2025 Monmouth Football Gameday Preview: Game Nine
 
No. 9/10 Monmouth (7-1, 4-0 CAA) at Bryant (2-6, 0-4 CAA)
Saturday, November 1, 2025 – 1:00 p.m.
Beirne Stadium, Smithfield, R.I.
 
Please find PDF of full notes attached.
 
Watch
FloCollege

Listen
MonmouthHawks.com / MDN
Play-by-Play: Matt Harmon
Analyst: Zach Fabel
 
Ticket Information
Click HERE to buy tickets

Gameday at Beirne Stadium Information
For venue information HERE
 
Game Promotions
Bryant will be celebrating its Family & Friends Weekend Homecoming versus the Hawks

Two Teams Trending in Opposite Directions
Monmouth enters in the midst of a five-game win streak - their best stretch since 2019, while Bryant has lost five consecutive games including each of their last three by double digits. The Hawks cruised in last year's meeting, 55-17, which marked the first head-to-head matchup as CAA foes.
 
Rodney Nelson's Career Day at Hampton
Running back Rodney Nelson went ballistic in last week's win over the Pirates, totaling 233 yards on the ground and all four Monmouth touchdowns on 33 carries. All marks were career highs, as he recorded the 20th 200-yard rushing game in program history. It was the best rushing performance by a Hawk since Jaden Shirden ran for 251 at William & Mary in 2023.
 
A Win Would ...
- Push Monmouth to 8-1 all-time versus the Bulldogs.
- Make MU a perfect 8-0 versus FCS opponents this season.
- Be Head Coach Kevin Callahan's 196th career victory.

The Coaching Matchup
Kevin Callahan
33^rd Season / 195-149 / 110-74 in-conference
 
Chris Merritt
6^th Season / 26-38
 
All-Time Series
Series Record: Monmouth leads, 7-1
at Monmouth: Monmouth leads, 4-1
at Bryant: Monmouth leads, 3-0
Most Monmouth points: 55, 10/19/24
Most Bryant points: 35, 10/15/11
Most combined points: 75, 10/15/11
Biggest Monmouth win: 38, 10/19/24
Current streak: Monmouth, W3
 
Run, Rod, Run
Running back Rodney Nelson has been a workhorse for the Hawks offense all season long, totaling 202 carries, 1,238 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground through eight games. He leads FCS in yards and yards per game (154.8), while ranking third in the nation with his 13 scores. Nelson recently tied a program record with his fifth consecutive 100-yard performance going for a career-high 233 and four touchdowns at Hampton. At this pace, the redshirt sophomore is currently on pace to secure the first 2,00-yard rushing season in Monmouth's history.
 
The Hawks BeWeave in Frankie
Redshirt freshman Frankie Weaver made his first collegiate start at Hampton, finishing 14-of-25 with 122 yards for his first win. The 6'5", 215-pounder from Maryland displayed poise and managed the offense effectively. Monmouth plans for him to be the starter again this Saturday at Bryant while Robertson remains week-to-week.
 
Busy Izzy
Monmouth's top outside cornerback, Izzy Clark-White, snagged the first interception of his season against the Pirates, helping seal the 28-10 win. He leads the Hawks with three interceptions dating back to the start of the 2024 season, while also ranking tied for first with six PBUs in 2025.
 
Josiah Graham 4 President
The transfer defensive end has been elite in sacking the quarterback this season, leading the CAA with 9.5 sacks through eight games. It is the most by any Hawk since 2000 - before he was even born. He is on pace to tie the single-season Monmouth record which is currently 15.5 by Joe Sentipal in 2000.
 
Russo's Pick Six
Leading by seven in the third quarter versus Stony Brook, defensive back Emmanuel Lane deflected a pass and linebacker Ryan Russo snatched it out of the air, followed a convoy of blockers, and sprinted into the endzone 50 yards for a touchdown. It was the first pick six by a Hawk since Deuce Lee versus Lehigh on Sept. 30, 2023.
 
