Final Score
#9/10 Monmouth (7-1, 4-0 CAA) – 28
Hampton (2-7, 0-5 CAA) – 10
 
HAMPTON, Va. – Running back Rodney Nelson turned in one of the most dominant rushing performances in program history as No. 9/10 Monmouth powered past Hampton, 28-10, on Saturday evening at Armstrong Stadium. With the win, the Hawks improved to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in CAA play, marking their first 4-0 league start since 2021 and just the fifth 7-1 start in the program's 33-year history.
 
Making his first career start, redshirt freshman quarterback Frankie Weaver managed the offense with poise, completing 14-of-25 passes for 122 yards while relying on Monmouth's relentless ground game. Nelson did the rest, carrying the ball 33 times for a career-high 233 yards and all four of the Hawks' touchdowns, averaging 7.1 yards per carry and breaking loose for runs of 30 and 29 yards that kept Hampton's defense on its heels throughout. Elijah Jennings added 76 yards of his own on 12 attempts, a career best for him.
 
After Hampton opened the scoring with a short field goal midway through the first quarter, Nelson answered immediately, punching in a 5-yard touchdown run to cap a 75-yard drive and give Monmouth the lead for good. He added a 3-yard score early in the second quarter to make it 14-3 at halftime.
 
The Pirates threatened after the break, cutting the deficit to 14-10 with a 91-yard touchdown drive, but Monmouth's defense stiffened from that point forward. Linebacker Ryan Russo recovered a fumble, and Deuce Lee and Jaeden Jones combined for 25 total tackles to lead a unit that recorded four sacks and seven tackles for loss. Defensive linemen Josiah Graham and Lamont Lester Jr. each had a sack as the Hawks held Hampton to 119 rushing yards and 10 total points.
 
Nelson's third touchdown – a 1-yard plunge early in the fourth quarter – capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive that restored a two-score cushion. He later iced the game with another short touchdown run inside the final three minutes after Izzy Clark-White picked off the Pirates in Hampton territory.
 
Monmouth's offensive line paved the way for 298 rushing yards and 420 total yards on the afternoon, while the defense held the Pirates to just two red-zone scores on four trips. The Hawks dominated the fourth quarter, controlling possession for nearly 11 minutes and outgaining Hampton 134-41 down the stretch.
 
Quotes
"I think our team did a good job rallying behind Frankie [Weaver]. Missing Derek [Robertson] certainly hurt, but we had guys up and down the lineup make the plays we had to make in the right moments.
 
It was a different type of game plan with Frankie in there, but I thought we still played Monmouth Football today. He hung in there and battled for us. We also ran the ball exceptionally well. Rodney had an outstanding game, and when we had to rely on him, he shined.
 
The defense was very opportunistic again today. The turnovers we forced were able to set us up in good field position where we could capitalize, and the fourth down stops were big momentum shifts in the game." – Head Coach Kevin Callahan on the win
 
Notes
- Monmouth improves to 5-0 all-time versus Hampton.
- Monmouth improved to 7-1 for just the fifth time in program history, joining the 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2017 teams. Of those previous four 7-1 starts, three ended with conference championships, and the 2017 campaign resulted in an FCS playoff berth.
- The Hawks are 4-0 in conference play for the first time since 2021.
- The defense also forced two more turnovers, raising the season total to 16. The team's +8 turnover differential is its best mark since 2019 (+12).
- Izzy Clark-White recorded the first interception of his season.
- Josiah Graham's 9.5 sacks rank fifth-most by a Hawk in a single season and are the most by a Monmouth player in 25 years.
- Sebastien Acheampong notched his first career sack.
- Frankie Weaver earned the win in his first career start.
- Rodney Nelson finished with 233 rushing yards, surpassing the 100-yard mark for the fifth straight game - tying the program record set by Jaden Shirden in 2022. It is the most in a game by a Hawk since Shirden had 251 at William & Mary on Oct. 28, 2023.
- It is the 20^th 200-yard rushing game in MU history.
- It marked Nelson's second 200-yard game of the season and his fifth game with at least 150 rushing yards.
- Nelson recorded the first four-touchdown game of his career. The last Monmouth player to score four rushing touchdowns in a game was Sone Ntoh against Bryant on Oct. 19, 2024.
- Monmouth's 28-10 victory marked its lowest point total in a win since Sept. 11, 2021 (26-23 win at Fordham).
- Quarterback Derek Robertson missed his first game as a Hawk and is being evaluated for an injury to his non-throwing hand/wrist suffered in the third quarter of the win versus Stony Brook. An update on his status will be provided early next week.
 
Numbers Crunch
- Monmouth had more first downs, 26-20.
- The Hawks ran more offensive plays, 74-69.
- Monmouth outgained Hampton, 420-381.
- MU was 7-of-12 on third down and 0-of-3 on fourth down.
- The Pirates went 6-of-12 on third down and 1-for-2 on fourth down.
- Monmouth went 4-of-5 on redzone chances, while Hampton went 2-of-4.
- The Hawks tallied four sacks for 18 yards, while Hampton had two for 20 yards.
- Monmouth committed four penalties for 45 yards, while Hampton had nine for 69.
 
Up Next
Monmouth improves to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in CAA games. The Hawks travel to Bryant to play the Bulldogs at 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 1. The game will be broadcast live on FloCollege.