Monmouth football QB Frankie Weaver replaces injured Derek Robertson
WATCH: Monmouth QB Frankie Weaver prepares for 1st career start with throws at practice
- Monmouth football faces New Hampshire, a team it’s never beaten since joining the Coastal Athletic Association.
- Monmouth’s running back Rodney Nelson leads the FCS in rushing and will be key against New Hampshire’s weaker run defense.
Monmouth football is off to its best start since 2017 after opening the month of November with an emphatic 35-7 road win over Bryant. But to keep the success rolling, the No. 6 Hawks (8-1) will need to achieve unprecedented success at home this Saturday, Nov. 8 (1 p.m.).
As Monmouth comes back home after two road games, the Hawks host a tenacious 5-4 New Hampshire team that is coming off a bye week. The Hawks are 0-3 against the Wildcats since joining the Coastal Athletic Association in 2022.
“We’ve never beaten New Hampshire. That fact is not lost on any of the guys on our team,” Monmouth head coach Kevin Callahan said. “We know we’ve got to have a great week preparation and probably play the best game that we have all season on Saturday.”
The schedule has fallen favorably for Monmouth in the homestretch, as the Hawks finish the season with four of their final five games coming against the four lowest-ranked teams in the current CAA standings. In the wake of star quarterback Derek Robertson’s injury against Stony Brook on Oct. 18, the past two games provided a runway for the Hawks to adapt to a new style of play that is still producing dominant results.
There is substantial optimism within the program that Robertson will be able to return in time for the regular season finale against Albany as his recovery is being monitored. Barring any setbacks, the All-American signal caller should almost certainly be available in time for the FCS playoffs, particularly if Monmouth is able to secure a bye as one of the top eight seeds. Even in absence, Robertson’s list of accomplishments continues to grow as he received the 2025 Chuck Boone Leadership and Excellence Award from the CAA on Thursday.
The so-so record belies New Hampshire’s strength this season. Two of their four losses have come against the CAA’s two other ranked teams, No. 8 Villanova and No. 10 Rhode Island. The other two came against 5-2 Dartmouth, which won a share of the Ivy League title last year, and 4-5 FBS team Ball State. Both of those latter losses were by just one score.
The matchup with New Hampshire will be the biggest challenge backup signal caller Frankie Weaver has faced as he makes his third career start in Robertson’s absence. It’s also a litmus test for a defense and running game that has stepped up immensely over the past two victories. The Hawk defense allowed just 17 points over those two games, while the rushing attack produced a staggering 546 yards.
“It’s just rallying around Frankie Weaver with Derek being out,” running back Rodney Nelson said. “We just try to rally around him and make him as comfortable as possible. If we could take pressure off his shoulders, then that’s what I’m here to do.”
Nelson has emerged as another star in the Monmouth backfield over the past two weeks. The redshirt sophomore leads the FCS in rushing with 1,482 yards after posting back-to-back career high totals in the last two games. The newfound success has been a welcome reflection of his growth as a playmaker but that hasn’t changed his workman mentality as a runner.
“I’m not gonna lie, it’s pretty exciting,” Nelson said. “But the goal wasn’t to go out there and get a career high. It’s just do my job. So if I do come out here and have a good game, then glory to God, glory to the O-line. But I’m just here to do my job.”
Like so many other Hawks enjoying breakout individual seasons in 2025, the focus has remained on excelling at the task at hand against the opponent in any given week. While Nelson’s trajectory has been a steady uphill climb with his astounding production, the defense has had to endure skepticism and turbulence over the early weeks of the season before proving themselves as a strong group in their own right.
The defense responded to Robertson’s injury emphatically with two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, in the 49-21 win over Stony Brook. That was followed by two more turnovers in the win over Hampton. But in the 35-7 win over Bryant last week, the unit reached a new level of growth. Instead of being a bend-but-don’t-break defense that generated negative plays with sacks and turnovers while conceding large yardage totals, the Hawks dominated for four quarters without forcing a turnover or a sack.
“Obviously you want to get turnovers every game, but whenever you’re able to get those third down stops and fourth down stops and get off the field, it’s just as rewarding,” linebacker Evan Rutkowski said. “All the hard work is paying off. The team, and the camaraderie of this defensive unit, is definitely getting put together.”
The notion that the defense is still developing is an exciting thought for Monmouth fans, but the growth of that unit and the star power of Nelson will need to be proven once more against a high-quality opponent in New Hampshire.
“We’ve got to probably play the best game that we’ve play so far this year,” Callahan said. “We’ve got to step it up. Every player in every position has to step their game up and play at a higher level. And not to put pressure on themselves to do that, but it’s gonna take everybody playing at the highest level they have all year for us to win.”
Prepared UNH comes to Monmouth looking for breakthrough
While data is always invaluable in assessing the strength of a football team, sometimes the key is simply how hardened a squad is because of past experience. New Hampshire will not astound with its stats and in fact the matchup on paper is very favorable for Monmouth. But the Wildcats are a perennially strong program that is hungry for a signature win after challenging themselves with a tough schedule.
