Monmouth football falls to Eastern Washington: 5 takeaways from season opener

It was asking a lot of a young Monmouth team to travel cross country and beat a Big Sky team on the road, but that was the hand the Hawks were dealt in Thursday night’s season-opener against Eastern Washington in Cheney, Washington.

And while some positives emerged for the Hawks on the distinctive red turf at Roos Field, their flaws were on display as well, unable to make enough plays away from home against an experienced team, falling, 42-27.

Eastern Washington, which returned 18 starters, rolled up over 547 yards of offense and kept Monmouth, which tied the game at 14-14 in the second quarter, in check while scoring 28 unanswered points to take control.

“We didn’t play nearly well enough in any phase of the game to win. We couldn’t contain them, we couldn’t tackle, we made way too many mistakes, so that was disappointing that we didn’t come close to playing to our potential,” Monmouth head coach Kevin Callahan said.

Monmouth is now 0-3 all-time against Big Sky teams, having previously lost to Montana and Montana State.

Here are five takeaways from Monmouth’s loss at Eastern Washington:

1. Defense is a work in progress

The numbers tell the story, as Monmouth’s young secondary, featuring sophomore cornerbacks Emmanuel Lane and Israel Clark-White and sophomore safety Deuce Lee, got schooled by Eftom Chism, one of the best FCS receivers who finished with 12 catches for 173 yards and three TDs.

Eagles quarterback Kekoa Visperas completed his first 15 passes of the game, and his third TD pass came in the final minute of the first half to put the Eagles up 28-14 at halftime.

Monmouth’s front seven was unable to stop the run, surrendering 275 yards on the ground, and failed to get a sack.

“It’s only a learning experience if we learn from it, and that means playing 1,000 percent better and never, never, never letting that happen again, so we’ll have to see how that plays out,” Callahan said.

2. A dazzling debut by Derek Robertson

It was a heck of a debut for quarterback Derek Robertson, who completed 27-of-42 for 390 yards, with three TDs and an interception that went through a receiver’s hands and was picked off in the final minutes of the game.

And Robertson spread the ball around, completing passes to eight different receivers, including five passes for 97 yards to TJ Speight.

"Derek had a phenomenal game," Callahan said. "He was under a lot of duress and had some key drops or he would have had another 100 yards, so I thought he played really well and put our offense in some good situations."

After throwing for nearly 3,000 yards at Maine last season, Robertson certainly looks capable of handling the workload in what continues to look like a high-flying passing attack.

3. Hawks showed poise and resilience

Trialing 42-14 in the fourth quarter, Monmouth drove 75 yards in four plays, scoring on a TD pass to tight end Jack Neri. Then they did it again, with Robertson finding Max James on a TD pass with 3:41 to play.

And the defense, even as the score got lopsided, continued to play hard, allowing the team to pull closer late.

The poise and competitiveness the team showed might be the most important takeaway for the Hawks, who could find themselves in some tough spots this season. But the ability to battle through adversity and continue fighting will be a big part of whatever foundation the Hawks are able to put down over the next four months.

4. Where was Sone Ntoh?

Graduate running back Sone Ntoh, Monmouth’s most experienced back, who had 14 TDs and 7.3 yard average last season, was not a factor, carrying the ball five times for 14 yards, scoring once on a two-yard run.

Granted, Monmouth had to throw the ball trying to get back in the game in the second half, and ran the ball just 21 times in all. But even when the game was hanging in the balance Ntoh was part of a backfield rotation with Makhi Green and Rodney Nelson.

Given the power and breakaway speed Ntoh flashed last season, it would be nice to see what he can do has a feature back, wearing opposing defenses down with his 230-pound frame. Monmouth finished with just 49 yards on the ground.

5. It doesn’t get any easier

The showdown also highlighted just how tough Monmouth’s early-season schedule is.

Next up is defending Patriot League champion and preseason favorite Lafayette, which beat Monmouth last season, in next Saturday’s home opener. Then the Hawks get on a plane for a Sept. 21 date with FIU, an FBS program from Conference USA, in Miami. And that’s before they get into CAA play, with the week-in, week-out battles taking their toll on the Hawks in their first two seasons in the league.

Pregame

Monmouth football vs. Eastern Washington: Scouting report, prediction for season opener

When Monmouth steps onto the distinctive red turf at Roos Field in Cheney, Washington for Thursday night’s season opener against Eastern Washington, it will the farthest the Hawks have ever traveled for a football game, outdistancing a 2019 loss at Montana.

The air miles aside, what the cross-country journey presents is a stringent early test for a young Monmouth team undergoing a depth chart overhaul.

Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET, with the game streaming on ESPN+. The audio broadcast of the game will be available at MonmouthHawks.com .

