Green Knights Lose Heartbreaker to Monmouth

From Sports Information Director, October 1, 2011 | Football
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - Trey Yocum's 46-yard touchdown run with 1 minute 9 seconds remaining was the difference in a 10-3 win for Monmouth College over St. Norbert College in a key Midwest Conference game at Kolstad Field at Schneider Stadium.

Monmouth (4-1, 4-0 MWC) claimed a win in a series that has decided the outright Midwest Conference champion in each of the last eight seasons. St. Norbert (3-2, 3-1 MWC) had four possessions move into the red zone but only came away with three points.

The Scots took over on their own 33-yard line with 3 minutes 3 seconds left. Monmouth converted a first down on its first series by a half-length of the football and eventually had a second-and-9 from the St. Norbert 46. Yocum took the ball off the left side, broke out of two tackles and cut to the right and just reached the goal line before being brought down.

St. Norbert moved to a first down at the Monmouth 33 but three passes into the end zone came up empty and the Scots held on for the win.

Monmouth scored on its first series of the game when it had a 17-play 66-yard drive stall at the St. Norbert 16, and Matt Batton connected on a 33-yard field goal. Batton would later miss a 39-yard try wide right early in the second quarter.

After the miss, St. Norbert would reach as far as the Monmouth 17, but would settle for a 35-yard field goal by Sam Mason with 4:36 left before halftime. The Green Knights had a chance to add to their lead before halftime, with a first-and-goal at the Monmouth 8, but a bad snap on a field goal led to no points.

St. Norbert's defense continued to stymie the Monmouth offense, which entered the day leading the NCAA Division III in total offense at 584.5 yards per game. The Scots were stopped on their first possession of the second half and punted to the St. Norbert 12.

St. Norbert then moved 83 yards in 17 plays and had a third-and-goal at the Monmouth 2, but were turned away at the goal line. Mason's 22-yard field goal try was wide right with 3:36 left in the third quarter.

The Green Knights held again and St. Norbert got the Monmouth 4 with a first-and-goal situation, and faced third-and-goal at the 1, but was stopped short again. The Green Knights went for it but Mike Fabrizio's pass was incomplete.

Both teams traded punts back and forth before Monmouth recovered a muffed put at its own 40. The Scots drove to the St. Norbert 47 but Alex Tanney's pass on fourth-and-1 fell incomplete. The Green Knights would go three-and-out before the Scots would score on the next possession.

St. Norbert outgained Monmouth 357-333 in total offense and also had the edge in first downs 22-20. Fabrizio completed 21 of 36 passes for 252 yards, while Joe Green caught eight passes for 120 yards. Craig Fagan rushed 32 times for 103 yards.

Tanney, Monmouth's All-American quarterback, completed 27 of 46 passes for 253 yards and one interception. Tanney was 4-for-11 for 44 yards in the fourth quarter. Yocum finished with 79 yards on 16 carries, while Mike Blodgett had nine receptions for 101 yards. Seventy-eight of Monmouth's rushing yards came in the fourth quarter. >>MORE