Final Score
#9/10 Monmouth (8-1, 5-0 CAA) – 35
Bryant (2-7, 0-5 CAA) – 7
 
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Monmouth continued its winning ways with a dominant all-around performance, earning a 35-7 victory over Bryant on Saturday afternoon at Beirne Stadium. The Hawks improved to 8-1 overall and 5-0 in CAA play, extending their winning streak to six straight games and maintaining possession of first place in the CAA standings.
 
Running back Rodney Nelson once again powered Monmouth's offense, totaling 306 all-purpose yards – the highest single-game mark by a Hawk since Dymere Miller in 2023. Nelson rushed for 244 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries while adding 62 receiving yards, including a 49-yard screen-pass for the longest completion of Frankie Weaver's afternoon. The redshirt sophomore tailback surpassed the 100-yard mark for the sixth consecutive game, breaking the program record previously held by Jaden Shirden (2022). Nelson became the first Hawk to notch back-to-back 200-yard games on the ground since Shirden in 2022, as well.
 
Weaver turned in another solid performance at the quarterback position, completing 14-of-19 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns – the first 200-yard outing of his career. Weaver, who overcame two first quarter interceptions, led a Monmouth offense that rolled up 481 total yards and averaged 7.2 yards per play. He connected with fellow Maryland native Tra Neal from 41 yards out late in the second quarter to put the Hawks up 21-7 heading into halftime and later found Gavin Nelson for an eight-yard scoring strike in the third. Neal's seven touchdowns this season tie his previous career best from 2024, while Nelson recorded his 10^th career TD grab and sixth of the season.
 
Monmouth's defense delivered its most complete effort of the season, holding Bryant to just 226 total yards, including only 59 rushing yards. The Hawks notched five tackles for loss and seven pass breakups, while limiting the Bulldogs to a single touchdown. Monmouth's leading tackler Jaeden Jones did so again with eight stops, while cornerback Izzy Clark-White recorded a career-best three pass breakups in the secondary. Overall, 24 Hawks recorded tackles for the contest.
 
Head Coach Kevin Callahan Quotes
"It's always good to get a win on the road, especially against a conference opponent. We went into halftime with the lead knowing we hadn't played our best football yet, and as a team we challenged ourselves to come out sharper in the second half. I thought our guys responded really well – we executed, we played physical, and we closed the game the right way. It's great to come away with another CAA win." – On the win

"We focused more on establishing the run these past few weeks, and Rodney has continued to answer the bell for us. He's such a reliable player - we've always known about his speed and his ability to find the end zone, but what stands out the most is his durability and consistency. He gives everything he has every carry, and I'm really glad he was able to have another big day for us." – On Rodney Nelson's big game

"That unit continues to gel and improve every week. The sky is the limit for them. Again, all three levels contributed today – the front created pressure, the linebackers tackled well, and the secondary made plays on the ball. They stood up in some tough situations and took advantage of opportunities to get off the field. We wanted to gear up to stop the run and thought we did a good job making Bryant one-dimensional. When the pressure started getting home, they ran out of options, and that was exactly what we wanted to see." – On the defense's performance

"Frankie's a competitor – we knew he would bounce back from the early interceptions. He stayed composed, learned from those moments, and led two long scoring drives late in the game. For a young quarterback, that kind of poise and leadership says a lot. He's continuing to grow with every start." – On Frankie Weaver's outing
 
Notes
- Nelson's 306 all-purpose yards are the most by a Hawk since Dymere Miller went for 333 against New Hampshire on Nov. 11, 2023.
- Rodney Nelson's 1,482 rushing yards are the fourth most in a season in program history.
- Gavin and Rodney have both scored TDs in five games over their careers, four this season.
- Rodney Nelson's 15 rushing TDs this season are the seventh most in a single season in program history, passing Julian Hayes and Sone Ntoh.
- Nelson has 238 rushing attempts this season, the fifth most in a single campaign in program history.
- Frankie Weaver had his first-career 200-yard, two-touchdown performance on Saturday against Bryant.
- TJ Speight has six games this season with at least five receptions, including three straight. He has 15 such games in his career.
- Collin Tunc made his first career start at center on Saturday.
- Defensive back Izzy Clark-White had three pass breakups on Saturday, setting a new career best. He previously had two breakups in the team's victories over Fordham and Villanova earlier this season.
- Monmouth has at least five tackles for loss in each of its last five games and in six contests this season.
- Monmouth allowed just 226 yards of total offense, the fewest this season and fewest since holding Hampton to 196 yards on Oct. 14, 2023.
- The seven points Monmouth allowed are the fewest since holding Lehigh to seven points on Sept. 30, 2023.
- The Hawks surrendered just 14 first downs, the fewest since keeping Towson to the same amount on Sept. 9, 2023.
 
Numbers Crunch
- Monmouth had more first downs, 22-14.
- The Hawks ran more offensive plays, 67-60.
- Monmouth outgained Bryant, 481-226.
- MU was 8-of-13 on third down and 1-of-2 on fourth down.
- The Bulldogs went 4-of-13 on third down and 1-of-3 on fourth down.
- Monmouth went 3-of-4 on redzone chances, while Bryant went 1-of-3.
- The Hawks did not record a sack on the afternoon, while Bryant tallied a pair for 15 yards.
- Both teams each committed five penalties.
 
Up Next
Monmouth improves to 8-1 overall and 5-0 in CAA games. The Hawks return home to take on New Hampshire for Heroes Day at Kessler Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 8 at noon. The game will be broadcast live on FloCollege and The Wax.