Monmouth University football has tough test against ranked CAA foe

Tough Environment

Monmouth opens November with one of its toughest tests of the season this Saturday when it takes on No. 14 ranked Rhode Island in front of a sold-out Meade Stadium crowd. The Rams are unbeaten at home this year and are perfect in the CAA, while Monmouth looks to rebound from a 12-point loss to Towson.

Inside the Matchup

Monmouth’s high-powered offense faces off against a red-hot Rhode Island team that has won six consecutive games and is no stranger to close contests. The Rams have won five games by 10 points or less this season.

A Win Would …

Be Monmouth’s fifth victory and third in CAA play.

Give the Hawks their sixth win over a ranked team in program history.

Even the all-time series against Rhode Island at two wins apiece.

The Coaching Matchup

Kevin Callahan

32nd Season / 186-146

Jim Fleming

13th Season / 65-69

All-Time Series

Series Record: Rhode Island leads 2-1

At Monmouth: 1-1

At Rhode Island: 0-1

Most Monmouth points: 46, 10/22/22

Most Rhode Island points: 48, 10/22/22

Most combined points: 94, 10/22/22

Biggest Monmouth win: 35, 9/8/12

Current streak: Rhode Island, W1

50, 50, 50

Monmouth has scored 50-plus points in three games this season, marking the first time the team has accomplished that feat since 2018 and the third time ever, joining the 2014 squad. No Monmouth team has ever scored more than 50 points in a game four times. On the year, Monmouth is averaging 40.6 points per game, with the program record sitting at 36.4 points per game set in 2022.

In their four wins, the Hawks have outscored their opponents 211-102. Over their last six games, Monmouth has a positive scoring margin of 90 points (260-170). Overall, Monmouth has scored 325 points, while surrendering 252 points.

Defense Rising

Monmouth’s defense has steadily improved throughout the season and turned in its best performance of the year in the win over Bryant. The Hawks held Bryant to a season-low 17 points and set new season-highs in sacks (3), tackles for loss (6) and interceptions (2). It was the first time Monmouth had three sacks and two picks in the same game since it had four sacks and two interceptions at Towson last season.

Derek’s Dominance

Derek Robertson has been exceptional for Monmouth this season, emerging as one of the top quarterbacks in the FCS. He currently leads the nation in passing yards per game (322.4) and ranks third in passing touchdowns with 21. Robertson is also responsible for 16.0 points per game (8th in FCS), while his passing efficiency rating of 159.8 places him 10th nationally. Robertson is on pace for the first 4,000 yard passing season in program history. He tied the program record with his 35 completions at FIU, equaling the effort by Kyle Frazier against Cornell on October 13, 2012.

Within the CAA, Robertson is leading the conference in most major passing categories, including passing yards and touchdowns. His ability to consistently move the ball down the field has been crucial to Monmouth’s high-powered offense, which leads the league in total offense at 504.9 yards per game, passing offense (324.0) and scoring at 40.6 points per contest. Robertson became the fastest Monmouth QB to 2,000 passing yards in a season when he did it in six games and he occupies five of the top 12 single-game passing yard totals in Monmouth’s program history.

A Ntoh for the End Zone

Running back Sone Ntoh has found the end zone 32 times in 19 career games for Monmouth. Ntoh scored four times against Bryant and once against Towson to extend his streak of games with a touchdown to eight. Ntoh has scored at least one touchdown in all but two games over the last two seasons, highlighted by his career-high five TD effort against Fordham. Ntoh’s five touchdowns against the Rams equaled the program record held by David Sinisi and Ralph O’Neill. His 32 rushing touchdowns are tied for third in program history.

Hot Rod

Sophomore running back Rodney Nelson has made a big impact on the Hawks’ rushing attack this season. Nelson has accumulated 589 rushing yards on 92 carries, good for 6.4 yards per carry, with three rushing touchdowns, and 73.6 yards per game. He racked up a career-high 128 yards rushing, including a 34-yard touchdown run against Fordham. At FIU, Nelson ran for 117 yards and scored a touchdown, including a career-long run of 59 yards. He also burst onto the scene in the win at Maine, with 91 rushing yards and another touchdown. Nelson led the Hawks with 101 yards on 16 carries in a convincing win over Bryant.

Spreading the Love

Derek Robertson has distributed the ball effectively this season, connecting with a variety of Monmouth receivers. Robertson has completed double-digit passes to eight different players. Leading the way is Josh Derry, who has emerged as Robertson’s primary target, recording 602 receiving yards and four touchdowns. TJ Speight leads the Hawks with five touchdowns, while Tra Neal, Jack Neri, Maxwell James and Gavin Nelson have also each scored multiple touchdowns. The depth of Monmouth’s receivers has been instrumental in its ranking as the top passing offense in the CAA and third in the FCS, at 324.0 yards per game.

