MONMOUTH HAWKS (3-2, 1-1 CAA) VS UALBANY GREAT DANES (1-3, 0-1 CAA)
Saturday, October 8, 2022; 1 p.m.
Kessler Stadium, West Long Branch, NJ

BROADCAST INFORMATION
FloSports, SNY, NBC Sports Philadelphia+
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 INFORMATION
For tickets call 732-263-5735 or visit MonmouthHawks.com/Tickets for online sales. Day of game tickets can be purchased at the Austin Family Box Office.

GAMEDAY PROMOTIONS
Tackle Cancer presented by RWJ Barnabus Health. Free Pink Out Football Shirts to the first 500 fans.
Mary's Place info table for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

OPENING KICKOFF
Monmouth resumes conference play and returns home to host UAlbany riding a three-game winning streak. The Great Danes enter Kessler Stadium with a 1-3 record and are coming off their first victory of the season, a 45-26 home win over Central Connecticut State two weeks ago.
 
A WIN WOULD
A win would extend Monmouth's winning streak to four straight games and give the Hawks a second victory in conference play. Monmouth would also improve to 2-1 at home in 2022 and give the Hawks back-to-back wins against the Great Danes.
 
FAMILIAR FOES
Monmouth and UAlbany will meet for the 18th time on Saturday as the former Northeast Conference foes will renew their rivalry in the Colonial Athletic Association. Monmouth has only played five teams more than UAlbany in its history.

ALL-TIME SERIES
UAlbany leads 12-5
Last Meeting: 9/14/19 W, 38-35 OT at Monmouth
at Monmouth: UAlbany leads 5-3
Streak: W1

DID YOU KNOW?
Monmouth Head Coach Kevin Callahan got his college coaching start under legendary UAlbany Head Coach Bob Ford prior to the 1977 season. He coached the offensive backfield in 1977 and the outside linebackers in 1978 and 1979. Callahan is a native of Elmira, NY about a three-hour drive from the state capitol. In December 2018 Callahan was inducted to the Chemung County Hall of Fame.
 
REMEMBERING JOHN KESSLER
Monmouth's football program will honor the legacy of longtime friend, beloved alumnus, Trustee Emeritus and supporter of the University, John H. Kessler '69 with a helmet sticker during Saturday's game against UAlbany. Kessler, who passed away last November, was a staunch supporter of Monmouth Athletics, serving as a founding member of the Touchdown Club—inaugural donors to Monmouth football. The Kesslers have supported the growth of Monmouth University through their generosity, including the athletics complex that bears their name—the Henni Kantor Kessler & John H. Kessler Stadium.
 
CAA LEADERS
Monmouth has the top scoring offense in the CAA at 39.8 points per game. The Hawks also lead the conference with 28 total touchdowns, 18 rushing touchdowns, yards per rush (6.21), and in total offense at 498.8 yards per game.
 
Individually, Jaden Shirden is tops in rushing yards per game (154.4) and Owen Wright leads the conference in scoring (66 points) and total touchdowns (11).
 
FCS ELITE
Monmouth ranks in the top 10 in the FCS in three offensive categories. The Hawks are fifth in total offense (498.8 yards per game), seventh in rushing offense (240.8) and seventh in scoring offense (39.8 ppg).
 
Individually, Jaden Shirden is first in rush yards per carry (9.90), first in total rushing yards (772) and rushing yards per game (154.4), and seventh in all-purpose yards per game (156.8). Owen Wright is second in the FCS in total touchdowns (11) and rushing touchdowns (10).
 
CAN'T CATCH SHIRDEN
As a rookie in 2021, Shirden had a pair of 75-yard touchdown runs against Holy Cross and Robert Morris and six of his eight career touchdown runs have been at least 55 yards in length after a 56-yarder against Villanova. Shirden's 757 rushing yards over the past four games are the most in a four-game span since Pete Guerriero ran for 804 yards in the final four games of the 2019 season. Guerriero had games of 237 (Campbell), 240 (Hampton), 200 (Holy Cross) and JMU (107) to set the program's four-game record. Shirden's 757 ranks second only to Guerriero's 804. Shirden's four-straight 100-yard games are first for a Monmouth back since Guerriero's late season run in 2019.
 
JADEN MAKES MORE HISTORY
Jaden Shirden became the 16th player in Monmouth history to rush for 1,000 career yards – achieving the feat in just 15 games with his 211-yard performance against Villanova. The sophomore's 211-yard effort was the 14th 200-yard game in Monmouth history and the first by a Villanova opponent since 1995 (Jerry Azumah). Shirden became the third Hawk with multiple 200-yard games, joining Pete Guerriero (five times) and David Sinisi (four times). Shirden has 1,269 career rushing yards entering Saturday's game.
 
