Guerriero, Farri leads Monmouth over Charleston Southern

In a significant Big South conference test for Monmouth, the Hawks rose to the occasion as they defeated Charleston Southern, 37-3, at Kessler Stadium on Saturday.

The Hawks’ defense continued their resurgence as they held the Buccaneers to just 252 yards of total offense. Monmouth’s offense was electric as they ran all over the Charleston Southern defense to the tune of over 400 yards. With the win, the Hawks also remained undefeated at the new Kessler Stadium. Here are the two takeaways from Monmouth’s big win.

The Two-Headed Rushing Monster Returns

Over the last couple of week, much praise has been heaped on freshman running back Juwon Farri. On Saturday Pete Guerriero made sure to remind people that he is still one of the most prolific running backs in Monmouth history.

Against Charleston Southern, Guerriero ran for 117 yards while Farri continued his hot streak running for exactly 100 yards. Guerriero also had an eight-yard touchdown in the first quarter as Monmouth ran for 295 yards against the Buccaneers. This game is an example of what Monmouth fans want to see. Farri and Guerriero running wild together and they got their wish on Saturday.

Heading into their matchup against Kennesaw State, the Hawks will be looking for the same output from their running backs. Farri is 142 yards away from a 1,000-yard season, while Guerriero will be looking for another touchdown (15 TD’s in 18 career games). The rushing game is the straw that stirs Monmouth’s drink and something that is becoming consistent weekly. This game showed teams in FCS that at any moment, either one (or both) of these running backs will make your day go bad.

Bahar Continues To Impress

During the early stages of the season, there were moments where Kenji Bahar looked lost in games. The last two games have shown that the junior quarterback is in total control of the offense. 15-of-25 for 155 yards and three touchdowns was the line for Bahar as Monmouth moved into the driver’s seat for the Big South title.

Last week I said that Monmouth’s offense is only as strong its running game and Bahar under center. Against Charleston Southern, Bahar showed that he does not need to throw for 300 yards every single game. There will be games where he will need throw more. However with the running game, all Kenji needs to do is not turn the ball over and keep control of the offense. Great game from Bahar.

Next Up For The Hawks
The Hawks host Kennesaw State in a game that could determine who wins the Big South on Saturday at Kessler Stadium. Game time is set for 12 p.m.