2025 Monmouth Football Gameday Preview: Game Two
 
No. 18/21 Monmouth (1-0, 0-0 CAA) at Fordham (0-1, 0-0 Patriot)
Saturday, September 6, 2025 – 6:00 p.m.
Moglia Stadium at Jack Coffey Field, Bronx, NY
 
Please find PDF of full notes attached.
 
Watch
ESPN+
Play-by-Play: Andrew Bogusch
Analyst: Andrew Posadas

Listen
MonmouthHawks.com
Play-by-Play: Joe Vasile
Analyst: Mike Basile

Moglia Stadium Information
For information and directions click HERE

Ticket Information
Click HERE to buy tickets

Riding Momentum into the Season Opener
#18/21 Monmouth eyes its first 2-0 start to a season since 2021 at Fordham, who the Hawks thrashed 63-21 on their home turf last year. Monmouth tries to make it a four-game overall winning streak dating back to last season.
 
Largest Comeback in Program History
Monmouth's 24-point comeback victory at Colgate last Friday stands as the largest in program history. The Hawks trailed 31-7 midway through the third quarter before storming back 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.
 
A Win Would ...
- Give MU its first 2-0 start since Spring 2021, the COVID-shortened season, and first in a full season since 2017.
- Make the Hawks 5-2 all-time versus Fordham.
- Be Head Coach Kevin Callahan's 190th career victory.

The Coaching Matchup
Kevin Callahan
33rd Season / 189-148
 
Joe Conlin
8th Season / 31-42
 
All-Time Series
Series Record: Monmouth leads 4-2
at Monmouth: Monmouth leads 2-1
at Fordham: Monmouth leads 2-1
Most Monmouth points: 63, 9/28/24
Most Fordham points: 54, 9/26/15
Most combined points: 101, 9/10/22
Biggest Monmouth win: 42, 9/28/24
Current streak: Monmouth, W1
 
Largest Comeback in Program History
Monmouth's 24-point comeback victory at Colgate last Friday 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
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 currently sit 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.
 
Robertson Pops Off
Quarterback Derek Robertson posted one of the top performances in program and CAA history in Monmouth's Week One victory. His 491 passing yards are the most in an FCS game this season, lead the CAA, and rank as the second-highest single-game total in Monmouth history. Despite throwing a career-high four interceptions in the first half, Robertson responded with a near-flawless finish, completing 8-of-9 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter and going 4-of-5 for 105 yards and two scores in the fourth. He finished with a 178.8 pass efficiency rating and produced 191 more yards of total offense than any other CAA player in Week One.
 
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. Speight's CAA-best eight receptions highlighted the trio's production, as the group now ranks first (Nelson), third (Derry), and fourth (Speight) in the conference in receiving yards.
 
National Leaders
Monmouth ranks among the nation's best following its season-opening win, highlighted by an FCS-leading 678 total yards and 491 passing yards. The Hawks also stand sixth nationally on third down, seventh in both completion percentage (75.6) and first downs (32) and tied for first with zero sacks allowed. Individually, Derek Robertson leads the FCS in passing yards per game and completions, while ranking top 15 in efficiency. Gavin Nelson paces the nation in receiving touchdowns and is second in receiving yards per game, while Rodney Nelson sits sixth in rushing yards per game and joins his brother in the top 20 nationally for all-purpose yards.
 
Explosive Offensive Output
Monmouth's high-powered attack has fueled each of the Hawks' last 11 victories, with the team scoring 40 or more points in every win dating back to the start of the 2023 season. During that span, the Hawks have piled up 559 total points, averaging 50.8 points per game. 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.
 
The Hawks in Season Openers
Monmouth improved to 9-24 all-time in season openers with last week's victory being Callahan & Co.'s first road win in an opener since September 6, 2016, when the Hawks defeated Lehigh in Bethlehem, 23-21.
 
Early Three-Game Road Trip
The Hawks open with three games away from home to start the 2025 season. Monmouth traveled to Hamilton, NY to take on Colgate in Week 1, and then will follow that up with trips to Fordham in Week 2 and FBS Charlotte in Week 3. All three games are evening kickoffs and will be aired on ESPN+.
 
Monmouth in the Polls
The Hawks enter Week 2 as the nation's #18 team in the AFCA Coaches Preseason Poll, while Stats Perform FCS ranked them #21 - three-spot and one-spot jumps, respectively. The Hawks are now 10-7 all-time in games played as a ranked team.
 
CAA in the Polls
CAA Football has three teams ranked in the second editions of the FCS Top 25 polls. Rhode Island enters as the league's top team ranked #8 in the AFCA poll and #9 in the Stats poll, while Villanova appears as the #12 and #13, respectively. Monmouth sits at #18 and #21 in the AFCA and Stats rankings, respectively. Four teams, New Hampshire, Stony Brook, UAlbany and William & Mary, have received votes and sit just outside the top 25.