“We’ve played four teams that won their conference championship a year earlier,” New Hampshire head coach Rick Santos said at the CAA media availability on Monday. “I think it shows the strength of schedule has been pretty tough and we’re battle-tested right now, but this is a whole different animal.”
New Hampshire comes to West Long Branch riding a wave of momentum. The Wildcats won two straight games heading into the bye last week, beating Campbell and William & Mary by double digits. UNH’s most impressive win was 27-10 road victory over North Carolina Central in the season opener.
And then there’s the specific history between these two programs. Out of the three prior matchups, New Hampshire notched their biggest margin of victory last year in 33-20 win over Monmouth at home. In 2023, the Wildcats went on the road and beat Monmouth 31-24. It’s a small sample size and New Hampshire has not been outright dominant in the series, but the Wildcats will surely be feeling confident.
But there are reasons for optimism for Monmouth. As much as New Hampshire has played a loaded schedule, the Wildcats’ last four wins since the opener have come against teams with a combined record of 9-27.
Statistically, New Hampshire’s biggest strength is the defense. The Wildcats are tied for 28th in the FCS in scoring defense, highlighted by their 13th-ranked passing defense. The Wildcats have two standout defensive backs in true freshman Kelby Hampton and junior Raleigh Collins, a transfer from West Virginia. Defensive tackle Justice Akinmoladun is another player to watch as he leads UNH in sacks with four.
But the 85th-ranked run defense could be exploitable for Nelson and the Monmouth rushing attack. They’re also tied for 107th in generating turnovers with just eight this season.
However, New Hampshire also doesn’t turn the ball over offensively. The Wildcats are tied for ninth with just six offensive turnovers this season. That remarkable efficiency is a testament to the team’s exceptional dual-threat quarterback, Matt Vezza.
The redshirt sophomore leads New Hampshire in rushing touchdowns with six and is second on the team with 466 rushing yards. He’s just as dangerous as a passer, totaling 1858 yards through the air with 11 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Vezza also has two very capable targets in redshirt freshman Caleb Burke (39 receptions for 556 yards with two touchdowns) and senior Chase Wilson (39 receptions for 550 yards and three touchdowns), who transferred up after a standout career at D-III Wesleyan.
New Hampshire may not have a lot of singular elite playmakers that can take over a game other than Vezza, but this is well-coached and efficient team that doesn’t make mistakes and will force Monmouth to earn a victory.
Monmouth’s burgeoning run game and defense will need to deliver again
Never underestimate Monmouth’s ability to break tendency and find novel exploits on the path to victory, but this week’s matchup against New Hampshire seems straightforward. The Hawks need to lean into their recent strengths and execute against a much higher caliber opponent to come away with the win.
Villanova and Rhode Island ran all over New Hampshire on their way to decisive victories, and Monmouth will need to do the same with Nelson for another week. While the star running back will lead the charge, the Hawks will also rotate in Elijah Jennings and possibly even true freshman Kenny Smith. The offensive line has developed a terrific blend of zone blocking schemes and gap power schemes that has kept opposing defenses off-balance.
For Weaver, the success he found passing in the second half against Bryant could be a recipe of strength against the strong secondary of New Hampshire. The screen game and tempo seemed to jumpstart his capabilities, and the strength of the Monmouth rushing attack should create a few opportunities for Weaver to capitalize on play-action.
Defensively, Monmouth’s standout defensive line group will be critical. In particular, strong performances from sack leaders Josiah Graham and Lamont Lester will be crucial as the Hawks need to wreak havoc and apply pressure on Vezza. That may not necessarily mean sacks, as the edge players will be crucial in containing the quarterback’s running ability. Hunter Watson will also surely play a role as will the defensive tackles that have recently created interception opportunities with their pressure.
While the chances for picks may be limited against a New Hampshire squad that has generally taken care of the ball, the play of Monmouth cornerbacks Izzy Clark-White and Chris Palmer will be crucial against the Wildcats’ two dangerous receivers. Also the abilities of rangy safeties Jaeden Jones, Deuce Lee and Justin Bennin will be critical in run support.
Prediction: Monmouth 35, New Hampshire 28
It’s hard to imagine this game being decided by more than one score given the series history. The Hawks run wild with Nelson and the rest of their running backs, but New Hampshire is able to keep pace for three quarters.
Vezza escapes on a few scrambles and the Wildcats capitalize while Monmouth is off balance. But those scores will be intermittent, as the Hawk defense mostly stifles New Hampshire despite conceding touchdowns on a few big plays.
Tied 28-28 entering the fourth quarter, the Monmouth rushing offense produces one final score while the defense slams the door shut. Late in the game facing obvious passing situations, the Hawks’ defensive line goes off with pressure to shut down Vezza.
