October 31, 2009
BRYANT FOOTBALL FALLS TO MONMOUTH 10-6 SATURDAY
BOXSCORE
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| New Jersey native Mike Canfora rushed for 40 yards and
caught three passes for 18 yards Saturday against Monmouth in West
Long Branch, N.J. (www.dspics.com)
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WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Bryant football team got a pair of
field goals from kicker Chris Bird but it was not enough as the
Bulldogs came up short at Monmouth, 10-6 Saturday in Northeast
Conference action. Jerell Smith rushed for 139 yards on 32 carries
while sophomore quarterback Mike Croce completed 8 of 19 passes for
79 yards on a windy afternoon to lead the way.
Bryant moved the ball near midfield on its opening drive but
ended as Croce was intercepted by Mike Avent on Monmouth 45 yard
line. It was just the second interception thrown in 205 pass
attempts this season by the Bulldog signal caller.
Bryant's defense would make a stand on Monmouth's ensuing drive,
holding fifth-year senior running back David Sinisi, the NEC's
all-time career rushing leader, to just 10 yards on four carries
during MU's possession. With the Hawks on Bryant's 28 yard
line, senior defensive end Don Smith sacked MU quarterback Kyle
Frazier for an eight-yard loss and Monmouth would have to
punt.
That's when the Bulldog offense went to work. Behind the
hard- running of senior Smith and junior Mike Canfora, the Bulldogs
moved the ball down inside the Monmouth 20 yard line looking to
capitalize with 1st and 10 from the Hawks' 15 yard line.
However, Smith was stopped for a loss on first down and
got most of the yards back on a 5-yard run on third down and the
Bulldogs would have to settle for a 27 yard field goal as Bird
split the uprights to give visitors a 3-0 lead.
Neither team could put points on the board in the second as the
Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead into the locker room at the break.
Monmouth (4-4, 3-2 NEC) would finally get into the end zone
midway through the third as Frazier connected with Sinisi for an
11-yard touchdown pass with 6:51 remaining.
Bryant (3-5, 2-3 NEC) would pull to within one at the end of the
third as Bird came through with his second field goal of the game,
a 27-yarder with 1:05 left to make it a 7-6 game.
In the fourth, the Hawks added on a 28-yard field goal from Jake
Delvento to make it 10-6 and the hosts would hold on from
there.
Sinisi would finish with 139 yards on 29 carries while Frazier
completed 9 of 23 passes for 126 yards for Monmouth.
Offensively, the game was even as Bryant had 255 yards of total
offense on the afternoon with Monmouth gaining 262, but it was the
Hawks defense coming through in the end, picking off three Bryant
passes in the game and registering three sacks. Bryant came
into the game with just one interception thrown all season.
For Bryant defensively, linebacker Jason Riffe had nine tackles
(seven solo stops) while senior defensive end Don Smith had six
tackles and two sacks to move into fourth all-time in school
history with 17.
Bryant will look to get back in the win column next weekend when
the Bulldogs travel to Sacred Heart University for a 1 pm game.
