GAME PREVIEW: Monmouth at Campbell University

#15/17 Monmouth University (8-2, 4-0 Big South) at Campbell University (6-3, 3-1 Big South)
Saturday, November 16, 2019; 1:00 p.m.
Barker Lane Stadium (5,500), Buies Creek

Television/Streaming Video: ESPN3
Chris Hemeyer (play by play), Jay Sonnhalter (analyst), Erin Summers (sideline)

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

Ticket Info:
For tickets visit HERE for more information.

Directions to Barker Lane Stadium:
For directions visit HERE

A LOOK AT THE GAME:
Today is the second meeting between Campbell and Monmouth and the first trip for the Hawks to Barker-Lane Stadium. Last season, in the first meeting between the two new conference opponents Monmouth defeated the Camels 38-21 in West Long Branch.
The Hawks come into today's game riding a six-game winning streak after defeating North Alabama 49-38 last game at Kessler Field. Kenji Bahar threw for five touchdowns and the defense forced three turnovers before the Lions scored 14 points on a pair of touchdown passes with under a minute remaining in the contest.
Monmouth is ranked 15th in the AFCA Coaches Poll and 17th in the STATS FCS Poll, the highest rankings in school history.
Campbell, 3-1 in Big South play, are playing their final home game of the season. Last weekend they dropped their first Big South contest to Kennesaw State, 38-35 after holding the lead for the entire first half. It was Campbell's only loss at home this season.
A win today for the Hawks would guarantee at least a share of their first Big South Conference title and the league's automatic qualifier.
The game will air on ESPN3
The game can be heard on ShoreSportsNetwork.com with Matt Harmon (pxp) and Greg Viscomi (analyst) on the call.

THE COACHING MATCHUP:
Kevin Callahan is in his 27th season at Monmouth as the Hawks’ head coach. Callahan owns a 160-123 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.

Mike Minter comes into today’s game with a 36-40 record at Campbell in his seventh season at the helm of the Camels. Over the last five-plus seasons Minter has guided a Campbell program that has virtually set every record. Last season Campbell finished 6-5 overall and 5-3 in Pioneer Football League play, tying the best overall and conference records in the 10-year history of the program. No stranger to the Big South Conference, Minter served as special teams coordinator at Liberty prior to taking over at Campbell. Minter, a 1997 graduate of Nebraska, Minter starred for the Huskers earning all-conference honors three times while leading his team to a pair of national championships. The Cleveland, Ohio native went on to play nine seasons in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, racking up 790 tackles.

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 the official watch party location. You can catch the game at Jack’s Goal Stand in West End, Long Branch which hosts viewing parties for the remainder of Monmouth’s games this season, both home and away.

INSIDE THE MU-CU SERIES
Second Overall Meeting
Overall Record: MU 1-0
West Long Branch: MU 1-0
Buies Creek, NC: N/A
First Meeting: Oct. 20, 2018
Last Meeting: Oct. 20, 2018
Longest MU Win Streak: 1 game
Longest BU Win Streak: N/A
Largest MU W Margin: 17 points
Largest BU W Margin: N/A
Smallest MU W Margin: 17 points
Smallest BU W Margin: N/A
Shutouts: None
Overtime Games: None

MONMOUTH AGAINST THE BIG SOUTH
Since starting up Big South league play in 2014, Monmouth owns an 17-14 conference record, however is 13-2 since 2017.
The Hawks own a 5-1 record against Gardner-Webb, 1-0 against Campbell, 4-2 against PC, 3-3 vs CSU and 1-4 vs Kennesaw State. The Hawks are also 2-0 against Hampton but those were non-conference contests. Although technically a non-conference game, MU is 1-0 against North 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.
With the win over Kennesaw, Monmouth won four consecutive Big South games to start Big South play for the second time in school history (2017).

HAWKS EARN HIGHEST RANKING IN PROGRAM HISTORY
After being receiving votes for seven of the 10 previous weeks, Monmouth broke through the national rankings for the first time after the KSU win
Monmouth is ranked 15th in the AFCA Coaches' Poll and 17th in the STATS FCS Poll, moving up from 20/19 last weekend
The 15/17 ranking is the highest ranking in the 27 year history of the program, with the previous high coming last week
Previously the first time the Hawks were nationally ranked came in 2017 when Monmouth was 22nd in both polls

BAHAR EARNS BIG SOUTH OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For the third time this season, the Big South Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Kenji Bahar has been named league offensive player of the week. Bahar completed 75% of his passes and threw for five touchdowns as the Hawks improved to 4-0 in conference play. He set three records against the Lions, including Monmouth's career touchdown passing mark and single season touchdown and passing yardage. He tied a career-high with five touchdowns while throwing for 300+ yards for the fourth time this season and the eighth time in his career. The senior completed 27 of his 36 pass attempts and threw for 319 yards and ran for another 24 while leading the Monmouth offense to 470 yards. Bahar became Monmouth's all-time leader in passing touchdowns with his second of the day – and cruised past the mark with his fifth – giving him 61 in his career now.

BAHAR SETS MULTIPLE MONMOUTH PASSING RECORDS
Kenji Bahar now owns six of the seven passing records at Monmouth, moving into first in touchdown passes with his five touchdown effort against North Alabama. On his second pass against CSU, a 36-yard touchdown to Terrance Greene Jr., Monmouth senior quarterback Kenji Bahar surpassed Brian Boland for the most passing yards in school history. Two weeks ago he became the MU leader in career pass attempts and on his eighth completion against CSU he set that career record as well. His 62.0 completion percentage is second only to Brett Burke.

Category KB Record Holder Deficit
Passing Yards 8,332 Kenji Bahar ---
Passing Touchdowns 61 Kenji Bahar ---
Passing Attempts 1,140 Kenji Bahar ---
Passing Completions 703 Kenji Bahar ---
Total Offense 8,680 Kenji Bahar ---
Completion Percentage 62.0 Brett Burke (64.6) 2.6%
Pass Efficiency 134.12 Kenji Bahar ---
Games Played (QB) 44 Bahar/Boland (44) ---
Games Started (QB) 36 Brian Boland (43) 7

DID YOU KNOW?
Monmouth junior wideout Lonnie Moore IV moved into 10th all-time at Monmouth in receptions currently sitting with 96. The junior needs five to tie former NFL tight end Jon Nalbone for ninth. Moore IV, who has 1,362 receiving yards is eighth all-time at Monmouth, trailing the seventh spot by 167 yards.

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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