Two weeks and two major hurdles have been cleared .. Wins against Villanova and CCSU have the Hawks primed for a run to an NEC title .. Some things to consider in why MU has won two games that most would have likely put as losses before the season started ..
The Defense is playing great as evidenced by back to back weeks in which a Monmouth Linebacker has been named as the NEC defensive player of the week .. Dan Sullivan against Villanova and Steve Barroso this past week against the Blue Devils .. With improved front seven play, it has allowed the secondary to be a compliment to the defense and not the main factor in stopping the run as it has been the last two years .. The whole unit is playing with an extreme amount of confidence and it shows on the field right now as each week they get better and each week more and more players get involved ..
One of the spots that was in question during the preseason was the offensive line as three of the five spots were going to be new starters and after a rough game against Lehigh in week one .. This unit has really come together, opening up running lanes and allowing Kyle Frazier to do what he does best which is to be patient and let his receivers run their routes and make good decisions with the ball ..
Another big test looms this week as MU returns against league champ Robert Morris who is certainly for a win after starting the year 0-3 and having two weeks to prepare for the Hawks .. Wins on the road are big but a win at home this week after the way the season would really have people getting excited .. One step at a time ..
Programming reminder .. The Kevin Callahan Monmouth Football Show returns tonight at 7pm from Buffalo Wild Wings @ Monmouth Mall .. 1160/1310 WOBM AM .. Saturday's game is home against Robert Morris .. Kickoff is @ 12 noon on 1160/1310 WOBM AM & shoresportsnetwork.com or gomuhawks.com
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A Monumental Win
Have to be honest I am still smiling after calling Saturday's 20-9 win over Villanova for so many reasons, so please allow me to break it down some more.
1 - Confidence -- This is a key component to any team over the course of the season and in looking at the MU schedule this wasn't one that many would have picked as a win in a brutal five game stretch to open the 2011 season. Now with the win, the Hawks have seen how well they can play and the intensity it takes to win these big games. That will only help this young moving into NEC play.
2 - Play-makers -- There has been talk about the difference in talent and depth between this year's team and maybe the last few year teams and it showed up on Saturday vs. the Wildcats. We have seen the emergence of Neil Sterling and Dan Sullivan both of whom were rewarded with player of the week awards from the NEC. Sterling made one incredible catch and finished up combining with Soph. Mitchell Pollard to provide a 1-2 receiving threat that MU hasn't had since Austin and San Miguel were playing together. Jose Gumbs had the play of the game with a forced fumble and showed why he is the leader of this team with a never give up attitude that seems to be contagious.
3 - Improvement -- MU showed great strides between the loss to Lehigh and the win with Villanova which is what you would expect with a bye week and a veteran coaching staff. BUT (there's always a but) there is still things to work on as Central Conn State is a very good tea, and I think the one thing that coaches look for is players not to be too high after ONE very good performance. The offense needs to cash in with touchdowns when it gets in the red zone. Defensively, third down defense and giving up the big play still could be an issue and on the special teams .. you can't give long returns after you score points.
All in all however, it was maybe the best regular season win that MU has ever had in the non conference portion of a schedule -- no matter what Villanova does the rest of the year.
Big test this weekend as MU travels to Central Conn State for a match-up with the Blue Devils .. Payback should be on the minds of the Hawks after dropping back to back heart-breakers against CCSU .. Kickoff is @ 12 noon on 1160/1310 WOBM AM & shoresportsnetwork.com or gomuhawks.com
1 - Confidence -- This is a key component to any team over the course of the season and in looking at the MU schedule this wasn't one that many would have picked as a win in a brutal five game stretch to open the 2011 season. Now with the win, the Hawks have seen how well they can play and the intensity it takes to win these big games. That will only help this young moving into NEC play.
