Fighting Scots 2007 Football Game Summaries

Game 8 -- Oct. 20, 2007
Monmouth at Lake Forest, Lake Forest, Ill.
Monmouth 41, Lake Forest 19 (Record: 5-3, 5-2 in MWC)
The Fighting Scots used big plays to prevent upset-minded Lake Forest from ever having the lead. The first of their three long TDs opened the scoring midway through the first quarter, as Matt Shepherd was on the receiving end of a 54-yard scoring strike from Alex Tanney. The Scots would tack on two Nate Palkovic field goals and lead 13-7 at halftime. Shepherd quickly changed the complexion of the game in the second half, returning the opening kickoff 86 yards for a score. A six-yard pass from Tanney to Mike Blodgett increased Monmouth's lead to 27-6, but the Foresters continued to battle, scoring back-to-back TDs to close within eight points early in the fourth quarter. An interception by Marc Artozqui led to the game-clinching score -- a six-yard run by Casey Orwig -- and the Scots then broke their last big play, with Tanney and Blodgett hooking up for a 72-yard touchdown with 1:10 remaining. The Scots had most of their success through the air, with Tanney completing 29-of-45 passes for 369 yards, the fifth-highest total in school history. Blodgett had 103 receiving yards and Kyle Wantland caught 10 passes for 95 yards. Palkovic added a 48.8-yard punting average to his perfect day of kicking, which resulted in 11 points, and the defense was led by Artozqui, who had 15 tackles. Half of T.C. Olsen's six tackles were behind the line of scrimmage.

Game 7 -- Oct. 13, 2007
Monmouth at Ripon, Ripon, Wis.
Ripon 27, Monmouth 20 (Record: 4-3, 4-2 in MWC)
An interference penalty nullified Aaron Payette's interception and return late in the fourth quarter and allowed the Red Hawks to keep possession on their game-winning drive. With the score tied, Ripon started its final series with 1:29 to play on its own 47 yard-line. Payette picked off Tygh Walters' pass and ran it back to the Ripon 40, but the 15-yard yellow flag instead gave the hosts the ball at the Monmouth 38. One play later, a 27-yard run put the Hawks in great scoring position, and they finished off the drive with a one-yard run with 25 ticks on the clock. The Scots had tied the game earlier in the quarter on a Alex Tanney's third TD pass of the game, a five-yarder to Bobby Gibbs with 10:56 remaining. However, Monmouth started its next two drives deep in its own territory and was not able to move the ball. With the Scots trailing 14-13 in the third quarter, two different possessions ended on missed field goals, as Nate Palkovic sent a 25-yarder wide left and had a 20-yard attempt blocked. Monmouth had first-and-goal opportunities both times, including a first-and-goal from the Ripon 1 on the second chance. The Scots were able to find the end zone twice in the first half, with Tanney hitting Matt Shepherd on a 24-yard pass and finding Kramer Matzen from 12 yards out. Tanney was 16-of-29 for 199 yards, including six passes to Mike Blodgett for 102 yards. Jeff Davis added 90 yards on 20 carries. The defense was led by Marc Artozqui, who had 10 tackles and an interception, and Wes Levy, whose eight tackles included a sack.

Game 6 -- Oct. 6, 2007
Monmouth vs. St. Norbert, Monmouth, Ill.
St. Norbert 42, Monmouth 28 (Record: 4-2, 4-1 in MWC)
In a game where Fighting Scots' quarterback Alex Tanney equaled a school record for passing yardage and broke one for attempts, there is one pass the freshman wants back. It came in the first quarter on a third-and-four play from the St. Norbert and was returned 100 yards for a touchdown by the Green Knights' Chris Manlick. That made the score 14-0 and left Monmouth battling from behind for most of the game. The Scots eventually tied the score at 21-21 on a 26-yard pass from Tanney to Kyle Wantland early in the third quarter, but the Knights pulled away from there, posting three consecutive touchdowns on drives of 60, 65 and 80 yards. Tanney finished the day 30-of-56 for 405 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Nick Wright, who had seven catches for 102 yards. Bobby Gibbs added eight grabs for 93 yards. St. Norbert also put on an air show, as quarterback Cody Craig was 24-of-40 for 349 yards and two scores. The Knights outgained the Scots by just one yard, 479-478. Linebacker Marc Artozqui led the Scots with 18 tackles. 

Game 5 -- Sept. 29, 2007
Monmouth vs. Grinnell, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 42, Grinnell 0 (Record: 4-1, 4-0 in MWC)
For the first time in 20 years, the Fighting Scots have held four consecutive opponents to single digits. Actually, the visiting Pioneers had no digits, as the MC defense pitched a shutout, holding Grinnell to just 128 yards of offense. Sean Wells had all three of the defense's interceptions, including one he returned 38 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the first quarter. That put Monmouth ahead 21-0, and the Scots would tack on one TD in each of the final three periods. The Scots' first score of the game, a four-yard pass from Alex Tanney to Jess Miller, completed a 90-yard drive following the opening kickoff. The next time the Scots had the ball, they marched 75 yards in 18 plays, with Tanney finding Kramer Matzen for the final yard and a 14-0 lead. The Scots' final three scoring drives each covered 45 yards or more and included rushing TDs by Jeff Davis and Clay Bricker and an eight-yard pass from Tanney to Kyle Wantland. Tanney was 26-of-40 for 232 yards and no interceptions, with Wantland catching nine balls for 66 yards. Davis ran for 131 yards and Bricker added 87 as the Scots racked up 478 yards of offense. Marc Artozqui paced the defense with 13 tackles, and Danny Weiden added 10, including two behind the line of scrimmage.