It would be Monmouth’s first win against a Big Sky opponent in three tries, having previously lost to Montana and Montana State.

“They’re a team that has a playoff pedigree - a veteran coaching staff,” Monmouth head coach Kevin Callahan said. “They were 4-7 last year just like we were but they lost three games lost by a total of 10 point, including a double-overtime loss to an FBS opponent.

“Their offense is what really stands out to me. They were top 21 in three offensive categories, 15 ^th in scoring, 18 ^th in passing and 21 ^st total offense, and they ran the ball for over 150 yards-a-game. They are going to test you in a lot of areas. They are going to spread you out, They have some veteran players returning.”

Monmouth flew out to the game Tuesday, hoping the extra day will help the team adjust to the time difference.

More: Monmouth football player making a difference off field: 'You root for him to be successful'

Here’s our scouting report on the Monmouth-Eastern Washington 2024 season opener:

When Eastern Washington has the ball

Monmouth was middle-of-the-pack in the CAA in virtually every major defensive category last season. The ability to move up into that top group under first-year coordinator Lewis Walker holds the key to the Hawks’ success this season. And the first major test for the young unit, with a host of new starters, is a daunting one against an Eagles’ offense that returns nine starters, and ranked fourth in scoring in the Big Sky last season at 32.3 points-per-game, and total yards (417.6), and was third in passing offense at 263.4 yards on average.

Monmouth’s young secondary, expected to have three sophomores on the field most of the night in CBs Emmanuel Lane and Israel Clark-White , and safety Deuce Lee , must contain All-American WR Efton Chism , who has 2,541 career receiving yards and 24 TDs. WR Nolan Ulm is another with big-play ability, while RB Tuna Altahir , who ran for 574 yards and 6 TDs, will lead the ground game. Running the show will be QB Kekoa Visperas , a returning starter and Preseason All- Big Sky honorable mention selection, throwing for 2,754 yards and 19 TDs, to go with 10 interceptions last season.

Monmouth’s most experienced area on defense is up front, so disrupting offenses has to start in the trenches. Graduate DE Tyler Alston , a transfer from Bucknell, has 9.5 career sacks. The next seven on the front four’s two-deep depth chart had 3.5 sacks total last season. DE Miles Mitchell was named to the Senior Bowl watch list. Graduate LB Ryan Moran has been a steady force for several seasons, but the Hawks need a cadre of young linebackers to step up and make plays, including Sam Korpoi and Damir McCrary.

When Monmouth has the ball

There’s no time to bemoan the departure of RB Jaden Shirden and WR Dymere Miller, both first team All-Americans last season. The Hawks’ offense has to be able to score points, and they might have to score a lot if they’re going to keep pace in this one.  While the Eagles ranked 116th nationally in total defense last season, they return nine starters. Unlike Monmouth, with just two returnees on offense.

Graduate transfer QB Derek Robertson threw for nearly 3,000 yards at Maine last season. He needs a group of less experienced WRs to make plays, including Josh Derry , Gavin Nelson and TJ Speight , while transfer receiver Max Jam es adds some experience to the lineup. Graduate RB Sone Ntoh takes over in the backfield, and establishing a ground game behind a revamped offensive line will be critical on the road.

Much like Monmouth, Eastern Washington’s ability to move up in the Big Sky standings will depend on its defense improving. S Kentrell Williams Jr. was fifth on the team in tackles last season, while DT Matthew Brown had three sacks and six tackles-for-losses, while DE Brock Harrison had three sacks.  Teams were able to run the ball against the Eagles last season.

Special teams

Monmouth’s specialists will be unchanged this season, with K Michael Calton Jr. handling the field goals, Vincenzo Rea kicking off and Justin Nyers snapping. Returners TJ Speight and Makhi Green on kickoffs, and Green on punts, would give the Hawks a huge boost away if they could break a long return on the road.

Eastern Washington’s Michael Wortham is a backup QB and dangerous returner, who took a kickoff back 86 yards last season.

Prediction

Eastern Washington 42, Monmouth 28

From earlier this week

Monmouth football 2024 preview: Hawks face most important season ever - again

WEST LONG BRANCH - You’ve heard it all before. How this is the most important season for Monmouth football since they put bleachers up along Larchwood Avenue in 1993.

That’s because every year seems to find the Hawks in a position of having to prove themselves again. Whether it’s transitioning into a new league, like the Big South, and now the Coastal Athletic Association, or trying to gain a foothold among the top teams in FCS, there’s always another mountain to climb in the program’s evolution.

This season is no different.

Going 4-7 a year ago was a big missed opportunity for a team with two of the FCS’s most dynamic offensive weapons in running back Jaden Shirden and receiver Dymere Miller. And now, with college football’s shifting landscape in the transfer portal/NIL era as the backdrop, the Hawks try to move up in the CAA standings in their third season in the ultra-competitive league.