Four Turnovers Forced
In addition to Monmouth's defense allowing just 14 points, the Hawks forced four turnovers - a pair of interceptions, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble at the goal line that ultimately rolled out of the endzone for a touchback. Jaeden Jones returned his first career INT for 38 yards down to the 2-yard-line, setting up a Rodney Nelson rushing score. The Hawks have forced eight fumbles in the last three weeks - the most in a three-game stretch in the last seven seasons. Monmouth has forced 16 turnovers though seven games in 2025, which is already more than last season's end total (11). The Hawks boast a +8 turnover margin, which ranks first in the CAA and seventh in the nation.
 
Explosive Offensive Output
The Hawks put up 49 points versus Stony Brook and now rank fifth in FCS with 43.1 points per game. The Hawks rank first in the CAA in scoring by 12.5 points, and have scored 50+ seven times since joining the CAA in 2022.  The Hawks have scored 40 or more points in 16 of the last 17 wins dating back to the start of the 2023 season. During that span, the Hawks have piled up 827 total points in such wins, averaging 48.6 points per win. The production has come under the direction of Offensive Coordinator Jeff Gallo, who was recognized as a finalist for the 2024 FootballScoop.com FCS Coordinator of the Year Award.
 
Ragin' RBs
Running backs Rodney Nelson and Elijah Jennings, both enjoyed big days in the 42-31 victory at Towson, combining for 199 yards and four scores on the ground. Nelson, who finished with 152 yards, became the first Hawk since Jaden Shirden to eclipse the 100-yard mark for a third consecutive contest. He has five 100-yard games this season. Jennings had a breakout performance with three rushing scores - marking the first time the feat has been accomplished by a Hawk since Sone Ntoh had four TDs versus Bryant in 2024.
 
Creating Extra Possessions
The Monmouth defense has already recovered more fumbles (10) through eight games this season than they had all of 2024 (6). The Hawks pounced on three loose balls coughed up by the Towson offense, and those forcing the turnovers were JJ Lewis, Brendan Bigos and Josiah Graham.
 
Derek "Mr. Efficient" Robertson
Derek Robertson finished the afternoon at Towson going 27-of-32 with 250 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. Completing 84.4% of his passes, Robertson notched his second career game surpassing the 80% mark, joining his 22-of-23 (95.7%) effort versus Villanova last season. Following the Stony Brook win, the graduate quarterback has now gone 219 straight attempts without throwing an interception.
 
Robertson Runs the FCS
Quarterback Derek Robertson is FCS's active passing leader with 10,885 passing yards. He is the current subdivision leader with 2,482 yards and 27 touchdowns. The New York native continues to cement his strong case for being the Walter Payton Award frontrunner, as he has now gone 219 consecutive passing attempts without an interception.
 
Sellout Crowd Fuels Statement Win
Monmouth played in front of a sellout crowd of 4,200 fans at Kessler Stadium in its 51-33 victory over #12/11 Villanova. The Family Weekend and Youth Day atmosphere marked the Hawks' largest home crowd since the September 2021 opener against Holy Cross. Feeding off the energy, Monmouth built a lead as large as 24 points in the first half on the way to its first CAA win of the season.
 
Success Against Villanova
Monmouth improved to 4-0 all-time against Villanova with its 51-33 victory at Kessler Stadium. The Hawks have defeated the Wildcats in back-to-back seasons on the Jersey Shore, including last year's 40-33 win over a top-10 Villanova team. Since joining the CAA, Monmouth is 3-0 against the Wildcats, highlighted by a 49-42 road triumph in 2022 that marked the program's first-ever league victory. The series began in 2011 with a 20-9 Monmouth win in Philadelphia.
 
Scary Derry
Wide receiver Josh Derry has emerged as one of the top playmakers in the nation, ranking among the best in FCS with nine receiving touchdowns and 782 receiving yards. He ranks fifth nationally in receiving yards per game (97.8) while eclipsing 100 yards in five games this season. Derry's explosiveness was on display when he hauled in a 75-yard touchdown on the second play of the win over the Wildcats. A go-to option for the Hawks quarterbacks, Derry's 54 receptions are 11 more than any other Hawk this season.
 
