2025 Monmouth Football Gameday Preview: Game Ten
 
No. 6/7 Monmouth (8-1, 5-0 CAA) vs. New Hampshire (5-4, 3-2 CAA)
Saturday, November 8, 2025 – 12:00 p.m.
Kessler Stadium, West Long Branch, N.J.
 
Please find PDF of full notes attached.
 
Watch
FloCollege / The Wax
Play-by-Play: Matt Harmon
Analyst: Emory Hunt
Sideline: Jackson Heil

Listen
WMCX 88.9 FM
Play-by-Play: John Grano
Analyst: Victoria Caal
 
Tickets and Parking Information
Click HERE to buy tickets and HERE to buy parking

Kessler Stadium Information
For venue information HERE
 
Game Promotions
Celebrate Heroes Day with the Hawks

Hawks Eye First Win over UNH
The Hawks have never beaten the Wildcats through three tries. Monmouth is ranked No. 6/7 - their highest poll ranking in team history - while also earning the No. 8 ranking on November 5th from the FCS Championship Committee.
 
Gaining National Respect
On the FCS Championship Committee's Top-10 Rankings released on November 5, Monmouth landed at No. 8 - one spot higher than the midseason ranking on October 15. The Hawks (8-1, 5-0 CAA) are in the midst of one of the best seasons through 10 weeks in program history and control their own path to a first round bye in the playoffs for the first time ever.
 
A Win Would ...
- Be Monmouth's first ever win over UNH.
- Make MU a perfect 9-0 versus FCS opponents this season.
- Be Head Coach Kevin Callahan's 197th career victory.

The Coaching Matchup
Kevin Callahan
33^rd Season / 196-149 / 111-74 in-conference
 
Rick Santos
5^th Season / 34-23 / 25-12
 
All-Time Series
Series Record: UNH leads, 3-0
at Monmouth: UNH leads, 1-0
at UNH: Monmouth leads, 2-0
Most Monmouth points: 24, 11/11/23
Most UNH points: 33, 11/9/24
Most combined points: 55, 11/11/23
Biggest Monmouth win: N/A
Current streak: UNH, W3
 
Lewis Walker's Best Game
The Monmouth allowed just seven points in the win at Bryant - the lowest total in DC Lewis Walker's tenure. It was the lowest output by an opponent since the Hawks held Lehigh to seven points on Sept. 30, 2023. It marked the first time holding a CAA opponent to single digits since joining the league in 2022.
 
Just Keep Winning, Just Keep Winning
The Hawks have won six straight games, and look for just their fifth ever seven-game win streak in program history. In season where MU had a seven-game winning streak, Monmouth won their respective conference three times and made a pair of FCS Playoff appearances (2017, 2019).
 
Rondey on Repeat
Running back Rodney Nelson is just dominating on the ground this season, racking up an FCS lead 1,482 yards and 15 touchdowns. Nelson broke Jaden Shirden's record with his sixth straight game finishing over 100 rushing yards last week, as he went for 244 and two scores in the win at Bryant. It was a career high - helping him earn CAA and National Offensive Player of the Week honors. He ranks fourth all-time at MU in rushing yards in a single season, and is on pace for the first ever 2,000-yard campaign.
 
The Hawks BeWeave in Frankie
With Walter Payton Award frontrunner Derek Robertson on the shelf with an injury, redshirt freshman Frankie Weaver made his first collegiate start at Hampton, finishing 14-of-25 with 122 yards for his first win. He followed with a 15-of-20 effort for 233 yards, a pair of touchdowns while overcoming two interceptions in the first quarter. 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 will 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 followed with a career best three PBUs at Bryant. He leads the Hawks with three interceptions dating back to the start of the 2024 season, while also leading MU with nine 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 signle-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).
 
Explosive Offensive Output
The Hawks put up 42 points versus Bryant and now rank fifth in FCS with 42.2 points per game. The Hawks rank first in the CAA in scoring, and have scored 50+ seven times since joining the CAA in 2022.  The Hawks have scored 40 or more points in 17 of the last 18 wins dating back to the start of the 2023 season. During that span, the Hawks have piled up 869 total points in such wins, averaging 48.2 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 second in FCS with 2,482 yards and leads with 27 touchdowns. The New York native continues to cement his strong case for winning the  Walter Payton Award, 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 (95.6) 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 59 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. He had two PBUs at Bryant.
 
Star Safeties
Safeties Jaeden Jones and Deuce Lee have been flying around on defense for Lewis Walker's defensive unit early in 2025. Jones (87) and Lee (65) currently lead Monmouth in total tackles and have accounted for 26% 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 1.44 sacks per contest through nine games in 2025 — the best mark in the CAA and 25th 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.
 
Lamont Lester Jr. Named to Jerry Rice Award Watch List
The redshirt freshman is one of 22 players on the FCS freshman player of the year watch list. Lester has recorded 28 tackles, 7.5 sacks, six QB hurries, and two forced fumbles in nine games this season. He ranks second in the CAA and ninth in FCS in sacks, while being involved in at least one sack in seven of nine contests.
 
Monmouth in the Polls
The Hawks enter Week 11 as the nation's #6 team in the AFCA Coaches Poll, while Stats Perform FCS ranked them #7. The Hawks are now 17-8 all-time in games played as a ranked team following the win over Hampton.
 
CAA in the Polls
Monmouth is the conference's top-ranked team at #6/7. Villanova and Rhode Island also make appearances this week at #8/10 and #10/14, respectively.
 
A 33rd Season Under Callahan
Kevin Callahan is currently the longest-tenured head coach in the FCS and has amassed the most wins by an active FCS head coach with 196. The veteran has been with the program since its inception in 1993 and is a five-time conference Coach of the Year (3x NEC, 2x Big South). The 2025 campaign is Callahan's 33rd with the program.