GAME PREVIEW: Monmouth at Charleston Southern University

Monmouth University (5-2, 2-0 Big South) at Charleston Southern University (2-5, 0-1 Big South)
Saturday, October 26, 2019; 6:00 p.m.
Buccaneer Field (4,000), North Charleston, SC

Television/Streaming Video: ESPN+
Evan West (play by play), Joseph McClatchey (analyst)

Monmouth Radio Coverage: Shore Sports Network (Shoresportsnetwork.com, Andriod/IOS App/ 1310 AM)
Matt Harmon (Play by Play); Eddy Occhipinti (Color Analyst)

A LOOK AT THE GAME:
Today is the sixth meeting between Charleston Southern and Monmouth, with the Hawks looking to even up the series record. CSU won the first three meetings easily but the Hawks have one two straight including a dominant 37-3 win in 2018.
u Tonight's game will be the final of three night games for the Hawks this season and just the third road game of 2019.
u Monmouth is coming off back to back conference wins by a combined margin of 94-28 and have won three straight contests. In last weekend's game against Gardner-Webb, the Hawks rolled up 599 yards of offense while holding the Runnin' Bulldogs to just 128 yards on the ground.
Charleston Southern downed North Alabama 25-20, coming back from two deficits to earn its first win against the future conference opponent.
The Hawks are looking to open the Big South season with three consecutive wins for the third straight season while Charleston Southern is looking for its first conference win.
u The game can be heard on the Shore Sports Network with Matt Harmon (pxp) and Eddy Occhipinti (analyst) on the call.

THE COACHING MATCHUP:
Kevin Callahan is in his 27th season at Monmouth as the Hawks’ head coach. Callahan owns a 157-123 career coaching record, all with Monmouth. Coming into the season, Callahan’s 152 victories ranked him 8th among active coaches in the Football Championship Subdivision. He is one of three FCS coaches with 150+ wins all at one institution and his 26 years as a head coach is the seventh most among active coaches. The only coach in Monmouth history, he has led the Blue & White to five conference championships, in 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004 and 2006 and its first at-large playoff berth in 2017. Callahan has earned conference coach of the year accolades in 1998, 2003 and 2006 and was named as an Eddie Robinson Award finalist in 2017, finishing 10th in the voting. Prior to arriving in West Long Branch, Callahan served as defensive coordinator at Colgate for eight seasons and at Wagner for three years. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Albany (1977-79) and Syracuse (1980) before becoming a Seahawk assistant in 1981.

Autry Denson is in his first season as Charleston Southern head coach, the fifth head coach in program history. He came to the Buccaneers after coaching stops at Notre Dame, South Florida, Miami (Ohio), and Bethune-Cookman.
Denson came to the Buccaneers after spending the last four seasons as the running backs coach at Notre Dame after taking on the role in 2015. His success in the role helped guide the Fighting Irish to the FBS College Football Playoffs and a berth at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. He finished his playing career as the all-time leading rusher in Notre Dame school history with 4,318 yards. He eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing over each of his final three years with the Irish and was named an Associated Press All-America selection as a senior in 1998. Denson wrapped up his collegiate career as the 1999 Gator Bowl Most Valuable Player.

VIEW THE GAME WITH OTHER HAWKS FANS AT OFFICIAL “WATCH” LOCATIONS
If you can’t make it out to the game, catch Saturday’s game with other Hawks’ fans, at one of two official watch party locations. You can catch the game at Asbury Ale House in Asbury Park and Jack’s Goal Stand in West End, Long Branch. Both locations will host viewing parties for the remainder of Monmouth’s games this season, both home and away.

INSIDE THE MU-CSU SERIES
Sixth Overall Meeting
Overall Record: CSU 3-2
West Long Branch: CSU 2-1
Charleston, SC: Tied 1-1
First Meeting: Nov. 1, 2014
Last Meeting: Nov. 3, 2018
Longest MU Win Streak: 2 gm
Longest CSU Win Streak: 3 gms
Largest MU W Margin: 34 pts
Largest CSU W Margin: 30 pts
Smallest MU W Margin: 3 pts
Smallest CSU W Margin: 27 pts
Shutouts: CSU 1
Overtime Games: ---

MONMOUTH AGAINST THE BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE
Since starting up Big South league play in 2014, Monmouth owns an 14-14 conference record, however is 10-2 since 2017.
The Hawks own a 5-1 record against Gardner-Webb, 1-0 against Campbell, 4-2 against PC, 2-3 vs CSU and 0-4 vs Kennesaw State. The Hawks are also 2-0 against Hampton but those were non-conference contests. Monmouth has yet to face Northern Alabama.
Monmouth has finished each of the last two seasons in second place in the Big South, and was selected second in the preseason poll.
MU was 0-3 against members of the Big South prior to joining the league, including dropping a home and home series with Coastal Carolina and a non-conference tilt with the Flames.
Today's game is the second conference third conference tilt of the season for Monmouth, who are looking to win three straight to start Big South play for the third consecutive season.

INSIDE THE MONMOUTH-CHARLESTON SOUTHERN SERIES
-Today’s game marks the sixth time that the Hawks and Buccaneers will meet, with CSU owning a 3-2 record. Monmouth is 1-2 at home and 1-1 on the road with the Hawks winning two straight in the series.

-Four of the five previous matchups have been blowouts, with the average margin of victory being 29.75 with the exception of Monmouth's last trip to Charleston. In that contest the Hawks grinded out a 23-20 win, their first in the series.

TERRANCE GREENE JR ENJOYS CAREER DAY AGAINST GWU
Sophomore wideout Terrance Greene Jr. recorded a career-high 126 yards on seven receptions with a pair of touchdowns in the win over GWU. Greene Jr. fell one catch short of tying his career high ain receptions. He had an impressive first half, with six of those catches going for 117 as Monmouth cruised past the Runnin' Bulldogs. It also marked the first time since October 27, 2018 that the Hawks had two different receivers with 100+ yards as Lonnie Moore finished with five catches for 103 yards.

BAHAR EARNS BIG SOUTH OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kenji Bahar earned his first conference weekly honor of the season guided the Hawks to a 49-28 win over Gardner-Webb last weekend, accounting for three touchdowns and throwing for 327 yards on 20 of 26 passing. The Baltimore, MD native tossed a pair of touchdown passes to Terrance Greene Jr and ran for a third as the Hawks secured their 14th win at home in the last 15 games. The contest marked the sixth time in his career that Bahar had thrown for more than 300 yards, a program record. The Preseason Big South Offensive Player of the Year currently leads the league in total offense, passing yards and completion percentage.

DID YOU KNOW?
Monmouth is now 12-of-15 on fourth down which ranks sixth in the country. Of the teams ranked higher than the Hawks, not team has attempted more than 11 fourth down conversion attempts. The Hawks were two-for-two on fourth down against Gardner-Webb.

LISTEN TO THE GAME ON YOUR MOBILE PHONE OR TABLET FOR FREE
Fans with a mobile phone or tablet using Apple’s IOS or Googles Android operating systems can download the FREE Shore Sports Network application to listen to all of the action.

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