Charleston Southern Buccaneers (0-1, 0-1 Big South) at
Monmouth Hawks (0-0, 0-0 Big South)
Saturday, March 27, 2021; 1:05 p.m.
Kessler Stadium, West Long Branch, N.J.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
ESPN+
Matt Harmon (Play by Play); Eddy Occhipinti (Color Analyst)

KESSLER STADIUM PROCEDURES:

• Only Parents or Guardians previously on the ticket list will be admitted
• Gates open at 12 PM
• Parking is permitted only in the main lot (Larchwood entrance)
• Absolutely no tailgating is permitted

 
A LOOK AT THE GAME

• Today is the first contest of the season for Monmouth and the first contest for the Hawks since the second round of the 2019 playoffs. Charleston Southern, opened the season two weeks ago against Kennesaw State, rallying to almost complete a comeback against the Owls. Both CSU and Monmouth will only play their four conference games in the 2021 Spring regular season.
• Monmouth returns 17 starters on both sides of the ball from its record setting 2019 season but will have to replace a pair of record setting offensive weapons in QB Kenji Bahar and RB Pete Guerriero. The Hawks were selected first in the 2021 Big South Preseason Poll, which included the five teams that are playing.
• Charleston Southern will play its first two games on the road before hosting Gardner-Webb and Robert Morris. The Buccaneers return most of their starters from 2019 team that won its last four contests.
• Monmouth opened the season ranked in the Top-25 for the first time in school history, checking in at 22^nd in the HeroSports Poll and 23^rd in the STATS Perform Top-25 poll. In two weeks the Hawks have slid out of the polls due to cancellations by opponents who have tested positive for COVID-19 after playing non-conference contests.

 
THE COACHING MATCHUP
Kevin Callahan, the 2019 Big South Coach of the Year, is in his 28th season at Monmouth as the Hawks' head coach. Callahan owns a 163-124 career coaching record, all with Monmouth. Coming into the season, Callahan's 163 victories ranks him 6th among active coaches in the Football Championship Subdivision. He is one of three FCS coaches with 150+ wins all at one institution and his 28 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.
 
Autry Denson is in his second season as Charleston Southern head coach, the fifth head coach in program history. He came to the Buccaneers after coaching stops at Notre Dame, South Florida, Miami (Ohio), and Bethune-Cookman.
Denson came to the Buccaneers after spending the last four seasons as the running backs coach at Notre Dame after taking on the role in 2015. His success in the role helped guide the Fighting Irish to the FBS College Football Playoffs and a berth at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. He finished his playing career as the all-time leading rusher in Notre Dame school history with 4,318 yards. He eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing over each of his final three years with the Irish and was named an Associated Press All-America selection as a senior in 1998. Denson wrapped up his collegiate career as the 1999 Gator Bowl Most Valuable Player.
 
INSIDE THE MU-CSU SERIES
Seventh Overall Meeting
Overall Record: MU 3-1 (2 CSU wins were vacated)
    West Long Branch: Tied 1-1
    Charleston, SC: MU 2-0
First Meeting: Nov. 1, 2014
Last Meeting: Nov. 3, 2018
Longest MU Win Streak: 3 gms
Longest CSU Win Streak: 1 gm
Largest MU W Margin: 34 pts
Largest CSU W Margin: 28 pts
Smallest MU W Margin: 3 pts
Smallest CSU W Margin: 28 pts
Shutouts: None*
Overtime Games: ---
 
HAWKS SELECTED FIRST IN PRESEASON POLL
Monmouth University was selected to finish first, for the first time since joining the Big South in the 2020-21 Big South Preseason Poll. The Hawks edged out Kennesaw State by one point, however garnered six of a possible 10 first place votes. Hampton, Campbell and North Alabama were not included in the poll due to choosing to opt out in the Spring.
 
2020-21 Big South Preseason Poll
1. Monmouth (6 votes)                         44       
2. Kennesaw State (3 votes)                43
3. Charleston Southern (1 vote)           31
4. Robert Morris                                   16
    Gardner-Webb                                 16
 
 
MONMOUTH AGAINST THE BIG SOUTH

• Since starting up Big South league play in 2014, Monmouth owns an 18-14 conference record, however is 14-2 since 2017.
• The Hawks own a 5-1 record against Gardner-Webb, 2-0 against Campbell, 4-2 against PC, 3-3 vs CSU and 1-4 vs Kennesaw State. The Hawks are also 1-0 against Hampton (3-0 overall) in conference competition. The Hawks are 1-0 against North Alabama as well.
• The Hawks won their first Big South Title in 2019 going undefeated for the first time since joining the league.
• MU was 0-3 against members of the Big South prior to joining the league, including dropping a home and home series with Coastal Carolina and a non-conference tilt with the Flames.
• With the win over Campbell in 2019, Monmouth won four consecutive Big South games to start Big South play for the first time in school history (2017).

 
INSIDE THE MONMOUTH-CHARLESTON SOUTHERN SERIES

• Today's game marks the seventh time that the Hawks and Buccaneers will meet, with Monmouth owning a 3-1 record. Monmouth is 1-1 at home and 2-0 on the road with the Hawks winning three straight in the series.
• Charleston Southern had won the first two matchups in convincing fashion but an NCAA ruling required the Buccaneers to vacate those wins.
• In Monmouth's first victory the Hawks edged the Bucs 23-20 holding off a second half comeback. Two seasons ago, the last time CSU visited Kessler Stadium, Juwon Farri ran for 100 yards and Kenji Bahar threw for three touchdowns. The Hawk defense allowed its fewest points since a shutout over Albany in 2006.

 
FAMILIAR FACE IN THE BACKFIELD FOR THE HAWKS
While it is true that the Hawks will miss All-American speedster Pete Guerriero in the backfield as he suits up for the NFL's New York Jets these days, the Hawk running back stable is far from empty. Returning after missing 2019 is redshirt sophomore Juwon Farri who earned First Team All-Big South honors and Freshman of the Year honors in 2018 after leading the league in rushing. The ECAC Rookie of the Year compiled 1,024 rushing yards while starting just four games as a freshman. Other than his 13 carries for 111 yards in the season opener against Eastern Michigan, Farri didn't carry the ball more than eight times in five of Monmouth's first six games in 2018.
 
FARRIS AND MOORE IV EARN PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN NODS
Monmouth seniors AJ Farris and Lonnie Moore IV were named as Preseason All-Americans in the summer prior to the 2020 fall shutdown. Last season (2019) Monmouth claimed a program record seven Hawks earned All-American honors with four of those players returning. Moore was named preseason All-America kickoff returner while Farris, a senior center, was also honored by STATS Perform. Moore, who averaged 27.8 yards per kickoff return in 2019, was also named by HERO Sports on their preseason AA list.
 
DID YOU KNOW?
Monmouth's lone home loss since opening Kessler Stadium in 2017 was to Kennesaw State in 2018. The Hawks have gone 17-1, including a perfect 7-0 in 2019. Today is the first of two home games for the Hawks, with the Owls coming back to West Long Branch on April 10.

Social Media Links:
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Facebook (facebook.com/MUFootball)  
Monmouth's YouTube page (YouTube.com/monmouthhawks)