2026 Monmouth Football Gameday Preview: Game Five
 
Monmouth (2-2, 2-0 CAA) at Dartmouth Big Green (0-1, 0-0 Ivy)
Saturday, September 26, 2026 – 1:00 p.m.
Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field, Hanover, N.H.
 
Please find attached PDF labeled 'Monmouth Notes' for full notes.
 
Watch on ESPN+
Dartmouth will be celebrating Family Weekend for the classes of 2027 and 2030.

Listen on MonmouthHawks.com
Play-by-Play: Gary Kowal
Analyst: Mike Basile
 
More Links
- Follow Live Stats
- Memorial Field Information
- Tickets

The Mouth Bowl
Monmouth and Dartmouth will meet for the first time ever as football opponents Saturday in Hanover. The Hawks are 3-3 all-time against Ivy League programs, with their last victory coming in 2014, a 61-28 win over Columbia.
 
Final Road Non-Conference Game
This marks Monmouth's final road non-conference game of the 2026 season, with the Hawks completing trips to No. 14 Tennessee Tech, FBS Western Michigan and Dartmouth. Monmouth is 1-2 on the road this season, with its lone victory coming last week at UAlbany; the Hawks will host Merrimack on Nov. 14 in their final non-conference game.
 
A Win Would ...
- Be the second straight win for the Hawks.
- Be the 200th victory in Monmouth Football program history.
- Be Monmouth's first win over an Ivy League program since 2014 (W, 61-28 on 10/11/2024).

The Coaching Matchup
Jeff Gallo
1^st Season / 2-2 / 2-0 in-conference
 
Sammy McCorkle
4^th Season at Dartmouth / 21-9
 
All-Time Series
Series Record: First Meeting
at Monmouth: n/a
at Dartmouth: n/a
Most Monmouth points: n/a
Most Dartmouth points: n/a
Most combined points: n/a
Biggest Monmouth win: n/a
Current streak: n/a
Last 10 Meetings: n/a
 
Hawks Win at UAlbany
Monmouth rallied for a 28-20 victory at UAlbany last Saturday, moving to 2-0 in CAA play and into sole possession of first place in the conference. The win was Monmouth's first in Albany since 2006 and avenged last season's 31-24 loss to the Great Danes that ended the Hawks' regular season and kept them out of the FCS Playoffs.
 
Defense Balls Out
Monmouth's defense turned in its strongest statistical performance of the season at UAlbany, recording season highs with five sacks and nine tackles for loss. Ryan Russo gave the Hawks an early lead with a pick-six on the second play from scrimmage, while Jaeden Jones added the second interception of his career.
 
Watson Comes Up Huge
Hunter Watson delivered one of the biggest plays of the season when he recorded a game-winning fourth-down sack late in the fourth quarter at UAlbany. The Great Danes had taken over inside the Monmouth five-yard line following a Frankie Weaver interception, but the Hawks kept UAlbany out of the end zone before Watson ended the threat on fourth down.
 
Big Plays Finally Arrive
Monmouth's offense broke loose for two of its biggest plays of the season at UAlbany, with Gavin Nelson connecting on a 46-yard touchdown and Tra Neal hauling in a 60-yard touchdown. The two plays are now the longest plays from scrimmage for the Hawks this season.
 
Top Wideouts Getting Going
Gavin Nelson and Tra Neal have emerged as Monmouth's clear top two receiving threats through four games. Nelson has 23 catches for 249 yards and two touchdowns, while Neal has 24 catches for 326 yards and two scores; no other Hawk has more than 60 receiving yards or 10 receptions this season. Nelson and Neal have now scored in the same game six times during their careers, with their performance at UAlbany marking the first time they have done so in 2026.
 
Neal Climbing the FCS Charts
Tra Neal enters Week 5 ranked 19th nationally and third in the CAA with 326 receiving yards. Gavin Nelson is also among the FCS leaders, ranking 48th nationally and sixth in the CAA with 249 yards.
 
Third Down Remains a Strength
Monmouth continues to rank among the FCS leaders on third down, converting 31-of-60 opportunities for a 51.7 percent success rate, good for ninth nationally and first in the CAA. The Hawks went 8-of-14 on third down at UAlbany and are tied with Illinois State for the most third-down conversions in the FCS this season.
 
A Historic Third-Down Night in Kalamazoo
Monmouth converted 11 third downs at Western Michigan, the second-highest single-game total by an FCS team during the 2026 season. Despite falling 49-14 to the Broncos, the Hawks' 11 conversions were a major bright spot for the offense.
 
Getting to the Quarterback
Monmouth has recorded 2.25 sacks per game through four contests, ranking 33rd nationally and fourth in the CAA. On the other side of the line of scrimmage, the Hawks have allowed just two sacks all season, ranking sixth in the FCS and first in the CAA.
 
JJ Lewis Loves Playing UAlbany
JJ Lewis turned in his best game as a Hawk in last week's win at UAlbany, recording four tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack, a quarterback hurry and two pass breakups. Lewis also tipped both of Monmouth's interceptions at the line of scrimmage, continuing a strong track record against the Great Danes after recording 3.5 tackles for loss in last year's matchup.
 
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.
 
Gallo Gets Win No. 2
Jeff Gallo earned his second career victory as a head coach with last week's win at UAlbany, moving Monmouth to 2-2 overall and 2-0 in CAA play. Gallo became the first head coach other than Kevin Callahan to win at Kessler Stadium earlier this season and now has a victory on the road against a CAA opponent.
 
Balanced Running Attack
Elijah Jennings (56 carries) and Kenny Smith Jr. (58) have split the rushing workload almost perfectly through three games. Jennings has 281 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Smith has 247 yards and two touchdowns; both also have a receiving touchdown, while Nazir Treadwell added a score each at Western Michigan and UAlbany. The trio has combined for seven of Monmouth's 10 offensive touchdowns this season.
 
Midnight Blue Lids are Back
Monmouth sported midnight blue helmets for the first time since 2013 at Western Michigan, then wore them again at UAlbany. Now, the Hawks sport a 62-49 all-time while wearing them, as they are fully in the rotation this season after being the primary look from 2004-2013.
 
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