2018 College Football Team Previews: Monmouth Hawks
Monmouth Hawks
Location: West Long Branch, NJ
Coach: Kevin Callahan (144-118)
Stadium: Kessler Field (Capacity: 4,000)
CSJ Projections:
2nd: Big South
3rd: New Jersey
45th: FCS
166th: Division I
2017 In A Sentence: Despite losing on the final weekend to Kennesaw State for the Big South Championship, the 9-2 Hawks made it to the FCS Playoffs for the first time in program history, capping off one of head coach Kevin Callahan‘s best-ever seasons.
Biggest Shoes to Fill: DB Mike Basile was a huge disruptive force for Monmouth’s defense last season, notching 126 tackles, 9 1/2 tackles for loss, and grabbing 1 interception. He was the heart and soul of the Hawk defense last year.
Key Player: RB Pete Guerriero burst onto the scene last year for Monmouth and was a critical piece of their surge to the top of the Big South last year. An all-purpose threat, the Lyndhurst, New Jersey native got 1,408 all-purpose yards and 10 TDs last season, and Hawk fans will be eager to see how he further develops into an even more dominant player now that he’s a redshirt sophomore.
Fearless Prediction: On November 10th, Monmouth will host Kennesaw State, a game that looks likely to determine the potential Big South champions. Do they have enough to beat them this year – or, like last year, will they fall just short of the outright title?
Chuck has been writing about Lehigh football since the dawn of the internet, or perhaps it only seems like it. He’s executive editor of the College Sports Journal and has also written a book, The Rivalry: How Two Schools Started the Most Played College Football Series.
Reach him at: this email or click below:
