2026 Monmouth Football Gameday Preview: Game Nine
 
No. 17/18 Monmouth Hawks (6-2, 5-0 CAA) vs. Bryant Bulldogs (5-3, 3-1 CAA)
Saturday, October 31, 2026 – 1:00 p.m.
Kevin Callahan Field at Kessler Stadium, West Long Branch, N.J.
 
Please find attached PDF labeled 'Monmouth/Bryant/CAA Notes' for full notes.
 
Watch
Live: FloCollege, SNY, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports Philadelphia+
Tape Delay: WWAX
Play-by-Play: Matt Harmon
Analyst: Emory Hunt
Sideline: Stef Manisero
 
Ticket & Parking Information
Click HERE to buy tickets and parking

Game Promotions
Family Weekend, Halloween & Beer Garden (167894)

Hawks on Halloween
No. 17/18 Monmouth hosts Bryant at Kevin Callahan Field at Kessler Stadium on Halloween. It will be the third Halloween game in program history, with the Hawks 2-0 after a 10-6 win over Bryant in 2009 and a 57-7 victory over Sacred Heart in 1998.
 
Smith Jr. Is Red Hot
Redshirt freshman Kenny Smith Jr. has rushed for 338 yards on 46 carries with four touchdowns in Monmouth's last two wins. He has recorded at least 160 rushing yards in consecutive games and earned back-to-back CAA Rookie of the Week honors; his 753 rushing yards rank second in the CAA.
 
A Win Would ...
Push the Hawks to 6-0 in CAA games and 3-0 at home this season.
Extend the Hawks' overall winning streak to six games.
Be Monmouth 100th home win in program history.

The Coaching Matchup
Jeff Gallo
1^st Season at Monmouth / 6-2 / 5-0 in-conference
 
Chris Merritt
8^th Season at Byant / 33-48
 
All-Time Series
Series Record: Monmouth, 8-1
at Monmouth: Monmouth, 4-1
at Bryant: Monmouth, 4-0
Most Monmouth points: 55, 10/19/2024
Most Bryant points: 35, 10/15/2011
Most combined points: 75, 10/15/2011
Biggest Monmouth win: 38, 10/19/2024
Current streak: Monmouth, W4
 
Suffocating Second Half at Hampton
Monmouth dominated after halftime in its 49-13 win at Hampton, scoring touchdowns on all five second-half possessions and totaling 323 yards after the break. The defense allowed just 13 yards on nine plays in the third quarter, and outside of a 76-yard run, the Pirates managed only 27 rushing yards on their other 23 carries. The Hawks finished with a season-high 565 yards of total offense and ran at least 80 plays for the fourth time this season, with 83 against Hampton.
 
A 99-Yard Scoring Drive
Monmouth's first touchdown against Hampton came on an 18-play, 99-yard drive that consumed 7:41 of game time. Kenny Smith Jr. capped the possession with an 11-yard touchdown reception from Frankie Weaver, marking the Hawks' longest scoring drive of the season by plays, yardage and time. It was the program's first 99-yard scoring drive since Owen Wright's 99-yard touchdown run at UAlbany on Oct. 8, 2022.
 
Weaver: A One-Year Difference
Frankie Weaver returned to Hampton one year after making his first career start against the Pirates on Oct. 25, 2025. In that 28-10 Monmouth win, Weaver completed 14-of-25 passes for 122 yards with an interception and a lost fumble; in his 13th career start on Oct. 24, 2026, he went 24-of-32 for 234 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in a 49-13 victory. Weaver has now started every game since that first start.
 
Spreading the Love
Monmouth is the only FCS team with two 500-yard rushers and two 500-yard receivers. Kenny Smith Jr. leads the Hawks with 753 rushing yards, followed by Elijah Jennings with 646, while Tra Neal has 594 receiving yards and Gavin Nelson has 511. The Hawks have run the ball on approximately 55% of their offensive plays and pass on 45%, averaging 427.3 yards per game to rank second in the CAA and 19th in the FCS; Monmouth's 190.0 rushing yards per game lead the conference and rank 23rd nationally.
 
A Key CAA Test
Monmouth enters Saturday unbeaten in conference play at 5-0, with Campbell the only other undefeated CAA team at 4-0. Bryant is 3-1 in league play and 5-3 overall, making Saturday's matchup an important test as the Hawks look to maintain their place atop the standings and continue their pursuit of their first CAA title and fourth FCS Playoff berth.
 
Seeking the 100th Home Win
Monmouth enters Saturday with 99 all-time home victories and a 99-66 record at home. The Hawks are 2-0 at Kevin Callahan Field at Kessler Stadium this season, and a win over Bryant would give the program its 100th home victory. It would also secure the 20th winning home season in program history, with Monmouth having gone undefeated at home five times and posting its best mark at 7-0 in 2019.
 
No Sacks Allowed, Pressure Applied
Monmouth's offensive line has not allowed a sack in five consecutive games, dating back to the first play from scrimmage at Western Michigan. The Hawks have surrendered just two sacks through eight games, an average of 0.25 per contest that ranks first in the FCS. Defensively, Monmouth has recorded 20 sacks, averaging 2.50 per game, including three in the win at Hampton; the Hawks are now 18th in FCS and third in the CAA.
 
Monmouth Remains Elite on Third Down
Monmouth continues to move the chains efficiently, converting 57-of-112 third-down attempts for a 50.9% success rate through eight games - ranking third in FCS. The Hawks also have converted 13-of-24 fourth-down attempts, a 54.2% rate. Against Hampton, Monmouth went 5-of-11 on third down and 3-of-5 on fourth down, while the defense held the Pirates to 2-of-11 on third down. The Hawks have totaled 200 first downs this season, ranking third nationally and first in the CAA.
 
Jones Living Up to All-American Pedigree
Preseason CAA Defensive Player of the Year Jaeden Jones continues to anchor the Monmouth defense, leading the Hawks with 70 tackles, including 36 solo stops, through eight games. The junior captain has recorded two interceptions this season and has reached 211 career tackles in 26 career games. Jones entered the season as a Stats Perform Second Team All-American and Phil Steele First Team All-American and was recently named a Phil Steele Midseason All-American.
 
Two More Home Dates After Saturday
Following Saturday's Halloween matchup with Bryant, Monmouth will have two home games remaining in the regular season. The Hawks host North Carolina A&T on Nov. 7 and Merrimack on Nov. 14 to close out the home schedule.
 
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