Monmouth Hawks
Overall Rank: #41
#7 CAA
Monmouth is leaving the Big South following another solid campaign. The Hawks did fall to Kennesaw State in the season finale though and that cost them a conference title and an at-large bid as well. Looking into the future, Monmouth is now in the CAA and the competition is going to get a lot more difficult.
2021 Record: 7-4, 6-1
2021 Postseason: None
Coach: Kevin Callahan (173-129 at Monmouth, 173-129 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Jeff Gallo
Defensive Coordinator: Andy Bobik
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Juwon Farri, RB, 705 yards
Passing: Tony Muskett, QB, 2,651 yards
Receiving: Dymer Miller, WR, 267 yards
Tackles: Tyrese Wright, DB, 71
Sacks: Ryan Moran, LB, 3.5
Interceptions: Eddie Morales III, DB, 3
Other Key Returnees: RB Jaden Shirden, RB Owen Wright, WR Joey Aldarelli, DB Mike Reid, DL Dominick Spano, DB Jaylen Dotson
Key Losses: WR Lonnie Smith, WR Terrance Greene, WR Zach Tredway, TE Gene Scott, OL AJ Farris, OL Mahmoud Shabana, DL Lorenzo Hernandez, DL DeAndre Clifton, LB Eddie Hahn V, DB Anthony Budd, DB Justin Terry
Offense:
The offense has some big holes to fill at wide receiver and on the line, but there are a couple of experienced leaders who are ready to lead the way. Under center, quarterback Tony Muskett is back after a great sophomore season in which he tallied 2,651 yards through the air with 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Many of Muskett’s favorite targets from a season ago are gone, but Dymer Miller and Joey Aldarelli are a solid duo to rebuild around. On the ground, Juwon Farri rushed for 705 yards and eight touchdowns last year and is poised for a big senior season. Jaden Shirden is a great option as well and he averaged an impressive 6.5 yards per carry as a freshman.
Defense:
The defense was not up to Monmouth’s usual standards in 2021. They allowed nearly 380 yards per game. In three of their four losses, they allowed the opposition to score at least 45 points. With the return of lineman Dominick Spano and linebacker Ryan Moran, the Hawks should be able to get consistent pressure into the opponent’s backfield. An experienced secondary featuring leading tackler Tyrese Wright will be able to take advantage of that pressure and create some big plays of their own.
The Bottom Line:
This will be a very interesting season for Monmouth. The perception of the Hawks has been that they were a good program that took advantage of a relatively weak Big South. There has not been much success in the playoffs over their three appearances since 2017. Now just about every week Monmouth will be playing playoff caliber opposition. And it starts on Thursday, September 1st with a trip to New Hampshire. That game could set the tone for the rest of the season.
Projected Postseason: None
2021 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 146.0 (59th in nation, 4th in conference)
Passing Offense: 246.3 (30, 3)
Total Offense: 392.3 (39, 4)
Scoring Offense: 32.0 (26, 2)
Rushing Defense: 135.0 (40, 4)
Pass Defense: 244.6 (91, 6)
Total Defense: 379.6 (67, 4)
Scoring Defense: 27.5 (64, 3)
Turnover Margin: 0.27 (41, 2)
Sacks: 2.55 (29, 2)
Sacks Allowed: 3.00 (107, 7)
