<
        >

          Ground game leads Monmouth to 24-21 win over Lafayette

          play
          Monmouth's Budd makes incredible leaping interception (0:25)

          Monmouth DB Anthony Budd leaps into the end zone to rob Lafayette of a touchdown. (0:25)

          Sep 7, 2019
          • Associated Press

          WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. -- Pete Guerriero ran for 152 yards and a touchdown, Devell Jones converted a key fourth down in the fourth quarter and Monmouth defeated Lafayette 24-21 on Saturday.

          Monmouth (1-1) rushed for 223 yards and allowed minus-12 rushing.

          Monmouth took a 21-7 lead with five seconds remaining in the first half when Kenji Bahar passed to Joey Aldarelli for a 10-yard touchdown.

          Lafayette (0-2) closed to within 21-14 on an 80-yard pass from Keegan Shoemaker to Nick Pearson, and within 24-21 on a 13-yard pass from Shoemaker to Julian Spigner with 5:34 remaining. The Hawks then ran out the clock, a key play being Jones' 16-yard run on fourth-and-one.

          Shoemaker, a freshman making his first start, complete 20 of 32 passes for 256 yards with the two touchdowns and an interception. Pearson caught six passes for 118 yards.

          Guerriero opened the scoring with a 19-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and Matt Mosquera added two field goals for a 13-0 Monmouth lead in the middle of the second quarter.