#RV/24 Princeton Tigers (3-0, 1-0 Ivy League) at
#RV/25 Monmouth Hawks (3-2, 2-0 Big South)
Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021; 1:05 p.m.
Kessler Stadium, West Long Branch, N.J.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
ESPN+
Matt Harmon (Play by Play); Eddy Occhipinti (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's game will be the final non-conference matchup for both the Hawks and the Tigers. Monmouth comes into the game with a 3-2 record after rebounding last weekend with a 54-17 win over Gardner-Webb. Princeton is unbeaten, coming off a conference opening win against Columbia. The game wraps up a three-game homestand for the Hawks.
• Today's game is Monmouth University's 'tackle cancer' game. The first 500 fans will get a free pink Monmouth Football Tackle Cancer shirt courtesy of RWJ Barnabus.
• Monmouth is coming off its most impressive win of the season, a 37 point win over Gardner-Webb at home. The Hawks rolled up 527 yards of offense led by Tony Muskett's four TD passes. 
• Princeton, the favorites to win the Ivy League, have dominated their first three opponents, allowing just seven points in three games while scoring 119. The Tiger's defense ranks first in the NCAA in six different categories including scoring defense, rushing defense, team sacks and total defense.    
• The game will air on ESPN+ with Matt Harmon, (pxp) and Eddy Occhipinti (analyst) on the call.

 
TODAY'S PROMOTIONS
Tackle Cancer: The first 500 fans will receive a "Monmouth football tackles cancer" t-shirt


THE COACHING MATCHUP
Kevin Callahan, the 2019 and 2020 Big South Coach of the Year, is in his 29th season at Monmouth as the Hawks' head coach. Callahan owns a 169-127 career coaching record, all with Monmouth. Coming into the season, Callahan's 169 victories ranks him 6th among active coaches in the Football Championship Subdivision. He is one of two FCS coaches with 150+ wins all at one institution and his 29 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, 2006 and 2020-21 and its first at-large playoff berth in 2017. Callahan has earned conference coach of the year accolades in 1998, 2003, 2006, 2019 and 2020 and was named as an Eddie Robinson Award finalist in 2017 (10^th), 2019 (4^th) and 2020-21. 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.
 
Since taking over at his alma mater in 2010, Bob Surace has transformed Princeton into one of the most consistent FCS programs in the Ivy League. He has led the Tigers to three Ivy League championships and a 56-24 record after a 2-20 start, including a 21-2 overall mark since 2018, which includes going 13-2 in the Ivy League during that span. The Princeton center on their 1989 Ivy League championship team, Surace has led the Tigers to 8+ wins in four seasons since 2013, something they did five times in the previous 44 years. The hallmark of the team in his tenure has been an explosive, versatile offense that holds the top two all-time single season scoring marks in Ivy League history. The undefeated 2018 Tigers set the all-time record, averaging 47 points per game, while the 2013 edition ranks second all-time at 43.7 points per game. He is one of two people to win an Ivy League championship as a player and a head coach.
 
INSIDE THE MU-PRINCETON SERIES
Second Overall Meeting
Overall Record: Princeton 1-0
    West Long Branch: 0-0
    Princeton: PU leads 1-0
First Meeting: Sept. 22, 2018
Last Meeting: Sept. 22, 2018
Longest MU Win Streak: N/A
Longest PU Win Streak: 1 gm
Largest MU W Margin: N/A
Largest PU W Margin: 42 pts
Smallest MU W Margin: N/A
Smallest PU W Margin: 42 pts
Shutouts: None
Overtime Games: None
 
INSIDE THE MONMOUTH-PRINCETON SERIES

• Today will be second meeting between the only two FCS teams in the state of New Jersey. Princeton owns the series record 1-0, defeating Monmouth in a one-sided affair back in the 2018 season.
• It took 26 years for the two teams to meet, with Princeton playing in the first collegiate football game ever on November 6, 1869 when they were known as the New Jersey Tigers.
• In the first meeting with Princeton, Pete Guerriero sprinted out to a 71 yard run on the first play from scrimmage but from there on out it was all Tigers. The Hawks trailed 14-9 at the end of the first quarter and could not reach the endzone the rest of the game. Tiger quarterback John Lovett accounted for 403 total yards and six touchdowns.

 
MONMOUTH AGAINST THE IVY LEAGUE

• Monmouth University is 3-2 all time against members of the Ivy League, last playing Princeton in the 2018 season.
• Monmouth owns a 2-0 record against Columbia and a 1-1 record against Cornell. The last time they met, Hawks dismantled the Lions, prior to their recent resurgence, forcing three interceptions in one quarter en route to a 61 point afternoon.
• In the 2012 loss to Cornell, Hawk QB Kyle Frazier set Monmouth records in passing yards with 451, completions with 35, and total offense yards with 513. The Hawks put up over 600 yards of total offense on the day, but Cornell was able to notch 581 of their own while earning the 41-38 win.

 
 
MOORE AND GREENE JR LEAD THE BIG SOUTH IN CAREER RECEPTIONS
Seniors Lonnie Moore IV (173) and Terrance Greene Jr (120) are the lone active Big South players with 100 career receptions. Moore ranks 9th all-time in Big South history with 173 catches, and needs 27 to become just the fifth with 200 in a career. He became the 15th player with more than 2,000 receiving yards in Week 2 against Fordham, and ranks 10th in the league record book with 2,243. Greene sits at 1,698 career receiving yards and is 302 from the 2,000-yard milestone.
 
MILLER EARNS BIG SOUTH FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Redshirt freshman Dymere Miller earned his first weekly award after his performance against Gardner-Webb. Miller had a career day for the Hawks, averaging 35.3 yards per reception in Monmouth's win over Gardner-Webb. Miller recorded his first career 100-yard game, finishing with 106 on three receptions with his first career score. In the third quarter Miller sprinted up the seam and hauled in a 38-yard touchdown to put the game out of the reach for the Runnin' Bulldogs. Miller caught passes of 33 yards, 35 yards and the 38-yard score. He is averaging 21.6 yards per reception this season.
 
MOORE PACES HAWKS PAST GWU WITH 197 APY
Against Gardner-Webb Moore finished the game with a season-high 197 all-purpose yards, recording his first 100-yard receiving game of the year while adding 50 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns. Moore caught a game-high eight passes including an 18 yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. In the second frame Moore raced 39 yards on a handoff to pay dirt putting the Hawks ahead 26-0. The senior made the most of his one kickoff return on the afternoon, bringing the ball out 47 yards to set up the Monmouth offense.
 
COACH CALLAHAN FOURTH IN BIG SOUTH HISTORY
Head Coach Kevin Callahan is fourth all-time in Big South history with 49 wins during his time in the conference, and needs one to become the fourth with 50 victories. He is looking to become the third-fastest Big South coach to 50 wins.
 
DID YOU KNOW?
Lonnie Moore's 173 career receptions ranks fifth among all active FCS players. Jakob Herres at VMI leads with 209 with seven receptions separating the third through fifth ranked players. Juwon Farri's 103 rushing yards per game ranks third behind Julius Chestnut of Sacred Heart (107.8) and YSU's Jaleel McLaughlin (150.5).

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