Monmouth ran their win streak over Knox to 20 straight while Thomas Lesniewski set the Fighting Scots' career sack record at 34.5 in a 40-7 win over the Prairie Fire Saturday afternoon.
 
Lesniewski's third quarter sack came with the Scots leading 26-0. The senior defensive end broke the nearly 30-year old career record of 34 set by Greg Bennett from 1987-90.
 
Senior running back DeAndre Wright – who scored three times – inched closer to his third 1,000-yard season, rushing for 119 yards on 16 carries. Wright will enter next Saturday's Midwest Conference Championship game 216 yards shy of the milestone.
 
The Scots scored on four of their five first half possessions to take a 19-0 halftime lead. Joey Biel booted a 30-yard field goal to open the scoring and an 18-yarder to close the scoring. Wright added a pair of touchdowns in between, one on a 46-yard run. Monmouth poured on the offense in the third quarter scoring on their first two possessions when Hayden Nelson hit Jacolby Maxwell for a three-yard TD toss. Wright scored his third touchdown on Monmouth's next possession, set up by Tre Maxwell's interception. After a three-and-out, the Scots engineered a six-play, 26-yard drive to complete the scoring.
 
Monmouth's shutout bid ended in the waning seconds after Knox marched 80 yards on their final possession to avoid the shutout.
 
Nelson ended the day 18-of-23 for 167 yards – 111 to Maxwell on 11 catches – and one TD, also to Maxwell. Jack Lucas led the Scots' defense with nine tackles while Nick Miyler recorded six stops – all solos.
 
The Scots travel to De Pere, Wis., next weekend where they'll meet St. Norbert for the league title. Monmouth is seeking their third straight conference crown, unprecedented in program history.