“I think (summer practice) was a good period of growth for our younger players, and our veteran players really demonstrated that they not only have the ability to lead but to be guys we can count on,” Monmouth head coach Kevin Callahan said.

A quick look at the depth chart for Thursday night’s season opener against Eastern Washington (9 p.m., ESPN+) at Roos Field in Cheney, Washington, shows just how different things are.

Ryan Moran, the graduate linebacker from Ocean Township, is the only expected starter who started in a 41-0 loss at Albany to close last season. On offense, the only two are right tackle J.T. Cornelius, the ex-Southern Regional star, and tight end Jack Neri. That’s it.

With 19 new starters, it might take a while before we know the true potential of this team. Except the first month of the season is a gauntlet. In addition to flying cross country to face a Big Sky program, Monmouth plays defending Patriot League champion Lafayette, which beat Monmouth a year ago and is a heavy favorite to repeat as league champion, and has a trip to Miami to face FIU, an FBS foe out of Conference USA.

Buckle up. It could be a wild ride, but we’re going to learn a lot about this group before the calendar turns to October.

Here are five questions Monmouth football must answer as the 2024 season gets underway:

1. Can the offense roll on?

Monmouth offensive coordinator Jeff Gallo and his staff have done a great job keeping that side of the ball humming. The Hawks have finished top 12 nationally in total offense in four of the past five seasons, ranking 12th last season and ninth in 2022.

But keeping it going this season will be no easy task. The Hawks lost 58 percent of their offense in Shirden (1,478 rushing yards) and Miller (1,293 receiving yards). That’s a gapping hole in the stat sheet.

While Monmouth will use a few running backs, graduate student Sone Ntoh has the experience, while flashing his short yard prowess and big-play ability last season, scoring 14 TDs. He’s been waiting a long time to be a feature back in college and needs to be a workhorse this season.

They’ll line up behind a completely revamped offensive line, and a new quarterback in Derek Robertson, who threw for 2,933 yards at Maine last season, with 25 TDs and 11 interceptions. Robertson will be throwing to a group of largely unproven receivers, and their ability to make plays downfield could hold the key to the team’s ability to move the ball.

2. Will the defense be better?

Another consistent theme in recent years has been the need for Monmouth’s defense to take a big step forward. Excluding the four-game COVID-impacted spring season in 2021, only once over the past decade have the Hawks been ranked in the top 50 in total defense nationally.

Now they’re going to run a more aggressive scheme under new coordinator Lewis Walker, who needs his young talent to step up. There could be up to five sophomores on the field at any one time, including cornerbacks Israel Clark-White and Emmanuel Lane, and safety Deuce Lee. The addition of Temple transfer Alex Odom at safety brings some much-needed experience to the secondary.

It's much the same at linebacker, with juniors Sam Korpoi, and Damir McCrary, and sophomore Ryan Alexander joining Moran and senior Remi Johnson in the rotation.

“I think you are going to see a defense that’s a lot more aggressive,” Callahan said. “Lewis is a young guy, he’s got a high level of energy. And that energy really transcends to our players. Every single day on the field he is bringing it out there, and the players rally around that. Schematically, it is going to be different than what we have done in the past, maybe somewhat more aggressive, maybe a lot more multiple as well.”

3. Are the Hawks deeper?

Everyone knew it was going to be a grind in the CAA. But until you experience it, you really have no idea.

Case in point. Monmouth has closed each of its first two seasons in the league by going 1-4 over its last five games. They’re 7-5 before Oct. 15, and 2-8 after that date.

The Hawks need more depth throughout the lineup, having struggled as players wear down and injuries mount. The depth CAA teams possess has proven to be one of the biggest differences from the Big South.

4. Are special teams ready to shine?

There’s the potential for Monmouth to have to work through some early season issues in different areas. Special teams can’t be one of them.

Kickers Michael Calton and Vincenzo Rea, along with long-snapper Justin Nyers, all from Manalapan, have all played key roles over the past few seasons, so field goals, extra points and kickoffs should be a strength of this team. And punter Luke Schabel ranked 10 ^th in the CAA last year at 40.8 yards.

If junior back Makhi Green can emerge as a consistent threat returning punts and kickoffs, special teams can have a big impact in the coming months.

5. Is there a solid foundation for the future?

Monmouth’s had a losing record in back-to-back seasons, the first time that has happened since 2015-16. If the Hawks can start fast in games and play well in some early on, perhaps even pull off an unexpected win, it would be a huge confidence boost for a young roster.

The Hawks had plenty of experience the past two seasons and it didn’t work out. So now it’s time to see if the youngsters can do a better job. Not just this season, but hopefully in the years to come as they build the program.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth football falls to Eastern Washington: 5 takeaways from season opener