EASTON, Pa. – Monmouth used two second-half scores to rally past Lafayette 24-20 on Saturday night in the Leopards' home opener at Fisher Stadium.
 
Lafayette led for 40 minutes, taking a one-point advantage in the first quarter before surrendering it at the end of third quarter. Sophomore quarterback Sean O'Malley completed 20-of-37 for 221 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Nearly half of O'Malley's passing yards went to junior Nick Pearson who reeled in five catches for 106 yards. The Leopards were not penalized in the game.
 
The game started with fireworks as Monmouth's offense, which returned 10 starters from a 9-3 squad in 2017, drove 78 yards on the first possession of the game to put points on the board. QB Kenji Bahar connected with Pete Guerriero on a wheel route in the corner for a TD and a 6-0 score.
 
It didn't take long for the Leopards to grab the lead. Freshman J.J. Younger ripped off a 95-yard kick return for touchdown, the fifth-longest run back in school history. It was Younger's first career touchdown and the first for the Leopards in 2018. Jacob Bissell's PAT was true and Lafayette led 7-6.
 
A sustained drive extended the Leopards lead at the end of the first quarter. Lafayette took over at its over four-yard line and ran off 12 plays. O'Malley completed five passes to four different receivers on the drive, picking up a pair of third-down conversion in the process. The drive ended with a five-yard strike from O'Malley to classmate Quinn Revere in the center of the endzone for his first touchdown reception. The PAT was blocked and Lafayette led 13-6 at the end of the first quarter.
 
Five minutes into the second quarter, Monmouth (2-1) answered with a 25-yard field goal after the Leopard defense stopped the Hawks on three plays inside the Lafayette 10.
 
When the Leopards got the ball back, they put together another lengthy drive, running 7:33 off the clock before Pearson took an end around in five from yards out. On the drive, the Leopards were 4-of-4 on third down. Lafayette led 20-9 after Bissel's PAT.
 
Another quick score came Monmouth's way. Bahar (28-of-40 for 334 yards) completed five straight passes to take the Hawks deep into the Lafayette end. Then he ran 14 yards to set up the offense 1^st-and-goal at the Leopard four-yard line. On the next play, Devell Jones ran straight up the middle into endzone to cut Lafayette's lead to 20-15 at halftime.
 
As the second half opened, the Leopards' attempted a 53-yard field goal that was blocked. The visitors took the lead at the end of the third quarter. Lafayette stopped Monmouth on a 2^nd-and-10 situation, but accepted a penalty that moved Monmouth to the Lafayette 43-yard line with an untimed down at the end of the third quarter. Guerriero (18-110) broke free for a 43-yard touchdown on that untimed down as Monmouth led 21-20.
 
In the fourth, the Leopards' offense was forced to punt to start the quarter. Monmouth then put together its own lengthy drive, using 15 plays to cover 70 yards before ending with a Matt Mosquera 27-yard field goal.
 
Trailing 24-20 with 5:24 left in the game, the Leopards got the ball back, and the opening play of the drive put Lafayette in stellar field position. O'Malley hit Pearson for a 43-yard connection to the Monmouth 27-yard line. Passes to Revere (6 yards) and Pearson (11 yards) put Lafayette 1^st-and-goal at the 10-yard line. The Monmouth defensive tightened up, stopping Lafayette four straight times, including the final play when O'Malley couldn't connect with Joey Chenoweth in the endzone.
 
The Maroon and White defense came through with one more stop, forcing a punt with less than a minute to play. A first-down sack of O'Malley and three straight incompletions ended the game.
 
Defensively, it was a solid effort for the Leopards who gave up 528 yards of total offense but just 24 points. Linebackers Michael Root and Major Jordan combined for 17 tackles. Freshman Malik Hamm continued to impress, finishing with seven stops and two tackles for loss.
 
Lafayette (0-3) opens Patriot League play on Sept. 22, traveling to Colgate for a 1 p.m. kick off.