Monmouth football survives homecoming scare in 41-40 win over Towson

WEST LONG BRANCH — It was another Saturday that was far from immaculate for Monmouth football. But after a thrilling 60 minutes, the Hawks remain perfect in conference play in 2026.

The Hawks found themselves in a homecoming shootout against a feisty, but winless, Towson team that led at halftime and pushed them to the brink. It was familiar territory for a team that is comfortable being uncomfortable, and Monmouth (4-2) held on for the 41-40 win over the Tigers (0-6).

“Our guys fought until the end. We’ve had a knack for winning these kind of games,” Monmouth head coach Jeff Gallo said. “I’m proud of the effort and those guys coming together in the fourth quarter again, finding a way to win.”

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The Hawks remain atop the CAA standings with a 3-0 record in conference, one of four teams unbeaten in league play and the only one to do so through three games. Compared to recent road wins over Dartmouth and Albany, it wasn’t a performance marked by clear improvement. But it was another demonstration of the team’s resilient nature and innate ability to deliver in the crunch time.

It was the third straight win for Monmouth, all of which have been a result of clutch finishes in the fourth quarter. For all the faults in those performances, they are superseded by the common denominator of the Hawks being comfortable closing out games in high-leverage moments.

Against Towson, the turning point was a fourth quarter pick six by freshman defensive back Amori McNeil, who handled a pass that was tipped by Spencer Kishbaugh and returned it 71-yards to the house to break a 27-27 tie and give Monmouth the 34-27 lead.

“It was actually great. I give praise to God for putting me in this situation,” McNeil said. “I feel like ever since I stepped here on campus, the coaches always believed in me to put in the work and always push me. And when the pick had come my way, I was built for this moment and I got to make a play.”

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Several erroneous calls helped to keep the Tigers afloat, including a pass interference on fourth down that set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Xavier Pugh to tie it at 34-34. But the Hawks were steady under pressure with a powerful run game led by Kenny Smith and Elijah Jennings, which set up a deep shot to Gavin Nelson for the 41-yard touchdown that ultimately put the game out of reach.

“Whenever there’s a run play, our receivers coach always tells us to get a rep at outside, see how the corners play, see how the safeties play,” Nelson said. “So it sets up the pass. When you’re running the ball well, which we did, it gets the safeties to play down. We had our one-on-one, so we took our shot. Man, it worked out well for us.”

It was a banner day for the Baltimore native against his hometown school, as Nelson finished with 100 receiving yards on eight catches with two scores. His outstanding production was matched by the Hawks rushing attack, which amassed 198 yards while averaging 5.2 yards per carry. That is also a testament to the outstanding play of the Monmouth offensive line, which did not allow a sack.

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Towson kept things interesting until the final minute after a miraculous fourth down touchdown catch by Cleveland Charlton on a tipped ball in the end zone with 1:41 left, but an excessive celebration caused the point-after attempt to be a 36-yard kick, and it was wide right. Trailing 41-40 with three timeouts, the Tigers kicked deep and tried to get the defensive stop, but Elijah Jennings sealed the victory with a first down carry in the final minute.

“I love when you have to run it at the end, you can run it,” Gallo said. “We were able to run the ball when we had to win the game. We were able to throw to score, and run to win.”

The passing game was not as sharp as it had been in previous weeks, but quarterback Frankie Weaver made the plays that were needed when they were needed most. He finished the game 18-for-27 for 218 yards and three touchdowns with an interception. Tra Neal had another strong day with 86 yards on four catches, including a 38-yard grab that set up a swift score on the opening drive.

The unsung hero of the afternoon was redshirt sophomore kicker Sky Sholder, fresh off his game-winning field goal that bounced off the upright against Dartmouth, didn’t need any good fortune this time around. He drilled a 41-yarder in the first half and a 36-yarder in the second half, a key difference in contrast to Towson’s two missed field goals.

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And although it was an uneven showing defensively, the Hawks found just enough answers to get the win. There were back-breaking plays like a 4th-and-15 that was converted on a scramble by quarterback Andrew Indorf and led to Towson taking a 20-17 lead at halftime. The Tigers opened the game 6-for-9 on third down conversions, but finished 3-for-7. The Monmouth defense had three sacks, highlighted by Hunter Watson’s one with two tackles for loss.

“We were able to pick up on some tendencies early on and that frees us up when it comes to determining run, pass, things like that,” Watson said. “It’s also coaching. Just putting us in the best position to be making those plays, and I think Coach Cole does a very good job on allowing us to be put in those situations and instilling discipline in us when it comes to that.”

It’s also a credit to a Towson offense that has played better than their winless record. Indorf was the conference co-Offensive Rookie of the Year last year, and he was at his best against the Hawks along with his receivers. He finished with 279 yards and four touchdowns, two of which went to the 6-foot-5 Charlton. In addition to his miraculous catch in the final two minutes, he had an even better one-handed grab on the opening drive of the third quarter.

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“They had a hell of a quarterback. And a big emphasis this week was trying to contain him,” Watson said. “He’s more of scramble to throw type of guy, so just keeping that lane integrity, being disciplined in our lanes and just having that discipline of staying in our gaps.”

It was a desperate Towson team that was eager to knock off a CAA favorite for their first win of 2026, but ultimately the Hawks dug deeper and now remain in control of their own destiny as they pursue a conference title and a spot in the FCS playoffs. Monmouth enters the bye week at the midway point of the regular season, an opportunity to regroup as the team aims to get their first ever win against New Hampshire on Oct. 17.

“We want to get healthy, improve ourselves in the bye week and start looking at what they do on offense and defense and special teams,” Gallo said. “It’s a team that’s tough. You’ve got to go up there and play them on the road and they’re in their home and we haven’t beaten them. So it’s a great opportunity for us.”