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Monmouth football against Ivy power Dartmouth seeks 2nd straight on road | preview
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- Monmouth football against Ivy power Dartmouth seeks 2nd straight on road | preview
WEST LONG BRANCH -- In between the rattling high-intensity reps of Monmouth football's 11-on-11 session at practice on Tuesday is an unfamiliar sound. Mozart's Concerto No. 21 in C Major echoes through Kessler Stadium as an appropriate reminder of the Hawks ' upcoming visit to the Ivy League.
Monmouth (2-2) will try to orchestrate another road win this weekend as the team travels to New Hampshire to face Dartmouth (0-1) on Saturday. And while the staccato rhythms of football can be a mismatch for classical compositions, the Hawks are increasingly finding levels of execution that can flow like poetry in motion.
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"You're trying to constantly improve through the course of the season, you're never a finished product," Monmouth head coach Jeff Gallo said. "We have to continue to play as a full team and put scores, stops, and special teams together. We've been good in spurts, whereas having that competitive stamina to go the entire game and playoff each other. I think we've improved in all areas over the last four games."
Monmouth football beat Albany 28-20 on Sept. 19.
As Monmouth is one-third of the way through the regular season, the portrait of the team's ability is coming into focus. The most recent game against the University at Albany serves as a worthwhile encapsulation of how this edition of the Hawks is shaping up in 2026. The 28-20 final tally belies Monmouth's dominant showing, but underscores the way in which a handful of outsized errors can alter outcomes.
But the net results supersede the granular view. It was the first time since 2006 that Monmouth had beat Albany on the road in Upstate New York. It was also the Hawks' second conference win of the season and they're the only 2-0 team among the five Coastal Athletic Associations teams to play two games against league foes. And it was also a welcome sight to see reigning CAA champ Rhode Island trounced 56-24 by Stony Brook on Saturday.
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The Hawks will need to stay the course after a strong start in league play, but this weekend's duel with Dartmouth is also the team's last chance to add a quality non-conference win to their resume (the Hawks will also play Merrimack in November). Like Tennessee Tech and FBS contender Western Michigan, the Big Green do not present an easy challenge.
"What you see is a team that doesn't beat itself, a team that makes you earn it," Gallo said of Dartmouth. "They don't do a ton, but they do things well. They're big—their front seven is big, but they have enough skill. On offense, they have good skill guys. They're really well-coached up front with a big offensive line. Quarterback is mobile. And then defensively, again, they make you earn it. They're a four-down front, big guys upfront. They'll play coverage behind it and make you run it down the field. That's what shows up on tape this year and last year. Same idea—they make you earn things."
Where to watch Monmouth vs. Dartmouth
Game:Monmouth at Dartmouth
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Date and Time:Saturday Sept. 26, 1 p.m.
Where: Buddy Teevins Stadium - Hanover, New Hampshire
Watch:ESPN+
Dartmouth is the all-time leader in Ivy football titles with 22, and the Big Green are coming off an impressive showing in the season opener against No. 7 Lehigh despite the final result being a 24-20 loss. Dartmouth had two chances to win the game after piecing together long clutch drives, but couldn't find the winning touchdown in the final three minutes. Still, that performance is a sign that Dartmouth is poised to build on last year's 7-3 season and challenge No. 25 Harvard and No. 18 Yale for the top spot in the Ivy League.
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But as Dartmouth is still building a foundation in the second game of the season, the Hawks seem to have solidified their own. It all starts in the trenches, and Monmouth has found answers on both sides of the ball. The offensive line did not allow a sack while paving the way for 145 rushing yards, and the defensive line accounted for five sacks in addition to nine tackles for loss across the levels of the defense.
"We all put in the same amount of work in the summer, winter workouts. We don't just pass rush, we can stop the run too. We've already got the technique from Coach (Codey) Cole," sophomore Mounir Keshen said. "So Coach Cole is going to make sure that we're in the right position to make plays. We already have the tools in the toolbox."
Mounir Keshen celebrates after a big defensive stop. Monmouth football beat Albany 28-20 on Sept. 19.
Keshen enjoyed a breakout performance that allowed the stat sheet to more accurately reflect his growth this offseason, totaling 1.5 sacks in the win over Albany. It's even more impressive considering he often plays early downs as a stalwart run defender, whereas Monmouth's sack leaders Jahide Lesaine (2.5) and Donovan Dyson (2.0) are more often revved up to wreak havoc on third down. That broad defensive line depth is the next evolution for the Hawks after they produced two outstanding edge rushers in Josiah Graham and Lamont Lester, both of whom are now at the FBS level in the Pac-12 and Big 12, respectively.
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"I learned some of my technique from Lamont," Keshen said. "But we also got great depth. We've got Donovan Dyson, Jahide Lesaine, Jake Davis also with Hunter Watson as well. All these different body types, different styles of play rushing off the edge or from the inside. With that competitive depth, we can do a lot of great things and you're kind of seeing it unfold. But you've gotta keep working at the end of the day."
And on top of that myriad of options off the edge, the Hawks' defensive line is well-practiced at the art of pass rushing with a plan. It's one of the frequent talking points in the details of football, and adds another layer of nuance to the team's depth.
Western Michigan football beat Monmouth 49-14 on Sept. 12.
"You can't do the same thing over and over again and expect to win every single rep," Keshen said. "You have to stack your rushes, maybe show power a couple times open up the door for finesse. Just switch up your approach."
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But above all else, the defensive line has a motto for the long road to elite results. It may not be Mozart, but it is a chorus that reverberates across the Monmouth roster.
"Coach always says: complacency is rat poison," Keshen said. "Making plays and all that, it's all good in the moment. But at the end of the day, we've still got to play a game this week."