2 - Play-makers -- There has been talk about the difference in talent and depth between this year's team and maybe the last few year teams and it showed up on Saturday vs. the Wildcats. We have seen the emergence of Neil Sterling and Dan Sullivan both of whom were rewarded with player of the week awards from the NEC. Sterling made one incredible catch and finished up combining with Soph. Mitchell Pollard to provide a 1-2 receiving threat that MU hasn't had since Austin and San Miguel were playing together. Jose Gumbs had the play of the game with a forced fumble and showed why he is the leader of this team with a never give up attitude that seems to be contagious.
3 - Improvement -- MU showed great strides between the loss to Lehigh and the win with Villanova which is what you would expect with a bye week and a veteran coaching staff. BUT (there's always a but) there is still things to work on as Central Conn State is a very good tea, and I think the one thing that coaches look for is players not to be too high after ONE very good performance. The offense needs to cash in with touchdowns when it gets in the red zone. Defensively, third down defense and giving up the big play still could be an issue and on the special teams .. you can't give long returns after you score points.
All in all however, it was maybe the best regular season win that MU has ever had in the non conference portion of a schedule -- no matter what Villanova does the rest of the year.
Big test this weekend as MU travels to Central Conn State for a match-up with the Blue Devils .. Payback should be on the minds of the Hawks after dropping back to back heart-breakers against CCSU .. Kickoff is @ 12 noon on 1160/1310 WOBM AM & shoresportsnetwork.com or gomuhawks.com
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Getting ready to head to Nova
The Hawks get ready for the second game of the season and a continued theme of tough non-conference opponents. This week it is Villanova, who has won a National Championship in FCS as recently as 2009 and is a perennial playoff team. Here are some the basics going into the game; Monmouth is 0-1 after a week one loss to Lehigh while Villanova is a surprising 0-2 after losses to Temple and Towson. The good thing is that maybe this Wildcats team is not as good as years past but any underestimation would be a severe mistake. Many teams start slow and get better as the year goes on and this Villanova team may be one of those teams.
Monmouth comes into this game after doing some good things in the loss to Lehigh but just not enough of or with enough consistency. The opening drive of the game was a high point as MU marched right down the field and scored to go up 7-0. I think in that drive you saw the balance and mixing around of the football that could lead to great success this season. Kyle Frazier has control of the offense and with more weapons this year than the last two years it could be a year to open things up even more. One game does not a season make but there is some reason to be concerned about the lack of a full time number one running back. I think it is great the Hawks have options at the RB position but at some point you want to know who the best back is and who can carry the ball 15-18 times per game. It was good to see three different backs get in the end zone and be able to finish off scoring drives with 6 points and not try for 3.
The Hawks are a young team, especially on the defensive side of the ball and that showed in the first game and may pop up during the course of the season but this a talented group with impact players. The idea of course is to get those players to make more impact than mistakes. Jose Gumbs is obviously the one player that all MU fans expect to make the big hit, key interception, or game changing play but he can't do it alone so names like Lawson and Sullivan (among others) will have balance out this defense.
This is a set up in competition for Monmouth for football as up until this week, Villanova was again a top 20 team and remember the Big East has shown interest in the Wildcats moving to the FBS side of college football. The Wildcats have hurt themselves in the first two week with multiple turnovers in both losses and I couldn't imagine they want to open up the year at 0-3. This is a talented team with a long time head coach in Andy Talley and a program not used to losing.
MU has had two weeks to prepare for this and maybe the week 2 bye helped as it gave the coaches almost another week of preseason and an opportunity to work on fundamentals for a week and not a game plan.
Reminder .. The Kevin Callahan Monmouth Football Show returns tonight at 7pm from Buffalo Wild Wings @ Monmouth Mall .. 1160/1310 WOBM AM
Monmouth comes into this game after doing some good things in the loss to Lehigh but just not enough of or with enough consistency. The opening drive of the game was a high point as MU marched right down the field and scored to go up 7-0. I think in that drive you saw the balance and mixing around of the football that could lead to great success this season. Kyle Frazier has control of the offense and with more weapons this year than the last two years it could be a year to open things up even more. One game does not a season make but there is some reason to be concerned about the lack of a full time number one running back. I think it is great the Hawks have options at the RB position but at some point you want to know who the best back is and who can carry the ball 15-18 times per game. It was good to see three different backs get in the end zone and be able to finish off scoring drives with 6 points and not try for 3.
