2026 Monmouth Football Gameday Preview: Game Four
 
Monmouth (1-2, 1-0 CAA) at UAlbany Great Danes (2-1, 1-0 CAA)
Saturday, September 19, 2026 – 3:30 p.m.
Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium, Albany, N.Y.
 
Please find attached PDF labeled 'Monmouth Notes' for full notes.
 
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Monmouth vs. UAlbany
Monmouth and UAlbany will meet for the 21st time Saturday, with the Great Danes holding a 14-6 advantage in the all-time series. UAlbany has won eight of the 10 meetings in Albany, including the last five, while Monmouth's most recent victory in the series came in 2022 and its last win in Albany came in 2006. Both teams are receiving Top 25 votes in the FCS polls entering the weekend.
 
Revenge on the Hawks' Minds
Saturday marks Monmouth's first meeting with UAlbany since a stunning 31-24 Great Danes victory in the 2025 regular season finale that ended the Hawks' hopes of making their fourth FCS Playoff appearance.
 
A Win Would ...
Be the first road victory for Jeff Gallo as Monmouth's head coach.
Be the seventh win all-time over the Great Danes and first at Albany since 2006.
Bring the Hawks to a 2-0 start in CAA games.

The Coaching Matchup
Jeff Gallo
1^st Season / 1-2 / 1-0 in-conference
 
Tom Perkovich
1^st Season at UAlbany / 2-1 / 1-0 in-conference
 
All-Time Series
Series Record: UAlbany, 14-6
at Monmouth: UAlbany, 6-4
at UAlbany: UAlbany, 8-2
Most Monmouth points: 38 (2x), last on 10/8/2022
Most UAlbany points: 55, 9/29/2012
Most combined points: 79, 9/29/2012
Biggest Monmouth win: 19, 11/11/2006
Current streak: UAlbany, W2
Last 10 Meetings: UAlbany, 8-2
 
Extra Motivation
Saturday marks Monmouth's first meeting with UAlbany since a stunning 31-24 Great Danes victory in 2025 that ended the Hawks' hopes of making their fourth FCS Playoff appearance. Monmouth entered that game 9-2 and ranked among the nation's top 15, while UAlbany entered at 1-10 overall and 0-7 in CAA play; the Hawks fell behind 31-3 in the third quarter before rallying to within one score late, but the Great Danes stopped Monmouth on the goal line in the fourth quarter and recorded a sack to end the game. Monmouth also committed eight penalties for 85 yards and converted just two of five fourth-down attempts, while UAlbany held the ball for 39:01 compared to 20:59 for the Hawks.
 
Bright Spots in Kalamazoo
Monmouth dropped a 49-14 decision at Western Michigan last Saturday in front of 24,605 fans, the largest crowd the Hawks have ever played in front of. Despite the result, Monmouth produced several strong individual and team performances, including 11-of-20 third-down conversions on offense while holding the Broncos to 4-of-9 on third down defensively.
 
Neal Reaches 1,000
Tra Neal turned in the best game of his young season at Western Michigan, catching seven passes for a career-high 106 yards and a touchdown. His 44-yard catch-and-run on the scoring drive in the third quarter was Monmouth's longest play from scrimmage this season, and the performance pushed Neal over 1,000 career receiving yards.
 
Treadwell Finds the End Zone
Nazir Treadwell recorded his first career touchdown as a Hawk with 15 seconds remaining at Western Michigan. The Union Beach native carried the ball five times in Kalamazoo and provided a positive finish for Monmouth after a difficult night on the road.
 
Smith Continues to Produce
Kenny Smith Jr. totaled 102 all-purpose yards at Western Michigan, rushing for 69 yards and adding 33 yards through the air. Smith has now accounted for three touchdowns through three games, including two rushing scores and a receiving touchdown.
 
Weaver Looks Poised
Frankie Weaver continues to settle into the starting quarterback role, completing 28-of-46 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown at Western Michigan. His best stretch came in the third quarter, when he completed 9-of-11 attempts for 102 yards and a score while making several big throws against the Broncos.
 
Balanced Running Attack
Elijah Jennings and Kenny Smith Jr. have split the rushing workload perfectly through three games, with each carrying the ball 42 times. Jennings has 216 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Smith has 160 yards and two touchdowns; both also have a receiving touchdown, while Nazir Treadwell added a score at Western Michigan. The trio has combined for six of Monmouth's eight touchdowns this season.
 
Jones, Russo Lead the Defense
Jaeden Jones and Ryan Russo each recorded 10 tackles at Western Michigan, with Russo adding a sack to his total. Jones has now reached double figures in tackles in each of Monmouth's first three games, while Omar Ibrahim added two pass breakups against the Broncos.
 
Stat Ranks After Three Games
Three games into the season, Monmouth's offense ranks among the FCS leaders in third-down efficiency, with the Hawks converting 23-of-46 opportunities for a 50 percent success rate, good for 12th nationally and first in the CAA. The Hawks have also allowed just two sacks, ranking ninth in the FCS and first in the CAA, while areas of emphasis to improve upon include pass efficiency defense (180.2, 109th FCS), punt return defense (28.8 yards per return, 112th FCS) and time of possession (26:10, 105th FCS).
 
