Observations and Takeaways From Monmouth's 28-10 win at Hampton

WEST LONG BRANCH – In the absence of All-American quarterback Derek Robertson due to an injury he suffered to his non-throwing hand in last week's win against Stony Brook, the Hawks did precisely what they needed to do. They pounded out a statement win, spurred on by a relentless rushing attack, led by Rodney Nelson, and an opportunistic defense that is starting to come into its own.

Below are observations and takeaways from Saturday’s win.

MONMOUTH TURNED TO ITS RUNNING GAME WITH ROBERTSON OUT AND WAS UNSTOPPABLE

The Hawks ran the ball 49 times and passed the ball 25 times. It was their highest total of rushing attempts since the Delaware State game, when they ran the ball 40 times. They averaged 6.1 yards per carry and racked up 298 total yards on the ground – a season high. Redshirt sophomore Rodney Nelson ran for career-highs in yardage (233), attempts (33), and touchdowns (4) while averaging 7.1 yards per carry. His running mate, redshirt freshman Elijah Jennings, rushed for 76 yards on 12 attempts while averaging 6.3 yards per carry. This duo is turning into a productive one-two punch for the Hawks in the backfield. For his super-human effort, Nelson was named the CAA Offensive Player of the Week. Nelson’s big day marked his second 200-plus yard game of the season and his fifth game with at least 150 rushing yards, along with five consecutive games with 100-plus rushing yards, tying the program record set by Jaden Shirden in 2022. Nelson leads the county in rushing yardage (1,238), rushing yards per game (154.8), and rushing touchdowns (18).

DEFENSE TAKES ANOTHER HUGE STEP FORWARD IN ITS PURSUIT OF RESPECT

On Hampton’s opening series of the game, the Pirates drove to the Hawks' three-yard line, where they had a first-and-goal. On first down, Viper back Justin Bennin and linebacker Evan Rutkowski combined for the stop after a one-yard pickup. On second-and-goal from the two, linebacker Ryan Russo and safety Jaeden Jones stuffed the ball carrier for no gain, and then on third-and-goal from the two, end Anthony Johnson and tackle Brandan Bigos brought the ball carrier down for no gain. Hampton elected to go for the field goal on fourth down and converted, but it was the Hawks' defensive stand that set the tone for the rest of the game. The defense produced two more turnovers in the game. Right before the half, with the Hawks holding onto a precarious 14-3 lead, the Pirates had a first down at the Monmouth 16-yard line, but on first down, Jones came in from his safety spot for a sack, and on the next play, end Josiah Graham recorded a strip sack with Russo recovering at the 24-yard line. That gave Graham 9.5 sacks for the season, which is first in the CAA and tied for second nationally. His sack total is the fifth-most in Monmouth history and the most in 25 years, and we still have at least four games left to play. Redshirt freshman Sabastian Acheampong collected his first career sack, while end Lamont Lester Jr. recorded a sack, giving him 7.5 on the season so far, which ties him for second in the CAA and ninth nationally. The Hawks' 25 team sacks are second in the CAA and sixth nationally. Redshirt sophomore cornerback Izzy Clark-White recorded a game-clinching interception late in the fourth quarter with help from Acheampong and Rutkowski, who were wrapped around the quarterback as he attempted to throw the pass. Linebacker Charlie Sasso and tackle Bryce Rooks combined for a big fourth-and-1 stop and turnover on downs in the third quarter. For the season, the Hawks are a plus-eight in turnover differential and have forced 16 turnovers overall. The defense also recorded seven tackles for a loss in the game, led by Sasso and Lester Jr., who each had 1.5 TFL.

THE OFFENSIVE LINE IS EQUALLY ADEPT AT RUN BLOCKING AS IT IS IN PASS PROTECTION

Monmouth’s offensive line, consisting of left tackle David Dutra, left guard Chris Moreno, center Kevin Shriner, right guard Shalik Hubbard, and right tackle J.T. Cornelius has excelled all season long and goes unrecognized game after game when its contributions are as critical to the team's success as any position group on the team. Monmouth is second in the CAA in rushing yardage per game (184.4) and first in average yards per attempt (5.0). In passing offense, they lead the CAA in every category. They’re ranked No.1 in the CAA and 23rd nationally in sacks allowed this season (11) and are opening holes for the country’s leading rusher. Saturday, the line depth paid off when starting center, Shriner, went out with an injury, and Colin Tunc filled in without the line missing a beat. Tunc is a graduate transfer from Stony Brook and battled it out with Shriner for the starting position right up until the final days of summer camp.

BACKUP QUARTERBACK FRANKIE WEAVER DID AN ADMIRABLE JOB IN HIS FIRST CAREER START

In his first career start at quarterback, redshirt sophomore Frankie Weaver did exactly what had been asked of him: manage the game. It was a daunting task for the lanky 6-foot-5 Weaver, taking over for the country’s top quarterback, but he handled the pressure of the moment as well as could be expected. He completed 14-of-25 passes for 122 yards but did throw an interception as time ran out in the first half and had a fourth-down fumble, both of which were nonconsequential. Weaver, who had an offer from West Virginia coming out of high school, has a ton of potential, boasting a rocket arm and the athleticism to use his legs, as his prowess on the basketball court will attest. He played high school football at the highest level in Maryland at Our Lady of Good Counsel, which competes in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference with perennial national powers DeMatha and Gonzaga Prep. As a senior in 2023, Weaver led his team to a 10-1 record and the WCAC championship, beating DeMatha in the state championship. He was a two-time All-Conference selection and passed for over 4000 yards and 60 touchdowns in his high school career. He graduated with a 4.21 GPA.

FOURTH QUARTER DOMINATION SEALED THE WIN FOR THE HAWKS

Entering the fourth quarter, it was still anyone's game at 14-10, but the Hawks scored on their first possession of the quarter, driving 80 yards in 12 plays, and they never looked back. Clark-White’s interception on Hampton’s ensuing possession gave the Hawks good field position, and they marched 54 yards in 10 plays to take a 28-10 lead to clinch the win. The Hawks' offense held on to the ball for 11 minutes in the fourth quarter and outgained the Pirates 134 to 41. That’s how you play complementary football.