The Hawks are a young team, especially on the defensive side of the ball and that showed in the first game and may pop up during the course of the season but this a talented group with impact players. The idea of course is to get those players to make more impact than mistakes. Jose Gumbs is obviously the one player that all MU fans expect to make the big hit, key interception, or game changing play but he can't do it alone so names like Lawson and Sullivan (among others) will have balance out this defense.
This is a set up in competition for Monmouth for football as up until this week, Villanova was again a top 20 team and remember the Big East has shown interest in the Wildcats moving to the FBS side of college football. The Wildcats have hurt themselves in the first two week with multiple turnovers in both losses and I couldn't imagine they want to open up the year at 0-3. This is a talented team with a long time head coach in Andy Talley and a program not used to losing.
MU has had two weeks to prepare for this and maybe the week 2 bye helped as it gave the coaches almost another week of preseason and an opportunity to work on fundamentals for a week and not a game plan.
Reminder .. The Kevin Callahan Monmouth Football Show returns tonight at 7pm from Buffalo Wild Wings @ Monmouth Mall .. 1160/1310 WOBM AM
Thursday, November 4, 2010
How Much is Left in the Tank?
There are tough losses and there are tough losses. This season is a great indication on that cliche as Monmouth has lost down to the wire games against Colgate, Robert Morris, & Sacred Heart. The difference between the first two and the loss that happened last week at home versus Sacred Heart was at least on paper the Hawks were a decided favorite. It was homecoming with a big crowd and with a win MU would have kept alive chances for a NEC title and gotten back to .500 overall after starting the year 0-3. Throw in that the Pioneers hadn't won a conference game all season and this one really hurts. It was a game that walking the field I am sure coaches, players, fans, and even radio announcers said, "How did we lose that game?"
Now the challenge lies in that Monmouth has an extremely difficult November schedule with games at Wagner & Albany sandwiching a home game with Central Connecticut State. The Seahawks are up first as MU heads to Staten Island and will try and bounce back with a win over a team that has always been a rival for the Hawks. Wagner has a solid defense that is stat wise among the best in the NEC and a QB in Nick Doscher that is run/pass option that most teams in the NEC if not all of college football would love to have.
I think this week is so much more about Monmouth than anything else because with a veteran coach in Kevin Callahan you would expect that the players will respond back and rise to the challenge of the next three weeks. But there are always questions how much of a hangover effect there will be with everything that you have worked for up to a certain point dashed in one game (NEC Title, games with real meaning in November). Anyone who follows Monmouth football and the NEC will be curious how the Hawks react to the next three weeks.
This a team that has a lot older players (lot of fifth year seniors) and good leadership thru the ranks and at this point of the year most of those players have limited chances to strap on the helmet so a sense of urgency has to be at the top of the list. Look for MU to try and do something early on to get excited about on the sideline; a long pass or a trick play. Or get lucky enough to create a turnover, a big hit or a special teams big play.
Broadcast info- 1160AM/1310AM .. Pregame show 12:45pm .. Kickoff 1pm
Now the challenge lies in that Monmouth has an extremely difficult November schedule with games at Wagner & Albany sandwiching a home game with Central Connecticut State. The Seahawks are up first as MU heads to Staten Island and will try and bounce back with a win over a team that has always been a rival for the Hawks. Wagner has a solid defense that is stat wise among the best in the NEC and a QB in Nick Doscher that is run/pass option that most teams in the NEC if not all of college football would love to have.
