3) got on the board first as quarterback Brett Burke
found John Nalbone for a 6 yard score on the Hawks' second drive of
the game. But Bryant would come right back as quarterback Jay
Graber engineered a 12-play, 81 yard drive capped by a Jarrett
Solimando 5 yard touchdown reception to tie the game up at 7-7 in
the first. It was Bryant's longest scoring drive of the
season.
A Fred Weingart 20 yard field goal and a 3 yard touchdown run by
Bobby Giles in the second quarter gave the visitors a 17-7 halftime
lead.
Bryant (2-2) managed to trim the lead thanks in part to a
19-yard field goal by Chris Bird, but Sinisi and the Hawks put the
game away in the fourth with two quick scores, the second coming on
a big defensive stop. Sinisi scored the first of his two rushing
touchdowns on the day with a 2 yard run up the middle at the start
of the final quarter to make it 23-10.
Looking to counter, the Bulldogs moved the ball deep into
Monmouth territory thanks an impressive 10-play drive. But
with the ball on the Hawks' 8 yard line, Graber was intercepted by
linebacker T.J. Cerezo in the end zone for a touchback and the
Bulldogs came away empty-handed.
Three plays later, Sinisi broke through for a game-clinching 70
yard touchdown run down the middle to make it 30-10 and the Hawks
never looked back. Sinisi entered the game averaging 133
yards rushing .
Graber finished with 261 yards passing on the day and two
touchdowns. Anthony DiNaso caught 5 passes for 70 yards while
Ross Giffune and Solimando also added five catches for 45 and 42
yards receiving respectively.
Bryant will travel to Staten Island next Saturday to face
Wagner College at 1 p.m. Monmouth visits Robert Morris next
Saturday at 1 p.m.
