Monmouth (4-3, 3-0 BIG SOUTH) at North Carolina A&T (3-4, 2-2 BIG SOUTH)          
Date: October 30, 2021 
Time: 1 p.m. EST
City/Venue:  Greensboro, N.C./Truist Stadium   
Series: First meeting        

Radio: Donal Ware (pxp); Al Swann (analyst); Billy Covington (analyst)

NORTH CAROLINA A&T AGGIES: The fact that Hampton defeated A&T at Armstrong Stadium was not a surprise. The Aggies have won there just twice in the last 21 years. The way Hampton beat the Aggies is what became shocking. Hampton outscored the Aggies 17-0 in the second half. It marked the second straight game the Aggies failed to score in the second half. The Aggies also turned the ball over three times. The Aggies did get a good performance from Jamison Warren (6-foot, 180, FR, Kernersville, N.C.), who had five receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown. It marked the first time since 2016 an Aggie freshman posted a 100-yard game. 

Injuries on the defensive side hamper the Aggies coming into the weekend. At one point in last week's game, the Aggies had to play two freshmen at the defensive end positions. The Aggies also lost starting middle linebacker Kyin Howard (6-0, 250, R-JR, Greensboro, N.C.) with an injury to his chest. In addition, the Aggies are still without cornerback and Division I transfer DJ Corssen (6-2, 190, SO, Greensboro, N.C.), who has been out since the first game of the season with a concussion. The Aggies are surrendering 276.4 yards per game. At this pace, the Aggies will give up more passing yards per game than they ever have in history.

Despite the nine points over the last two games and the numerous injuries on defense, the upside is the Aggies get to play in front of a sellout crowd Saturday as they welcome to Truist Stadium Big South Conference preseason favorite Monmouth. The Aggies will put their nine-game homecoming winning streak on the line against the Hawks. A&T has also won seven straight at home, with their last home loss on Oct. 13, 2018, against Florida A&M. 

A&T HEAD COACH SAM WASHINGTON: Sam Washington is a 1982 graduate of Mississippi Valley State. Washington is 22-9 (.710) as the Aggies head coach in his third season on the field and fourth overall. In his rookie season as a head coach, Washington was named the 2018 MEAC coach of the year after leading the Aggies to a MEAC title and a Celebration Bowl victory. In year two, the Aggies won the MEAC again under Washington and took home the Celebration Bowl. In addition, he has two HBCU national titles, and Washington is off to the best two-year start of any football coach in A&T history. He comes into Saturday's game 14-5 (.737) against conference opponents. 

MONMOUTH HAWKS: The preseason conference-favorite Hawks are coming off a bye week. Two weeks ago, they defeated the Campbell Camels, 34-17. Monmouth is 3-1 on the road this season. After returning 21 of their 22 starters from last season's Big South Championship team, the Hawks saw a whopping 15 players earn preseason All-Big South recognition. Headlining those recognized was graduate defensive back Anthony Budd (defensive player of the year) and redshirt junior running back Juwon Farri (offensive player of the year). 

Farri went on an absolute tear, rushing for 520 yards and 10 touchdowns in only four games. This season, Farri has rushed for 689 yards and eight touchdowns in seven games. Farri has broken the century rushing mark three times and is coming off a game against Campbell in which he rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown. Farri leads the league in rushing at 98.4 yards per game. The next closest rusher is averaging just 79.4 yards per contest. He is tied for second in points per game at 6.9. 

Having four preseason All-Big South offensive linemen does not hurt, either. 

Monmouth is tops in the Big South in scoring offense, averaging 30.4 points per game. The Hawks also boast the second-best rushing defense in the league, holding opponents to 114.9 rushing yards per game. The Hawks are last in passing yards allowed per game (276.4). But they know how to get after the quarterback. Monmouth has sacked opposing quarterbacks a league-high 21 times for a total loss of 132 yards. 

MONMOUTH HEAD COACH:  Kevin Callahan is the one and only head coach in Monmouth's 29-year history. In that time, he has amassed a 166-125 (.570) record. Those 166 wins put him sixth among FCS coaches, but he is one of just two FCS coaches to win 160-plus wins at one institution. Under Callahan's tutelage, the Hawks have won seven conference titles, including two-straight undefeated Big South championships, and have made three FCS playoff appearances as recent as this past fall. 

THE QUARTERBACKS:  A&T QB Jalen Fowler will look to cut down on the turnovers. Fowler has five turnovers in the past four weeks, including two interceptions and a fumble last week against Hampton. However, Fowler still leads the Big South in passing efficiency (140.1), passing yards per completion (14.00) and passing yards per attempt (8.20). Fowler is also third in the conference in total offense, averaging 243.2 yards per game. 

Sophomore quarterback Tony Muskett, the 2020-21 Big South offensive freshman of the year, sports a 14-4 (3.5) touchdown to interception ratio this season. Last game, he completed 17 of 31 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns. On the year, Muskett has thrown for 1,542 yards (220.3 per game) and is completing 63.4 percent of his passes. 

GAME NOTES: 

• The Aggies have not lost the Greatest Homecoming On Earth since 2010, a 27-14 loss to Morgan State on Oct. 9. The Aggies have won nine straight homecomings by an average of 33.2 points. 
• The Aggies come into the game against Monmouth below .500 seven games into the season for the first time since 2012 when they lost to Delaware State 24-0 at home. 
• A&T has not lost three in a row since losing to Norfolk State, Florida A&M and S.C. State in 2011. All three of those games were on the road. 
• The Aggies have also given up 378 yards rushing over the past two weeks. It is the most yards the Aggies have surrendered in a two-game span since N.C. Central and Richmond University combined to rush for 446 yards against N.C. A&T in back-to-back games in 2016.
• The Aggies have been ranked in the BoxToRow Black College FB poll 89 straight weeks. In 51 of those weeks, the Aggies ranked No. 1. This week the Aggies were ranked ninth in the poll. Another loss could end the streak, leaving A&T out of all polls for the first time since 2013. 
• Over the first five games, the Aggies averaged 28.2 points per game. Over the last two games, the Aggies have just nine points. 
• Last week, the Aggies road loss marked their fifth straight road loss dating back to the 2019 season.