I think this week is so much more about Monmouth than anything else because with a veteran coach in Kevin Callahan you would expect that the players will respond back and rise to the challenge of the next three weeks. But there are always questions how much of a hangover effect there will be with everything that you have worked for up to a certain point dashed in one game (NEC Title, games with real meaning in November). Anyone who follows Monmouth football and the NEC will be curious how the Hawks react to the next three weeks.
This a team that has a lot older players (lot of fifth year seniors) and good leadership thru the ranks and at this point of the year most of those players have limited chances to strap on the helmet so a sense of urgency has to be at the top of the list. Look for MU to try and do something early on to get excited about on the sideline; a long pass or a trick play. Or get lucky enough to create a turnover, a big hit or a special teams big play.
Broadcast info- 1160AM/1310AM .. Pregame show 12:45pm .. Kickoff 1pm
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Bring on the Flash
The season for MU so far has been a little up and down but with the second of three games at home, this is the time for the Hawks to continue that upswing. Monmouth grabbed a somewhat ugly but much needed win last week over Bryant 21-12 and with St. Francis this week and Sacred Heart next week, one would have to think getting back .500 is well within reach. Couple of things from the Bryant game last week that are still lingering for me.
Monmouth had several chance to put this game away and missed chances in the first half after getting off to a 12-0 start. I was concerned about the way they would start the first quarter after the heartbreaker to Robert Morris from the previous week but after starting so fast, I had the sense this game might be a blow out. It never got that far and that was a disappoinment because at this point of the season, a team like MU that isn't very deep could have used an easy game to get some guys some rest.
Battered and bruised all season long, the defense has put up three straight pretty good & getting better games against conference opponents. The idea this week is to do the same against a Red Flash team that doesn't have the stats or the playmakers to cause MU problems unless at some point the injuries catch up. On the plus side, with Jose Gumbs and Kendall Haley patrolling the back at the safety spots, mistakes usually get covered up. The pass rush has been better, the run defense has been solid and these are both trends that need to continue so Monmouth feels good about themselves when they start a brutal November schedule with games against Wagner, CCSU, & Albany.
Monmouth needs to know how important these games are the next two weeks as they can ill afford a slip up if they have any chance of claiming an NEC championship. Robert Morris is clearly the favorite but still has to play CCSU on November 6th. Best case scernario as I see it would be a Robert Morris loss to CCSU, a Monmouth win over CCSU and force a three way tie for the NEC crown and take your chances with a tie breaker.
Monmouth had several chance to put this game away and missed chances in the first half after getting off to a 12-0 start. I was concerned about the way they would start the first quarter after the heartbreaker to Robert Morris from the previous week but after starting so fast, I had the sense this game might be a blow out. It never got that far and that was a disappoinment because at this point of the season, a team like MU that isn't very deep could have used an easy game to get some guys some rest.
Battered and bruised all season long, the defense has put up three straight pretty good & getting better games against conference opponents. The idea this week is to do the same against a Red Flash team that doesn't have the stats or the playmakers to cause MU problems unless at some point the injuries catch up. On the plus side, with Jose Gumbs and Kendall Haley patrolling the back at the safety spots, mistakes usually get covered up. The pass rush has been better, the run defense has been solid and these are both trends that need to continue so Monmouth feels good about themselves when they start a brutal November schedule with games against Wagner, CCSU, & Albany.
Monmouth needs to know how important these games are the next two weeks as they can ill afford a slip up if they have any chance of claiming an NEC championship. Robert Morris is clearly the favorite but still has to play CCSU on November 6th. Best case scernario as I see it would be a Robert Morris loss to CCSU, a Monmouth win over CCSU and force a three way tie for the NEC crown and take your chances with a tie breaker.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Back to Pittsburgh
Well I guess Moon Township to be more exact but in the area of Pittsburgh which was the site of last week's 44-17 win for Monmouth over Duquesne. It was the first win of the season for the Hawks and maybe just maybe got their season turned around. No one wants to start 0-3 but in the grand scheme of things it won't mean a whole lot if MU can get on a roll in the conference. To say it was a big win would be a large understatement as Monmouth is now just one of three teams with no losses in the NEC.
