Monmouth football almost served up a homecoming disaster, but they clung to a wild 41-40 victory over Towson, keeping their conference record pristine at 3-0. It was a heart-stopping sixty minutes, ending with the Hawks surviving a shootout against a winless team that somehow still pushed them right to the brink.
Hawks Keep Finding Ways to Win the Hard Way
Let’s be real, this was far from immaculate for Monmouth. They found themselves in a legit shootout against a winless Towson squad, trailing at halftime and needing every ounce of grit they’ve got. But hey, it’s familiar territory for this team, right? They’re comfortable being uncomfortable, and that’s how they move to 4-2 overall. Head Coach Jeff Gallo summed it up perfectly, saying, “Our guys fought until the end. We’ve had a knack for winning these kind of games. I’m proud of the effort and those guys coming together in the fourth quarter again, finding a way to win.” This wasn’t some clear-cut improvement game like their recent road wins, but it was another prime example of their resilient nature and innate ability to deliver when the clock’s winding down. This is their third straight win, and every single one has been a clutch fourth-quarter finish. For all the faults in the performances, the fact they close out games in high-leverage moments is what really matters.
Freshman Heroics and a Game-Sealing Bomb
When the Hawks needed a jolt, freshman defensive back Amori McNeil delivered the ultimate gut punch. He snagged a pass that Spencer Kishbaugh had tipped and returned it a mind-blowing 71 yards to the house! That pick-six broke a 27-27 tie and gave Monmouth a crucial 34-27 lead in the fourth quarter. McNeil knew it was his moment, telling everyone, “It was actually great. I give praise to God for putting me in this situation. I feel like ever since I stepped here on campus, the coaches always believed in me to put in the work and always push me. And when the pick had come my way, I was built for this moment and I got to make a play.” But Towson just wouldn’t quit, helped along by some head-scratching calls, including a pass interference on fourth down that set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Xavier Pugh, tying it back up at 34-34. No sweat for the Hawks, though. The ground game, led by Kenny Smith and Elijah Jennings, was putting in work, setting up a deep shot to Gavin Nelson. The Baltimore native, playing against his hometown school, pulled in a 41-yard touchdown that ultimately put the game out of reach. Nelson, who racked up 100 receiving yards on eight catches with two scores, explained how it works: “Whenever there’s a run play, our receivers coach always tells us to get a rep at outside, see how the corners play, see how the safeties play. So it sets up the pass. When you’re running the ball well, which we did, it gets the safeties to play down. We had our one-on-one, so we took our shot. Man, it worked out well for us.” The offensive line was stellar too, not allowing a single sack all day and paving the way for 198 rushing yards at 5.2 yards per carry.
So yeah, it wasn’t pretty. But who cares when you’re 3-0 in conference play, one of only four teams unbeaten and the *only* one to do it through three games? Monmouth just keeps finding ways to win when it matters most, and that’s the kind of grit that can take you places.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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