Holy Cross Crusaders (7-5, 5-1 Patriot League) at
#11/14 Monmouth Hawks (10-2, 6-0 Big South)
Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019; 12:05 p.m.
Kessler Stadium, West Long Branch, N.J.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
ESPN3
Tre Bender (Play by Play); Tyoka Jackson (Color Analyst)

DIRECTIONS TO KESSLER STADIUM
Directions to Monmouth University and Kessler Stadium can be found here:

TICKET INFO:
For tickets call 732-263-5735 or visit MonmouthHawks.com for online sales
Day of game tickets can be purchased at the Austin Family Box Office 

A LOOK AT THE GAME

• Today is the fourth meeting between Holy Cross and Monmouth with the Hawks owning a 2-1 advantage in the series. The Hawks won the last outing in 2017, however Holy Cross won the only meeting between the schools in West Long Branch.
• Monmouth won its first Big South Conference title going 6-0 in league play including last week's 48-13 win over Hampton. Today is also the second playoff game in Monmouth's history and the first home playoff game hosted by the Hawks. Monmouth is 6-0 at home this year and 16-1 at Kessler Stadium since opening the facility prior to the 2017 season.
• Monmouth is ranked 11th in the AFCA Coaches Poll and 14th in the STATS FCS Poll,  the highest rankings in school history.
• Holy Cross is the autobid out of the Patriot League after clinching the league title with a 24-0 win over Georgetown last weekend. The Crusaders are making their first trip to the NCAA FCS Playoffs since 2009. Both teams are looking for their first FCS playoff win.
• The winner of today's game will advance to the NCAA FCS Second round and head to second-ranked James Madison next Saturday.
• The game will air on ESPN3 with Trey Bender (pxp) and Tyoka Jackson (analyst) on the call.
• You can listen to the game online at ShoreSportsNetwork.com with Matt Harmon (pxp) and Brian Sweeney (analyst).

 
TODAY'S PROMOTIONS
Buy a Ticket to the Game get a free Monmouth Basketball Ticket: Anyone who purchases a ticket to the game will be able bring their ticket stuff to a future men's or women's basketball game for free admission to that game. 

THE COACHING MATCHUP
Kevin Callahan, the 2019 Big South Coach of the Year, is in his 27th season at Monmouth as the Hawks' head coach. Callahan owns a 162-123 career coaching record, all with Monmouth. Coming into the season, Callahan's 156 victories ranks him 8th among active coaches in the Football Championship Subdivision. He is one of three FCS coaches with 150+ wins all at one institution and his 26 years as a head coach is the seventh most among active coaches. The only coach in Monmouth history, he has led the Blue & White to six conference championships, in 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004 and 2006 and its first at-large playoff berth in 2017. Callahan has earned conference coach of the year accolades in 1998, 2003, 2006 and 2019 and was named as an Eddie Robinson Award finalist in 2017, finishing 10^th in the voting. Prior to arriving in West Long Branch, Callahan served as defensive coordinator at Colgate for eight seasons and at Wagner for three years. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Albany (1977-79) and Syracuse (1980) before becoming a Seahawk assistant in 1981.
 
Bob Chesney is in the second season at the helm of the Crusaders, leading Holy Cross to a Patriot League title in 2019 while earning Coach of the Year honors. Last year he guided Holy Cross to a second place conference finish while setting four school records. A two-time Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year, Chesney previously spent five seasons at Assumption College (44-16, 2013-2017) and three years at Salve Regina University (23-9, 2010-2012). He took over an Assumption program that had posted two winning seasons in the 17 years prior to his arrival and led the Greyhounds to five-straight winning records and NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his last three years. Chesney earned his bachelor's degree from Dickinson College where he was a defensive back, earning Second Team All-Centennial Conference honors in both 1998 and 1999.
 
INSIDE THE MU-HOLY CROSS SERIES
Fourth Overall Meeting
Overall Record: MU 2-1
    West Long Branch: HC 1-0
    Holy Cross: MU 2-0
First Meeting: Sept. 21, 2013
Last Meeting: Oct. 7, 2017
Longest MU Win Streak: 2 gms
Longest HC Win Streak: 1 game
Largest MU W Margin: 12 points
Largest HC W Margin: 8 points
Smallest MU W Margin: 7 points
Smallest HC W Margin: 8 points
Shutouts: ---
Overtime Games: ---
 
MONMOUTH AGAINST THE PATRIOT LEAGUE

• Monmouth owns a 15-10 record against the Patriot League, winning nine consecutive games against the conference.
• The Hawks are 1-0 this season against Patriot League teams, defeating Lafayette 24-21 earlier in the season. In that game Lonnie Moore had 122 yards and Pete Guerriero recorded 152 yards as the Hawks built a 21-7 halftime lead. Matt Mosquera's 40-yard field goal in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference, as his third made kick of the day snuck inside the left upright.
• Monmouth has won three straight against Lehigh with the Hawks owning a winning a record against Georgetown (2-0), Bucknell (2-0), Holy Cross (2-1) and Fordham (2-1).
• Colgate (3-1) and Lehigh (5-3) own winning records against Monmouth.
• In 2017, the last year MU faced Holy Cross, the Hawks faced four of the seven Patriot League teams, going 4-0.

 
MONMOUTH IN THE NCAA PLAYOFFS

• Today's game is the second time Monmouth has made the NCAA FCS Playoffs and the first home game in school history
• In 2017 the Hawks made the playoffs for the first time, as an At-Large selection after finishing 9-2 and ranked 22nd in the nation during the regular season
• Last season the Hawks were snubbed despite being 8-3 with losses to an FBS school and two top-10 teams in Princeton and Kennesaw State
• The Hawks fell the Northern Iowa in the 2017 opening round with Bahar connecting with Lonnie Moore for the first playoff touchdown in school history

 
KENJI BAHAR EARNS BIG SOUTH OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kenji Bahar was named Big South Offensive Player of the Year after guiding one of the nation's most prolific offenses, averaging 36.3 points per game while racking up a conference-best 3,454 yards of total offense. Bahar threw for 3,262 yards and 28 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. The fifth-year senior set every single-season and career passing record in Monmouth history and finished with a 66.1 completion percentage and four rushing scores. Bahar was the preseason conference player of the year and is one of two finalists on the Hawks up for the Walter Payton Award, awarded to the nation's top FCS offensive player.
 
CALLAHAN EARNS FOURTH CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR HONOR
Callahan, the only head coach in Monmouth has known, led the Hawks to their best season in the 27-year history of the program. Monmouth, ranked 11th in the latest AFCA Coaches' Poll, won its first Big South title by going unbeaten in league play. The Hawks are winners of eight straight contests and won 10 games for fourth time in school history and the first time since 2006. Callahan's program will host its first NCAA FCS Playoff game this Saturday when Holy Cross visits Kessler Stadium.
 
DID YOU KNOW?
In addition to bringing home two major awards Monmouth had a school record 17 All-Big South selections including eight first-team selections. Previously Monmouth's record of all-conference selections was 12 set last season.

Social Media Links:
Follow the Hawks all season long on twitter (@MUHawksFB)
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Monmouth's YouTube page (YouTube.com/monmouthhawks)