The Monmouth College football team returned home with a 51-20 Family Weekend win over Illinois College on Saturday. The Scots are now 2-1 overall and 2-0 in Midwest Conference play heading into the bye week.
The Blueboys scored on the first play from scrimmage before the Scots rattled off 51 straight points. Devin Lawrence (Hawthorne, Florida) capped off a 7-play, 70-yard drive with a seven yard touchdown run to tie the game. After IC went three and out, the Scots scored on a 7-play, 47-yard drive as Lawrence again ran it in, this time from 17-yards away.
The Scots had another touchdown before the end of the first quarter. Quarterback Riley Fetterer (Rockridge, Illinois) ran the ball in from the three as the Scots took a 21-7 lead on an 8-play, 62-yard drive.
Monmouth’s passing game kicked into gear in the second quarter. Fetterer hit Nate Thornton (Peoria, Illinois) for a 16-yard touchdown pass before Cody Szelc (Riverview, Florida) drilled a 20-yard field goal for a 31-7 Monmouth lead. Lawrence found the end zone for the third time in the half and Szelc hit a 23-yard field goal to end the half with Monmouth on top 41-7. All but one of Monmouth’s first-half drives ended in points while IC turned the ball over on downs three times.
The Scots got the ball to start the second half and marched straight down the field for another touchdown. The final play of a 10-play, 69-yard drive had Fetterer complete a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Bergren (Monmouth, Illinois). Linebacker Jermaih Glen-Lous Charles (Bloomington, Illinois) had an interception on the next IC drive and the Scots got a field goal from Szelc to go on top 51-7.
Monmouth subbed out nearly all the starters from that point on and Illinois College closed the gap to 51-20 with a touchdown in the final 15 seconds.
Fetterer completed 17-of-21 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns while rushing eight times for 61 yards and a touchdown. Lawrence led the team with 86 rushing yards on 12 carries and he scored three times. Thornton had seven catches for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Scots had seven sacks. Korbyn Personett (Pittsfield, Illinois) had two and Sencere Brent (Peoria, Illinois) had 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Tevin Baker (Kewanee, Illinois) had 2.5 tackles for loss.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: The Scots are 7-0 against Illinois College since IC alum Chad Braun took over as head coachMonmouth has outscored IC 49.1 to 14.5 in those seven gamesIC last won in Monmouth in 2012Jake Uryasz (Farmington, Illinois) made his season debut and caught three passes for 36 yardsSzelc was 6-for-6 on extra points and 3-for-3 on field goals, tying his career high in field goals from Oct. 23, 2021 against CornellLast year Fetterer threw for 180 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for a touchdown in Monmouth’s 37-27 win at ICMonmouth outgained the Blueboys 220 to 88 on the groundThe Scots had the ball for 36:02 and didn’t turn the ball overIC was 1-for-12 on third downMonmouth finished with 458 total yardsThe Scots next play on Homecoming, Saturday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. against Lawrence.
***Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