Consistency key against Dartmouth offense that exploits mistakes
It's on brand to the point of almost being cliche for the winningest Ivy football program, but Dartmouth is a team that makes a living limiting its own errors and seizing on those of the opponent. Even in a polished game between two historic programs with identities built around that philosophy, the Big Green nearly outflanked Lehigh for a road upset.
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That approach is built around the command of senior quarterback Grayson Saunier. The preseason All-Ivy selection started the season strong as he finished 17-for-30 for 262 yards with one touchdown and one interception, a late pick that ended the game in the final 30 seconds as the Big Green had to make an aggressive push to the end zone. That turnover is an outlier in his hyper-efficient play.
When including a 19-yard pass that technically misses the cut off for "explosive" pass plays (usually 20 or more yards), Dartmouth had six such plays against the stout Lehigh defense. Almost every one of them came out of superb recognition by Saunier against a blitz or disguised coverage rotation. A recurring theme for both teams will be the concept of high-variance play, but the Dartmouth offense can excel while operating outside of a typical rhythm.
Monmouth corner Omar Ibrahim's interception that was called back because of pass interference. Western Michigan football beat Monmouth 49-14 on Sept. 12.
The implications are interesting, but the source of optimism for the Monmouth defense might be the way they handled a similar challenge with Western Michigan. The difference is that Dartmouth did not show a strong running attack (the team's running backs had a combined 42 yards on 20 carries) aside from Saunier's ability to scramble. Much of that is also attributable to the strength of the Lehigh defense, but the Big Green run game is more steady than it is dynamic.
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Monmouth should be able to contain that rushing attack without dedicating more defenders, allowing the Hawks to better reinforce the secondary instead of the one-on-one coverage that led to big plays against WMU. That being said, the skill group for Dartmouth should not be underestimated. Junior Ky'dric Fisher and senior Nick Lemon are experienced receivers with big play ability, proven by their combined 190 yards on nine catches against Lehigh.
The biggest challenge for Monmouth will be getting pressure on Saunier without losing containment of him in the pocket. He does his most damage when extending plays and creating on scrambles or off-schedule passes. That ties in with another key for the Hawks in the secondary. Neither Fisher (6-foot) or Lemon (5-11) is physically imposing compared to corners like Christian Palmer, Omar Ibrahim, or Elijah Mathis. With safety help over top, the receivers can potentially be bumped off routes, but they will be dangerous on the out-of-structure plays with their experience and savvy.
Tough running could open up big passing plays for Hawks
It isn't realistic to expect Monmouth to replicate the 218 yards (at 4.7 yards per carry) of renowned grit and grind powerhouse Lehigh, but the Hawks do have similar ingredients with Elijah Jennings and Kenny Smith combining for 156 yards on 31 carries against Albany. The finesse and speed of that duo could even be an advantageous changeup to the power game that Dartmouth just faced.
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The biggest question is how Dartmouth's secondary matches up against the Monmouth passing game. Already a ground-and-pound attack, Lehigh didn't deviate much from the plan given their rushing efficiency against the Big Green. The Mountain Hawks were 10-for-13 for 73 yards through the air, the longest of which was a 13-yard catch.
Monmouth's Tra Neal looks toward the sideline. Western Michigan football beat Monmouth 49-14 on Sept. 12.
Whether or not the Big Green were excellent at playing containment or were simply not challenged will be a question answered this week. Monmouth's Tra Neal is coming off back-to-back 100-yard games and ranks 19th in the country in receiving yards with 326. Gavin Nelson is not far behind with 249 yards and both players have two touchdowns.
On top of that, the Hawks haven't yet fully utilized the receiving tight end duo of Marcus Middleton and Greg Genross. More 12 personnel could help Monmouth replicate the power running attack of Lehigh that had success, and open up play action looks to those imposing targets.
Monmouth's Kenny Smith (6) breaks away from defenders. Western Michigan football beat Monmouth 49-14 on Sept. 12.
The offensive line should be able to hold up against Dartmouth front that only produced 20 sacks last season and had none with just two tackles for loss against Lehigh. But a reminder that the Big Green are about a steady approach and consistency. The Hawks can not have self-inflicted errors if they want to prevail on the road.
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That leads to quarterback Frankie Weaver, who was on track to deliver his best performance of the season against Albany before two second half interceptions. Weaver was 11-for-13 for 200 yards and two touchdowns aside from those two throws, a testament to his continued development and comfortability with the offense and his receivers. The opportunities should be there once again and he will take advantage with his deep and intermediate accuracy is as sharp as it was against Albany, but any mistakes will be amplified against a team like Dartmouth.
Prediction: Monmouth 21, Dartmouth 17
This is a classic "styles make fights" matchup with two teams on different sides of the high-variance coin. Dartmouth is all about eliminating any errors, while Monmouth is a program with staggering talent and upside that can be undercut by mistakes. The Hawks also have the resilience to win in spite of them.
Monmouth is trending in the right direction in terms of limiting those errors. There were less than five against Albany, but they had an outsized impact on the result. An Albany fake punt that led to a touchdown and a costly red zone interception late in the third quarter that potentially took points off the board for Monmouth. Lapses like that could swing the result against Dartmouth.
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The Hawks also fit the profile of a team with advantages in key areas. They rushed for 158 yards against Western Michigan, and should be able to exceed that against Dartmouth. The same can be said for the receiving duo of Neal and Nelson, who combined for 14 catches and 169 yards against the preseason All-MAC corners of WMU.
Monmouth have an edge in just about every sub-category in this matchup, except the key variable of costly mistakes. But optimistically, the Hawks continue to improve in that area on Saturday. The running game paves the way for a 14-10 lead at halftime, and an explosive pass play allow Monmouth to ride that narrow advantage to the finish line for a 21-17 victory.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth football against Ivy power Dartmouth seeks 2nd straight on road | preview
