A ranked matchup kicks off the CAA slate for both squads.
Villanova is 1-1 after a Week 1 bye, defeating Colgate 24-17 before losing 52-6 at Penn State. Monmouth is 2-1 overall and 2-0 vs. the FCS, beating Colgate 42-39 and Fordham 49-28. The Hawks lost 42-35 at FBS Charlotte last week.
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Monmouth vs. Villanova On TV
The matchup between Monmouth and Villanova can be watched on FloSports and NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The game will kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 20. The contest is taking place at Kessler Stadium in West Long Branch, NJ.
Monmouth vs. Villanova Preview
The comparative data point many will look at, of course, is the non-conference games against Colgate.
Villanova was in a battle and scored the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter for the 24-17 victory. Pat McQuaide, a Nicholls transfer with two years of starting experience, passed for nearly 300 yards. The week before, Monmouth needed a valiant comeback to win at Colgate. Down 31-7 midway through the third quarter, Monmouth rattled off 35 straight points to take the lead and earn the W.
Preseason All-American quarterback Derek Robertson is off to an electric start for a Monmouth offense scoring 42.0 points per game. He has racked up 1,265 passing yards, 14 TDs, and five interceptions. Wide receiver Josh Derry has hauled in six of those touchdown throws.
The Hawks go up against what’s expected to be a top defense in the CAA, led by standouts Shane Hartzell (LB), Obinna Nwobodo (DL), and Zahmir Dawud (CB). Hartzell is as good as it gets among FCS linebackers.
The question mark for both teams is on the opposite sides of the ball. Can Monmouth’s defense, allowing 34.5 points per game, get enough stops? Is Nova’s offense, scoring 15.0 points per game (although it’s two games, and Penn State was one of the opponents), explosive enough?
I don’t know if Villanova can go shot-for-shot with Monmouth. Slowing the pace down will be difficul as the Hawks are too good offensively. They can score in a hurry. Nova’s defense is always stout, although Colgate’s Zach Osborne passed for 239 yards and two scores. With it being at home, Monmouth makes one or two more plays than the Wildcats in the fourth quarter to get the victory.
Prediction: Monmouth 35-28