The matchup this weekend gets even bigger as one of those other two teams is the opposition for the Hawks, the Colonials of Robert Morris. RMU comes in at 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the conference. It is strange in the ways that both of these schools have mirrored each other the years. Take for example the overall matchup (16th time the schools have met) in which Robert Morris leads 8-7. RMU is in their 17th year as a football school and like Monmouth last year got the 100th win in program history. MU is one year ahead in its 18th year playing. Each school has five NEC titles and both schools have at least one Mid Major National Championship (MU 1, RMU 2). Both school have extremely classy men running their programs and each one is the only head coach that the school has ever had, Kevin Callahan and Joe Walton.
The defense for MU stepped up big time last week with a team record 6 INTs against the Dukes and because the offense got off to such a good start, it really took DU out of their game plan. I would say the same holds true for this week, if the offense can manage the game and ask the defense to do too much then the Hawks might have another good bus ride home. The confidence level which had to have been down after dropping three straight this season should be sky high going into this one. The winner of this game really puts themselves as an early season favorite for that coveted automatic big into the FCS playoffs.
Kyle Frazier seems to have found his rythmn and is becoming a more complete player with each start. The QB matchup is always big but in this case where both teams like to throw the ball it gets even bigger. Sophomore Jeff Sinclair is second in the NEC averaging 214 per game throwing and has tossed 13 TDs on the season. RMU also a dynamic tailback in Senior Myles Russ who averages 115 per game thru the first four weeks. The MU defense played its best game of the season last week and for a win this week might have to top that.
So much of the season is still left but this one looms large for both squads. Should be fun and you can join us on 1160/1310 AM Saturday afternoon at 12:45 for the pregame show/1pm for the kickoff.
The matchup this weekend gets even bigger as one of those other two teams is the opposition for the Hawks, the Colonials of Robert Morris. RMU comes in at 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the conference. It is strange in the ways that both of these schools have mirrored each other the years. Take for example the overall matchup (16th time the schools have met) in which Robert Morris leads 8-7. RMU is in their 17th year as a football school and like Monmouth last year got the 100th win in program history. MU is one year ahead in its 18th year playing. Each school has five NEC titles and both schools have at least one Mid Major National Championship (MU 1, RMU 2). Both school have extremely classy men running their programs and each one is the only head coach that the school has ever had, Kevin Callahan and Joe Walton.
The defense for MU stepped up big time last week with a team record 6 INTs against the Dukes and because the offense got off to such a good start, it really took DU out of their game plan. I would say the same holds true for this week, if the offense can manage the game and ask the defense to do too much then the Hawks might have another good bus ride home. The confidence level which had to have been down after dropping three straight this season should be sky high going into this one. The winner of this game really puts themselves as an early season favorite for that coveted automatic big into the FCS playoffs.
Kyle Frazier seems to have found his rythmn and is becoming a more complete player with each start. The QB matchup is always big but in this case where both teams like to throw the ball it gets even bigger. Sophomore Jeff Sinclair is second in the NEC averaging 214 per game throwing and has tossed 13 TDs on the season. RMU also a dynamic tailback in Senior Myles Russ who averages 115 per game thru the first four weeks. The MU defense played its best game of the season last week and for a win this week might have to top that.
So much of the season is still left but this one looms large for both squads. Should be fun and you can join us on 1160/1310 AM Saturday afternoon at 12:45 for the pregame show/1pm for the kickoff.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Moral Victories Don't Count
Week three of the college season for the Blue and White offers up a unique challenge in the form of the Monarchs of ODU. This was perhaps the best game of the season a year ago and certainly the best win in a great atmosphere. I can still remember the 31-28 victory for MU behind a monster performance out of RB David Sinisi and the coming out party for QB Kyle Frazier.
