West Long Branch, N.J. - UAlbany travels to Monmouth on Saturday, Nov. 12 with Northeast Conference championship implications on the line. Kickoff is 12:00 p.m. at Kessler Field. Fans can also listen to the game on Fox Sports 980, WOFX-AM, with Rodger Wyland and Zach Bye providing the coverage.
     Monmouth (5-4, NEC 4-2) has moved into a tie for third place in the conference standings. The Hawks, who own a 20-9 win over Villanova this season, went undefeated on the road for the third time in program history and first since the 2006 campaign after last Saturday's 48-45 win at Saint Francis, Pa. QB Craig Peterson helped his team produce its highest point total in four years. He threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns. Peterson made his first career start on Oct. 22 after Kyle Frazier was sidelined with an injury. SE Neal Sterling and FL Mitchell Pollard are his favorite targets. Sterling, who was recently named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List, has 44 receptions for 546 yards and four scores. Pollard has 42 catches for 490 yards and one TD. He is averaging 99.6 all-purpose yards and 18.8 on punt returns. RB Julian Hayes is one of the top freshmen in the conference. He has rushed for 654 yards and 13 touchdowns, the fourth-highest total in Monmouth annals.
     Jose Gumbs, a strong safety, was named to The Sports Network's preseason All-America squad after earning first-team All-NEC recognition last year. Gumbs has 64 tackles, seven pass break-ups, four forced fumbles and two interceptions this season. He made 11 tackles at Saint Francis and climbed to third on the career chart with 300. MLB Dan Sullivan (6-2, 225) has totaled 58 tackles with 11.5 hits for a loss and 2.5 sacks. Brad Harris (6-1, 270) and Ian Simon (6-3, 240) anchor the defensive front from their end positions. Simon is fifth among the conference sack leaders with six, plus has 25 tackles. Harris had made 24 stops, including a career-high seven against Duquesne.
    UAlbany (6-3, NEC 5-1) had its six-game win streak halted in last Saturday's 31-17 home loss to Bryant. The Great Danes fell back into a tie for first place in the conference standings. QB Dan Di Lella has passed for 1,854 yards, the fourth-best total in school history, and 18 touchdowns, the second-highest single-season mark. Andrew Smith, a junior tailback, is the top rusher with 786 yards and seven touchdowns, plus leads the team in all-purpose yards at 114.6 per game. WR Ryan Kirchner, who has six TD catches, is nearing the century mark in career receptions.
    Jon Morgan, a junior inside linebacker, made 12 tackles, his third game with double-figure hits this season, against Bryant. Morgan leads the team with 75 tackles in nine starting assignments. DE Eddie Delaney has 46 tackles and a team-leading 6.5 sacks. He is approaching the program's FCS single-season sacks record. FS Justinian Mason established a career-high with seven tackles with both starting safeties on the shelf with injuries one week ago.

Paw Prints: UAlbany and Monmouth are meeting for the 14th time ... the Great Danes posted a 28-19 win last year as ILB Jon Morgan scored on a fumble return late in the fourth quarter ... UAlbany is attempting to reach the seven-win plateau for the ninth time in 13 years as a NCAA Division I FCS program ... the Great Danes are currently tied for first place in the NEC standings with Duquesne ... TB Andrew Smith has accounted for 100 or more all-purpose yards in seven straight games ... Smith has moved to 10th among UAlbany's career rushing leaders with 1,889 yards ... OLB Kyle Jordan, a redshirt freshman, equaled a career-high with nine tackles last week.