The O-Line Continues to Rotate
Monmouth has continued to utilize a deep offensive line rotation through the opening three games, with eight linemen seeing significant action. Matt Fries, Collin Goetter, Kevin Shriner, Michael Petito and Josh Duran have all seen starting action, while Reed Collins and Brady O'Hara have also rotated into the lineup, with O'Hara seeing time at both tackle spots. Bleek Turner poured in a solid effort at left guard in his collegiate debut in Kalamazoo.
 
Midnight Blue Lids are Back
Monmouth sported midnight blue helmets for the first time since 2013 last week at Western Michigan, falling to 61-49 all-time while wearing them. The new-look blue is back again this weekend and is fully in the rotation this season after being the primary look from 2004-2013.
 
Hawks Win Home Opener
Monmouth rallied past Sacred Heart, 31-24, on Sept. 5 to move to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in CAA play. Kenny Smith Jr.  was the first player to score on the newly named Kevin Callahan Field and later scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:54 remaining, Frankie Weaver threw three touchdown passes and freshman DB Amori McNeil sealed the victory with a fourth-down stop in Monmouth territory in the final minute.
 
Gallo Gets Win No. 1
Jeff Gallo earned his first career victory as a head coach in Monmouth's 31-24 win over Sacred Heart, giving the Hawks their 198th all-time football victory. Gallo became the first head coach other than Kevin Callahan to win at Kessler Stadium after spending the previous 25 of 27 seasons on the Monmouth sideline as a player and coach.
 
FBS Transfers: A Two-Way Pipeline
Monmouth's 2026 roster features 11 players who transferred to the Hawks from FBS programs, including Ryan Russo (Rutgers), Hasson Manning Jr. (Delaware), Omar Ibrahim (Temple), Spencer Kishbaugh (Coastal Carolina), Sky Sholder (Delaware), Donovan Dyson (UMass), Brady O'Hara (Penn State), Matt Fries (Illinois), Alec Grijalva (Ole Miss), Greg Genross (West Virginia) and Jahide Lesaine Jr. (Syracuse). The group includes contributors on both sides of the ball, with several seeing significant action during the opening three games.
 
The Other of the Portal
Monmouth also saw nine players depart for FBS programs following the 2025 season, including CAA Offensive Player of the Year Rodney Nelson to Miami (Ohio), All-American WR Josh Derry to UCF and All-American DL Lamont Lester Jr. to Colorado - who has four sacks through two contests for the Buffaloes. The outgoing group also included six other players who moved on to FBS programs.
 
A Tough Opener in Cookeville
Monmouth opened the season with a 38-14 loss at No. 15/14 Tennessee Tech, with Elijah Jennings and Kenny Smith Jr. each scoring rushing touchdowns. Jaeden Jones led the Hawks with 12 tackles, while Jahide Lesaine Jr. and Donovan Dyson each recorded a sack in their Monmouth debuts.
 
Gallo: The Offensive Guru
Monmouth enters its fourth game of the 2026 season looking to build on an offense that led the FCS in total offense in 2025. The Hawks averaged 498.7 yards per game last season, including 322.5 through the air and 176.2 on the ground, while their 40.0 points per game ranked fifth nationally and first in the CAA. Gallo's offense ranked among the FCS's top 12 in total offense in six of his seven seasons as offensive coordinator.
 
Six of Eight on the Road
Monmouth will play six of its first eight games away from home in 2026. Saturday begins the middle portion of that stretch, with the Hawks traveling from Albany to Dartmouth the following week before returning home to face Towson.
 
The Hawks Are Traveling
Monmouth has completed two of its three scheduled flights in 2026, traveling to Tennessee Tech and Western Michigan. The Hawks' final flight of the season will come at Campbell, while the full seven-game road slate will cover more than 6,100 miles.
 
Shortest Road Trip of the Year
Saturday's trip to UAlbany is by far the shortest road journey of the 2026 season, with the Hawks making the roughly three- to three-and-a-half-hour drive from West Long Branch to Albany. The trip comes after back-to-back long-distance road games at Tennessee Tech and Western Michigan.
 
Four More Home Dates at Kessler
Monmouth will eventually return home to host Towson on Oct. 3, Bryant on Oct. 31, North Carolina A&T on Nov. 7 and Merrimack on Nov. 14.
 
In Loving Memory of Louis DiRienzo Jr.
The 2026 season is being played in memory of defensive coordinator Louis DiRienzo Jr., who passed away unexpectedly in June. DiRienzo was promoted to defensive coordinator in January after helping transform the Monmouth defense in his first season with the program, and he coached the Hawks through spring practice in his new role. A devoted father, husband and coach, DiRienzo's presence will continue to be honored throughout the season, including helmet stickers bearing his initials and the team's CGT mantra: Connection. Growth. Toughness.
 
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