Final Score
Monmouth (5-1, 2-0 CAA) – 42
Towson (3-4, 1-2 CAA) – 31

TOWSON, Md. – Derek Robertson threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns, and Monmouth's rushing attack, powered by Rodney Nelson and Elijah Jennings, led the Hawks past Towson 42–31 on Saturday afternoon at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

Nelson ran for 152 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, while Jennings added three scores as Monmouth (5–1, 2–0 Coastal Athletic Association) outgained Towson 448–418 and stayed unbeaten in conference play. Robertson was sharp throughout, completing 26 of 31 passes without an interception and connecting with nine different receivers.

Monmouth opened with a dominant 15-play, 75-yard drive, capped by Nelson's one-yard touchdown run to give the visitors a 7–0 lead. Robertson then found Maxwell James for a four-yard score early in the second quarter to make it 14–0. Towson (3–4, 1–2 CAA) answered behind backup quarterback Winston Watkins, who threw a one-yard touchdown to tight end CJ Schaeffer, but Jennings' first score restored a two-touchdown lead at 21–7. The Tigers closed the half strong as Andrew Indorf hit John Dunmore from four yards out, trimming the margin to 21–14 at the break.

Towson tied the game early in the third when Indorf connected with Lukkas Londono for a six-yard touchdown, but Jennings' second rushing score, a one-yarder out of the wildcat late in the quarter, put Monmouth back ahead 28–21. Watkins' eight-yard touchdown run early in the fourth again drew Towson even, 28–28.

Robertson responded with a methodical 12-play, 75-yard drive, finishing it with a 10-yard strike to tight end Jack Neri in the back of the endzone. After Towson's Caden Williams hit a 30-yard field goal to cut it to 35–31, Jennings sealed the win with his third touchdown of the day, a three-yard run with just over two minutes remaining.

The Hawks were efficient on third down, converting 7 of 10 opportunities and scoring on six of seven red-zone trips. Monmouth's defense forced three fumbles, including one returned 33 yards by Hunter Watson to set up a first-half touchdown. Josiah Graham led Monmouth's front with two sacks, while Spencer Kishbaugh (8), Jaeden Jones (7), Chris Palmer Jr. (6) and Ryan Russo (6) were active in the tackling department.

Head Coach Kevin Callahan Postgame Quotes:

On grinding out a conference win on the road…
"This was an important conference game, and to win this game on the road was something that we had been shooting for a long time. And we know you have to win on the road if you're going to have a successful season in the conference, and to get the first road conference win means an awful lot to us. So, we're excited about this one. We've got six more coming up and we've got to make sure that we're ready for each and every one of them."

On the play of quarterback Derek Robertson…
"Derek Robertson had an incredibly efficient day. I can't remember the last time we had a game like that at the quarterback position, but he had an outstanding day."

On Rodney Nelson's big game…
"You also have to give some credit to Rodney Nelson, rushing for over 150 yards, who was really the workhorse, particularly in the second half when we really needed to grind out the tough yards."

On the defense's performance…
"We started off really well with two tremendous turnovers that both led to points. And then as we got late in the game, we had a key third down stop and then Towson elected to kick a field goal. We went right down the field and scored and really opened up the lead. And then we got the stop at the end. We really were able to turn our pass rushers loose."

Notes:
- Elijah Jennings scored three touchdowns on Saturday, becoming the first Monmouth rusher to find the endzone three times in a game since Sone Ntoh had four scores against Bryant on Oct. 10, 2024.
- Jennings, who entered the game with 108 yards and two touchdowns, had a career-best 47 yards against the Tigers.
- Running back Rodney Nelson rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown on Saturday, eclipsing the 150-yard mark for the third straight game. He became the first Hawk to reach the century mark in three straight games since Jaden Shirden did it in 2023.
- Quarterback Derek Robertson completed a season-best 83.9 percent of his passes (26-for-31), going for 244 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It was his second-highest completion percentage in a Monmouth uniform, only falling short of his 22-for-23 outing against Villanova last season.
- Tight end Jack Neri scored a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, marking the first time in his five-year career he caught scores in back-to-back games.
- Wide receiver Maxwell James scored his second touchdown of the season, going for 29 yards on three catches.
- The Monmouth defense forced three turnovers, the second time this season they have caused three giveaways. The Hawks are 3-1 this season when winning the turnover battle.
- Josiah Graham had a big day, forcing a pair of fumbles and recording both of the team's sacks. Graham had the strip sack late in the fourth quarter that clinched the victory for Monmouth.
- Receiver Josh Derry had 67 yards on six catches. Seven Hawks receivers had at least 10 yards on Saturday. Nine players had at least one catch.
- Monmouth scored on the game's opening possession for the third straight game, having previously taken immediate 7-0 leads against Delaware State and Villanova.
- Monmouth improves to 3-9 all-time against Towson, earning its first victory in the series since 2023. The Hawks have won the last three road matchups against the Tigers, dating back to 2001.

By the Numbers:
- Monmouth outgained Towson in total offense, 448-418, and on the ground, 204-125. The Tigers won the passing battle, 293-244.
- The Hawks were 7-of-10 on third down, a 70 percent clip, their highest conversion percentage of the season. Towson converted eight-of-14 third-down opportunities.
- The Hawks had 28 total first downs, Towson had 23.
- Monmouth turned three Towson turnovers into seven points; Towson was unable to capitalize on its one takeaway.
- The Hawks scored touchdowns on six of seven red zone trips, while the Tigers converted on five of six.

Up Next:
The Hawks will return home next Saturday to host Stony Brook on Homecoming Weekend. Kickoff from Kessler Stadium is set for 1 p.m. with the game being broadcast live on FloCollege.