Palmer's Breakout Against the 'Cats
The Hawks may have found an X-factor in the secondary with true freshman Chris Plamer Jr. The Philadelphia native subbed in early in the first half at the corner position, limiting the Villanova passing attack and collecting four tackles, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery. It was Palmer's first significant playing time of his career, and his performance earned him the CAA's Rookie of the Week honor. He made his first career start versus Delaware State.
 
Star Safeties
Safeties Jaeden Jones and Deuce Lee have been flying around on defense for Lewis Walker's defensive unit early in 2025. Jones (79) and Lee (60) currently lead Monmouth in total tackles and have accounted for 25% of the unit's solo tackles. Lee set a new career high with 14 total tackles in the win over Delaware State, while Jones had 12 at Hampton - the fifth game this season he has finished in double figures.
 
Keeping Robertson Upright
Monmouth's offensive line has provided steady protection for Derek Robertson, allowing zero sacks in seven of his 19 career starts. The Hawks are a perfect 7-0 in those games, including this season where the unit has given up just 1.3 sacks per contest through eight games in 2025 — the best mark in the CAA and 23rd best mark in FCS.
 
First Half Fury from the Defense
The Hawks forced three turnovers in the first half at Charlotte, helping the squad take a 14-7 lead into the half in front of a stunned sold-out crowd. Jaeden Jones recovered a fumble on an errant pitch and returned it 38 yards for the first takeaway, and then Brendan Bigos hopped on a loose ball where Charlie Sasso forced a fumble when the 49ers were attempting to convert on a fourth-and-short. Ayden Martin snatched his first career interception in the endzone for a touchdown late in the half.
 
Four-Piece for Josh Derry
Junior wide receiver Josh Derry, who led the CAA in yards per game (91.7) last season, posted one of the top games of his career with a 10-catch, 144-yard outing at Fordham. It was his eighth career game crossing the century mark, and his four receiving TDs tied a single-game program record while also being the most receiving scores by an FCS player this season.
 
Josiah Graham & Ryan Russo's Breakout
Defensive end Josiah Graham had 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble at Fordham, FCS's second best single-game sack output in 2025. The transfer had five total sacks in his two years playing at Emory & Henry University. Transfer linebacker Ryan Russo (Iowa Central CC / Rutgers) also tallied a monster game versus the Rams - picking up nine tackles, 1.5 TFL, a sack, a fumble recovery and interception.
 
Largest Comeback in Program History
Monmouth's 24-point comeback victory at Colgate stands as the largest in program history. The Hawks trailed 31-7 midway through the third quarter before storming back with 35 unanswered points to secure the 42-31 win. The previous record was a 19-point comeback against Wagner on Sept. 29, 2018, when Monmouth rallied from a 21-2 deficit to win 54-47 in West Long Branch. Quarterback Derek Robertson praised the resilience of the group after the historic win, saying, "There's no quit in this team, and that's why I love every single one of these guys."
 
Nelson Brothers Lead the Way in Week One
Monmouth's offense was powered in Week One by brothers Gavin and Rodney Nelson, who combined for 370 total yards and five touchdowns. Gavin set career highs with 176 receiving yards and three touchdowns, leading all of FCS in receiving scores and pacing the CAA in both receiving yards and touchdowns. Rodney rushed for 169 yards with one touchdown, marking his fourth career 100-yard performance, and added 25 receiving yards. The Maryland natives sat atop the league in all-purpose yards, with Rodney leading the CAA in yards from scrimmage and Gavin being named the CAA Offensive Player of the Week. It was just the second time in their careers they both scored a touchdown in the same contest.
 
Three 100-Yard Receivers
Monmouth featured three 100-yard receivers in the same game for the first time in program history during the win at Colgate. Gavin Nelson set career highs with 176 yards, while Josh Derry added 103 and TJ Speight totaled 100.