In the annual Turkey Bowl rivalry game against Knox on Saturday, Monmouth delivered a crushing 69–0 victory to close out the season at home. Monmouth wasted no time; less than a minute into the game, quarterback Brayden Deem connected on a 43-yard touchdown pass. The Scots extended their lead with three rushing touchdowns from Nate Wrublik. The offense continued to execute throughout the second quarter. Deem added a 7-yard rushing touchdown, putting Monmouth ahead 42–0 at halftime. From there, Monmouth’s defense maintained control by preventing any opportunities Knox had throughout the remainder of the quarter.
Jeremiah Williams hurdles a Knox player. Photo by Kent Kriegshauser.
At the start of the third quarter, Ethan James recovered a fumble and returned it 37 yards for another touchdown, increasing the lead to 49–0. Monmouth had additional rushing touchdowns from Jalon Lewis, James Conner, and Angel Duarte. The final score of 69–0 marked the largest shutout in Turkey Bowl history. The Fighting Scots’ defense worked hard during the game to keep Knox scoreless. Monmouth forced multiple turnovers and consistently disrupted plays in the backfield. Jaliek White led the defense with 15 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. “We are the number one-ranked defense in the country, and we wanted to keep showing that, so we set the tone on the first drive and never let up,” White said. Ethan James contributed 11 tackles along with his fumble-return touchdown, and Anthony Cikauskas recorded 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble as the Scots limited Knox’s offense for the duration of the game.
The Turkey Bowl victory served as a memorable Senior Day, closing the regular season on a high note for Monmouth’s graduating players. The Scots now shift their focus to the postseason as they prepare for the playoff matchup against Saint John’s University on Nov. 29 at noon in Collegeville, Minn.