SHIRDEN RUNS PAST RAMS
Jaden Shirden was named the CAA Football Co-Offensive Player of the Week on September 12 after his scintillating effort on the ground against Fordham. The sophomore back set a program record with 299 rushing yards on 12 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns on runs of 80 and 95 yards, respectively. His 299 yards are the most rushing yards in an FCS game this season, they eclipsed the previous single-game record of 247 set by David Sinisi in 2008 and the 200+ yard performance was the most since Pete Guerriero ran for 220 against Holy Cross in 2019. Shirden averaged 24.9 yards per carry in the game, setting the program record for per game average with a minimum of 10 carries. Shirden had four explosive runs in the game, with carries of 35, 37, 80 and 95 yards, which is the longest run in an FCS game this season.
 
SHIRDEN'S RECORD RUN
Sophomore Jaden Shirden's 95-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against Fordham is the longest run in the FCS this season. Shirden's touchdown scamper also the third longest run in school history. Former backs David Sinisi (2007) and Jim Varick (1994) own the Monmouth record of 99-yard runs, each done against Sacred Heart. Pete Guerriero's 93-yard touchdown run in the 2019 NCAA Second Round against JMU was the most recent 90+ yard rush by a Hawk. Monmouth's defense has allowed just one 90+ yard run, in the 2013 opener against Montana State (90).
 
PUTTING UP POINTS
Monmouth has scored at least 45 points in three games this season. The last time the Hawks scored at least 45 in three games was the 2019 season when they had four-straight 45-plus point performances en route to wrapping up the program's first Big South title. That season Monmouth had six games with at least 45 points.
 
OWEN WRIGHT: TD MACHINE
Running back Owen Wright has been a touchdown machine this season with a CAA leading 11 total touchdowns. Wright scored twice at New Hampshire, had three rushing touchdowns against Fordham, two rushing and one receiving in the win over Georgetown and two more rushing scores at Villanova. His three rushing touchdowns against Fordham are the most for a Monmouth player in a game this season. Wright has 12 career rushing touchdowns at Monmouth after running for two in 2021. Wright had one rushing touchdown at Lehigh, giving him 10 rushing scores this year. It was the 14th time in program history a player reached double digit rushing touchdowns and the first since Juwon Farri in the Spring 2021 season.
 
MONMOUTH AGAINST THE COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
Monmouth is one of 13 current members of the CAA in football, with the addition of Campbell and North Carolina A&T set for 2023. The Hawks are 17-29 all-time against current CAA opponents. Monmouth has never played three teams in the conference; Elon, Richmond and William & Mary. The Hawks' wins over Hampton (3-0) came as a member of the Big South Conference, while UAlbany (5-12) and Stony Brook (5-4) were foes at times during Monmouth's time as a member of the Northeast Conference. Prior meetings with Delaware (0-1), Maine (0-3), Rhode Island (1-1) and Towson (1-7) were non-conference contests. Monmouth opened its 2022 season with a loss at New Hampshire (0-1) and improved to 2-0 all-time against Villanova with a thrilling 49-42 victory on September 24.
 
MUSKETT'S STREAK CONTINUES
Tony Muskett has thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game of his career dating back to the Spring 2021 season. He has at least two touchdown passes in 13 of his 20 career games and has 44 career touchdown passes to go along with just 13 career interceptions. Muskett ranks fourth among active FCS players in career passing efficiency (148.31) and fifth in total offense per game (251.4 yards). Muskett set a new career standard with 78 rushing yards at Villanova and had 56 more at Lehigh.
 
MUSKETT CLIMBING THE MONMOUTH RANKS
Tony Muskett, who has started 20 consecutive contests for the Blue & White is continuing his assault on the Monmouth record books this season. The junior is fifth all-time in passing yards and career completions, sixth in total offense and fourth in passing touchdowns. His 44 touchdowns and 13 interceptions put him first in passing efficiency and his 64.2 percent completion percentage is second all-time behind former Hawk Brett Burke (2005-08).
 
KEARNEY MAKING PLAYS
Wide receiver Assanti Kearney has been a major weapon for Tony Muskett this season and leads the team with 299 yards and three touchdowns. Kearney set new career highs with five catches for 121 yards, including receptions of 35, 28 and 25 yards against Fordham. In the win at Villanova, Kearney registered his first-career two-touchdown game with receiving touchdowns of 21 and 18 yards, respectively. Kearney followed up that with a three-catch, 73-yard day at Lehigh, including a career-best 52-yard touchdown grab.
 
MONMOUTH IN THE RED ZONE
Monmouth's offense has been among the best in the country when it enters its opponents' 20-yard line. The Hawks are 25th in the FCS in red zone offense, scoring on 87 percent of its drives. Monmouth has come away with points on 20 of its 23 red zone opportunities, highlighted by touchdowns on 19 trips. The Hawks were 5-for-5 on red zone chances at Villanova.
 
FROM THE JUMP
Only two players in the country have started at quarterback in every game of their careers and thrown at least 40 touchdowns. Monmouth's junior QB Tony Muskett has thrown 44 career touchdown passes in 20 starts over his three seasons. Jackson St. sophomore Shedeur Sanders started all 13 games as a freshman in 2021 and tossed 30 touchdown passes en route to winning the Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award as the nation's top freshman. Sanders has 44 passing TDs in 18 career games.

CAA COACHES PRESS CONFERENCE
Audio Replay

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