The first two weeks of the season have been a challenge for Monmouth with close losses to Colgate and Maine. Both games have been competitive and with three or four plays in each game going the Hawks way rather than the opposition, they could easily be 2-0 rather than 0-2. The only problem with that logic, is so far none of those plays have gone Monmouth's way and at some point a team has to make its own luck.
Two positives thru 2 games:
In both games, there were points that the team could have folded and let the game get out of control but in neither case did that happen so the team has some resiliency even though it has not transferred into wins. Playing teams that have more scholarships in your non-conference schedule might not always result in wins but it should get you ready for the NEC.
Might seem like a stretch to make this a positive but the punting of Jack Daniels has been tremendous. He leads the nation (FCS) in punting heading into the weekend and though it is a part of the game that might get lost to the casual fan, a good punter is a weapon that teams can use to their advantage. Field position is such a big part of the game and punting plays a huge role in that.
Two negatives thru 2 games:
The conversions on third down have been dreadful (2/23) combined for weeks 1 & 2 and if Monmouth has any chance of getting back in the win column this has to get better. The responsibility for this falls on the offense and I am quite sure it has been the focus of meetings and practice for the last two weeks.
Injuries continue be a problem on the defensive side of the ball and with some players that won't be back at all this season, this could be an issue all season long. That being said the players that are on the field have to step up a little more and make plays when called on. It is easy for me to write that but when the team is missing up to 5 players that may have been starters on defense going into the season there are going to be some bumps and bruises along the way.
This games looms large for MU against ODU and it is believe or not a revenge game for the Monarchs. There is talent on both sides of the ball for ODU with speed and good returning QB in Tom DeMarco while the defense will show Monmouth a lot of different looks. A win will do wonders for the Hawks after bye week and before the conference opener. Any team that is 0-2 when it could be 2-0 there might be some confidence problems. There has to be a sense of urgency for MU this week as 0-3 is tough to bounce back from for any team.
The first two weeks of the season have been a challenge for Monmouth with close losses to Colgate and Maine. Both games have been competitive and with three or four plays in each game going the Hawks way rather than the opposition, they could easily be 2-0 rather than 0-2. The only problem with that logic, is so far none of those plays have gone Monmouth's way and at some point a team has to make its own luck.
Two positives thru 2 games:
In both games, there were points that the team could have folded and let the game get out of control but in neither case did that happen so the team has some resiliency even though it has not transferred into wins. Playing teams that have more scholarships in your non-conference schedule might not always result in wins but it should get you ready for the NEC.
Might seem like a stretch to make this a positive but the punting of Jack Daniels has been tremendous. He leads the nation (FCS) in punting heading into the weekend and though it is a part of the game that might get lost to the casual fan, a good punter is a weapon that teams can use to their advantage. Field position is such a big part of the game and punting plays a huge role in that.
Two negatives thru 2 games:
The conversions on third down have been dreadful (2/23) combined for weeks 1 & 2 and if Monmouth has any chance of getting back in the win column this has to get better. The responsibility for this falls on the offense and I am quite sure it has been the focus of meetings and practice for the last two weeks.
Injuries continue be a problem on the defensive side of the ball and with some players that won't be back at all this season, this could be an issue all season long. That being said the players that are on the field have to step up a little more and make plays when called on. It is easy for me to write that but when the team is missing up to 5 players that may have been starters on defense going into the season there are going to be some bumps and bruises along the way.
This games looms large for MU against ODU and it is believe or not a revenge game for the Monarchs. There is talent on both sides of the ball for ODU with speed and good returning QB in Tom DeMarco while the defense will show Monmouth a lot of different looks. A win will do wonders for the Hawks after bye week and before the conference opener. Any team that is 0-2 when it could be 2-0 there might be some confidence problems. There has to be a sense of urgency for MU this week as 0-3 is tough to bounce back from for any team.
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