BY JEREMY SCHILLING

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Monmouth University (0-1) at Liberty (0-1, 0-0 in the Big South)

Saturday, September 7, 2013

7pm ET – Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Virginia

TV: ESPN3, WatchESPN

Radio: 1160AM, 1310AM, Shoresportsnetwork.com

THE LAST WHISTLE: Monmouth is coming off 42-24 loss to #2 Montana State last Thursday which saw the Hawks give up a ton of points and yardage in the first half but successfully reign the high-powered offense in in the second. That second half also saw Brandon Hill settle in, find his groove at quarterback, and throw a couple touchdown passes. Head coach Kevin Callahan said that in addition to all the defensive issues many have focused on since last Thursday, Monmouth’s offense failed to start fast, which is something he says they must do this week.

Liberty lost to Kent State last weekend 17-10. They are led by quarterback Josh Woodrum who was a preseason all-conference selection.

The HISTORY: These two teams have never played before. They will meet frequently, however, in the future, as Monmouth will be joining the Big South conference in 2014.

THE MATCHUP: Keys for Monmouth:

Stop the big offensive plays. We said this was a key last week and it’s a key once again this week. The primary reason Monmouth got behind early against Montana State was plays like the 90-yard run they allowed right up the middle. Giving up yardage isn’t the worst thing in the world. It’s when it leads to big plays where the problems begin.

Continue the second half offensive momentum and start fast. Hill’s second half performance showed an enhanced confidence level in the offense, something that will need to be carried over if the Hawks look to get back to 1-1. And carried over into the first quarter at that.

Keys for Liberty:

Run up-tempo. Montana State’s no-huddle offense prevented Monmouth’s defense from making substitutions and left them in packages that did not fit the situation. So while there’s no-need to look like Chip Kelly, catching Monmouth without the proper personnel can be effective.

Stop Julian Hayes. Hayes, the Hawks starting running back, ran for 135 yards last Thursday and was the most consistent player on the field for Monmouth. Stopping him takes away the Hawks’ biggest weapon.

THE QUOTE: “I think a big part of that was that they came out fast. Now we know what it’s like for a team to come out fast on us…What I think we really need to do is to stay focused and stay calm. I know when we were out there some people may have gotten a little anxious and a little jumpy...”—Monmouth defensive back Tevrin Brandon on the Hawks’ first half defensive issues against Montana State. He had five tackles and four pass-breakups in his first game in two years.

THE STAT: Hayes’ breakout performance moved him to sixth on the Monmouth all-time career rushing yards list.