Final Score
UAlbany (2-10, 1-7 CAA) – 31
#11/12 Monmouth (9-3, 6-2 CAA) – 24
 
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Monmouth closed the regular season with a 31-24 result against UAlbany on Saturday at Kessler Stadium, finishing the year 9-3 overall and 6-2 in CAA play and entering Selection Sunday in the conversation for an FCS playoff berth. The Hawks rallied late but could not complete a fourth-quarter comeback after UAlbany built a multi-score advantage.
 
UAlbany struck first and often, turning sustained possessions into points early and carrying a 21-3 lead into the half. The Great Danes added a 22-yard touchdown in the third and a 25-yard field goal to push their advantage to 31-3 before Monmouth mounted its late surge.
 
Monmouth's changes came in the second half as the offense found rhythm behind quarterback Frankie Weaver, who completed 30-of-47 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns. Weaver connected repeatedly with his top targets – Josh Derry finished with a game-high 10 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown, while TJ Speight added 12 catches for 89 yards and a 28-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that energized the comeback.
 
Derry's touchdown grab was his 13^th of the season, breaking Miles Austin's 2003 single-season program record of 12 receiving scores. Rodney Nelson led the ground game with 69 yards on 15 carries, and Maxwell James provided a late spark with an 8-yard scoring reception that made it 31-24 with just over three minutes remaining.
 
The Hawks' scoring burst was costly in time but impressive in execution: Monmouth scored 15 fourth-quarter points on two touchdown drives — a 6-play, 61-yard march capped by Speight's score and a 7-play, 40-yard drive finished by James — but a Monmouth sack on the game's final drive ended hopes of a tying score. Monmouth finished with 343 total yards (269 passing, 74 rushing).
 
Defensively, Monmouth produced a spirited late effort, recording two sacks and 10 tackles for loss as a unit, led by Jaeden Jones who finished with a team-high 12 tackles. The Hawks forced punts late and tightened coverage in the fourth, but a first-half turnover on downs and a second-quarter UAlbany touchdown drive stunted earlier momentum.
 
Head Coach Kevin Callahan Quotes
"Yeah, it's disappointing that I don't think we put our best foot forward this afternoon. I was proud of the way our guys fought, how we got back in it, and took it right down to the final seconds. But ultimately it was too little, too late." – Kevin Callahan
 
 Notes
- UAlbany improves to 14-6 all-time versus Monmouth.
- Josh Derry set the Monmouth single-season receiving touchdowns record with his 13^th score of the season.
- Derry had 10 receptions for a team-best 135 yards – the sixth time this season he crossed the century mark. It is also the second game in 2025 he had 10 grabs.
- Derry finished the 2025 regular season with 1,123 receiving yards – the third most in a season in program history and the most since Reggie White Jr. had 1,133 yards in 2018.
- Derry finishes as the team's receiving yards leader for the second year in a row, becoming the 10^th player in program history to lead the category multiple times.
- TJ Speight's 12 catches set a career high, going for 89 yards and a score. It is the fifth game this season that the senior eclipsed 80 yards.
- Frankie Weaver threw for 269 and three touchdowns, giving him four straight games with multiple scores. He has at least 230 yards passing in each of those four games.
- This was the eighth time this season Monmouth had at least three passing touchdowns.
- Monmouth has 42 passing touchdowns this season, setting a new program record.
- The MU defense combined for 10 tackles for loss on the afternoon, the most in a single game this year.
- Jaeden Jones had 12 tackles on the day, marking the seventh game this season with double-digit stops.
- Jones finishes the regular season with 118 total tackles which ranks third in program history for a single season.
- Lamont Lester Jr. picked up a sack to bring his season total to 9.5, which is the most by a freshman in Hawks history.
- Monmouth's nine wins this season are its most in a campaign since winning 11 games in 2019.
 
Numbers Crunch
- UAlbany had more first downs, 24-21.
- UAlbany ran more offensive plays, 74-67.
- Monmouth outgained UAlbany, 343-297.
- The Hawks were 4-of-13 on third down and 2-of-5 on fourth down.
- The Great Danes went 7-of-15 on third down and 0-of-1 on fourth down.
- Monmouth went 3-of-4 on redzone chances, while UAlbany went 4-of-4.
- The Hawks had two sacks for 10 yards, while UAlbany had one for eight yards.
- There was a total of 14 penalties – eight by Monmouth and six by UAlbany.
 
Up Next
Monmouth awaits to hear its name called in the FCS Playoff Selection Show on Sunday, Nov. 23, which will be broadcast live on ESPNU at 12:00 p.m.