Tackling Totals

Justin Bennin made a career-best 14 stops last week against Towson, the most for a Monmouth player in a game this year. Deuce Lee (12), Sam Korpoi (10) and Damir McCrary (8) each set new career highs in total tackles against Eastern Washington, with Korpoi equaling that effort against Towson. Miles Mitchell added six tackles at EWU to equal his career high, while Alex Odom made eight in his Monmouth debut, giving him more than 200 career tackles after coming over from Temple with 199 stops to his name. In the Lafayette game, Emmanuel Lane led Monmouth with a career-best nine stops. Isaiah Rogers set a new career-high with 11 tackles in the Delaware contest.  Israel Clark-White turned in a new personal high with seven tackles in the victory over Bryant and Charlie Sasso had a career-high five stops against Towson.

CAA in the Polls

CAA Football has five teams ranked in the latest FCS Top 25 polls. Villanova is ranked #13 by the AFCA and #13 by Stats, Richmond is #12 by the AFCA and #16 by Stats, Rhode Island is #14 in both polls, Stony Brook is #20 in both polls and William & Mary is #24 in both sets of rankings.

Critical Conversions

Monmouth’s success on third and fourth downs is a key reason for the offensive success this season. The 47.0% third-down conversion rate (47-for-100), ranks 13th in the FCS and fourth in the CAA. Monmouth converted a season-best 11-of-15 third downs in the win at Maine. Additionally, the team is tied for first in the FCS with 18 fourth-down conversions, with a 64.3% success rate (18-for-28), highlighted by a 5-for-7 showing at FIU.

Debut Performance

Derek Robertson was excellent in his first game in a Monmouth uniform as he completed 27-of-42 passes and threw for three touchdowns. Robertson’s 390 yards passing were the most for a Monmouth quarterback in his first start in program history. The 390-yard total was the most by a CAA passer in week one and is also tied for the sixth-most in a single game in Monmouth history with Brandon Hill, who had the same passing yardage against Lehigh in 2014. When he was the QB at Maine in 2023, Robertson set a career-high with 503 passing yards in a loss at Campbell.

Doubling Down

Derek Robertson followed up his performance in the season opener with another 350-plus yard performance against Lafayette. He totaled 355 yards, marking the first time a Monmouth quarterback has ever thrown for more than 350 yards in consecutive games. Robertson also threw four touchdown passes, all to different receivers, against the Leopards.

Monmouth Against the Coastal Athletic Association

Monmouth is one of 16 current members of the CAA in football, with the new addition of former Northeast Conference opponent Bryant (7-1) in 2024. The Hawks are 34-40 all-time against current CAA opponents. The Hawks also played Stony Brook (7-4) during Monmouth’s time as a member of the Northeast Conference. The Hawks are undefeated in two games against Villanova, 1-2 against Rhode Island, 1-4 against Maine and 2-9 against Towson. Monmouth does not have wins against Delaware (0-3) and New Hampshire (0-2).

Campbell Trophy Semifinalist 

Jack Neri has been a reliable target for Derek Robertson this season, catching 18 passes for 158 yards and three touchdowns. Neri set new career highs with five receptions for 44 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown grab against Eastern Washington. He followed up with four catches for 29 yards and a touchdown at Maine and added four receptions for 37 yards in the win at FIU. Neri was recently named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, an award given to the college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance.

Strong Start

Monmouth opened the season with two opponents in the national FCS conversation. Eastern Washington was receiving votes in both the AFCA Coaches Poll presented by Hudl and Craig Haley’s The Analyst FCS Poll, while Lafayette was ranked No. 19 in the Coaches’ Poll and No. 19 in Haley’s Poll. Monmouth opened CAA play on the road at Maine and traveled to Miami for an FBS game at FIU, a game the Hawks won 45-42 in thrilling fashion. Of the teams eligible for Top 25 consideration, Fordham and Bryant are the only two teams on Monmouth’s schedule who have not earned a vote this year.

Shrine Bowl 1000

Running back Sone Ntoh was selected to the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 List during the preseason. The list is compiled from all four levels of football in consultation with NFL and college personnel to put together the best 1000 players for the NFL level. Ntoh was one of 14 players from the Coastal Athletic Association recognized and his inclusion came following Jaden Shirden’s invitation to the 2024 Shrine Bowl as Monmouth’s first-ever participant. Ntoh is in his final season of eligibility after playing three seasons and graduating from Harvard in 2023.

The running back made a big impact in Monmouth’s backfield last year alongside Shirden. In his first season as a Hawk, Ntoh finished the regular season tied for the CAA lead with 14 rushing touchdowns. The Macungie, Pa. native earned Second Team All-CAA and Phil Steele Fourth Team FCS All-America honors after tallying 411 yards on 56 carries in 2023. Ntoh shined in a role that saw him as the primary back in short-yardage situations, though was able to flash his speed on a career-long 92-yard touchdown run versus Lehigh on Sept. 30 – the second-longest run in the CAA in 2023.

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