Game 4 -- Sept. 22, 2007
Monmouth at Carroll, Waukesha, Wis.
Monmouth 6, Beloit 3 (Record: 3-1, 3-0 in MWC)
The Fighting Scots rode senior kicker Nate Palkovic's leg to a narrow victory over the Pioneers. Defense played a key role as both team's high-powered offensive units were kept out of the end zone. Palkovic's 24-yard field goal with 4:28 left in the game lifted the Scots to their third straight win. The Scots' all-time leading scorer had given Monmouth a 3-0 lead with 2:49 left in the first half on a 36-yard field goal. The Pioneers countered and tied the score 12 seconds before the half when Brian Jachimek matched Palkovic's 36-yarder with one of his own. Trailing 6-3, Carroll still had life on its last possession, which started at the Monmouth 41. After a delay of game penalty took the Pioneers out of field goal range, MC's Cole Norman broke up Chris Rogers' pass intended for Michael Rubo to seal the win. Despite getting sacked five times, the Scots' Alex Tanney connected on 21 passes for 233 yards. Marc Artozqui led the Monmouth defense with 13 tackles. The nine points was the lowest combined total since 1989 when Monmouth got a late field goal to down Ripon 3-2.

Game 3 -- Sept. 15, 2007
Monmouth vs. Beloit, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 45, Beloit 0 (Record: 2-1, 2-0 in MWC)
All the pieces were in place for a dominating Monmouth victory. Running game? Check. Jeff Davis and Clay Bricker each had two of the Fighting Scots' five TDs on the ground, and Davis had the lion's share of Monmouth's 259 rushing yards, gaining 175. Passing game? Check. Alex Tanney threw for 316 yards, including an 82-yard fourth-quarter score to Nick Wright. Eight different receivers got in on the action as Tanney was 24-of-35 through the air. Defense? Check. Make that a double check, as Monmouth held Beloit to just eight first downs and 141 yards of offense. The Bucs averaged just over two yards per play and had just 59 yards rushing on 40 attempts. Seven Scots recorded tackles for loss, led by Wes Levy and Luke Sandrock with two apiece. Special teams? An exclamation mark, as Nate Palkovic became Monmouth's all-time leading scorer. The senior had five PATs and a field goal, pushing past Mark Reed on the Scots' all-time scoring list with 209 career points. Palkovic also punted twice for a 42-yard average.

Game 2 -- Sept. 8, 2007
Monmouth at Lawrence, Appleton, Wis.
Monmouth 44, Lawrence 7 (Record: 1-1, 1-0 in MWC)
Working with a short field for much of the game, the Fighting Scots were able to get their conference season off to a great start. The Scots had eight scoring drives, and half of them covered 20 yards or less, including the first three. Mike Blodgett's 22-yard punt return, Cole Norman's 30-yard interception runback and a fumble recovery by Danny Weiden sparked the first three scores, which consisted of two Nate Palkovic field goals sandwiched around Blodgett's 13-yard TD reception. In the second quarter, Monmouth used longer drives of 73 and 45 yards to reach the end zone on a Jeff Davis two-yard run and a nine-yard pass from Alex Tanney to Matt Shepherd. After a zero-yard punt set the Scots up at the LU 20, Monmouth struck one more time in the first half, going ahead 34-0 when Tanney threw his third TD pass of the game, a 16-yard strike to Nick Wright. Davis, who rushed for 71 yards, added a second-half TD, and Kyle Tuor posted the final three points on a 41-yard field goal. Norman led the defense with two interceptions and a pass break up and Bobby Gibbs and Kyle Wantland combined to catch 15 passes for 223 yards. Tanney finished the day 24-of-31 for 306 yards as the Scots outgained the Vikings 371-172. 

Game 1 -- Sept. 1, 2007
Monmouth vs. Wartburg, Monmouth, Ill.
Wartburg 35, Monmouth 7
The combination of a veteran Knights defense and an inexperienced Fighting Scots offense was not a good match, as the nation's 25th-ranked team held Monmouth to just 142 yards of offense. Wartburg scored the game's first five touchdowns, and quarterback Nick Yordi was responsible for the three TDs in the middle, including two scoring strikes to Ryan Hoerner. The second, with just 25 seconds to play in the second quarter, gave the Knights a 28-0 halftime lead and capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive. For the day, Yordi threw for 284 yards, with Hoerner collecting six grabs for 107 yards. Wartburg finished with 522 yards of offense. Monmouth quarterback Alex Tanney was accurate in his first collegiate game, completing 21-of-31 passes and not throwing an interception, but the Scots' air game accounted for just 109 yards. Jess Miller had two catches for 24 yards, including a 14-yard TD with 5:56 left in the contest. Monmouth actually won the turnover (4-0) and penalty battles, but the Knights' defense, which didn't yield more than 17 points in a game last season, was just too tough. Marc Artozqui led the Scots with 13 tackles, and Sean Wells had 10 stops and two interceptions. Punter Nate Palkovic had an impressive day for the Scots, averaging 44.7 yards on 12 attempts.