WEST LONG BEACH, N.J. — Derek Robertson had a standout game by passing for 358 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Sone Ntoh also contributed significantly with three touchdowns as Monmouth triumphed over Villanova with a score of 40-33 on Saturday.

Monmouth, with an overall record of 5-6 and a league record of 3-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association, struck first as Robertson connected with Josh Derry for a 32-yard touchdown, although they missed the two-point conversion, putting the Hawks ahead 12-7.

Villanova, boasting a record of 8-3 and 5-2 in the conference, struggled on their next possession, going three-and-out. This allowed Robertson to extend the Hawks’ lead with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Max James, making it 19-7. Villanova responded with a scoring drive, bringing the score closer to 19-14 via a 25-yard touchdown run by David Avit.

In the third quarter, Monmouth regained momentum with two consecutive touchdowns, highlighted by Rodney Nelson’s 26-yard touchdown run, followed by Ntoh’s touchdown from 7 yards out, increasing their lead to 33-17.

The Wildcats then narrowed the gap to 33-25 after Connor Watkins scored on a 6-yard run with 14:50 left in the game. However, Monmouth secured further dominance when Ntoh found the end zone again, this time from one yard out, extending their lead to 40-25. Despite a late touchdown from Watkins to Devin Smith, Monmouth had already sealed their victory.

With just over six minutes remaining, Monmouth executed a methodical 11-play drive that spanned 73 yards, effectively draining Villanova’s timeouts before taking a knee to conclude the game.

Watkins finished the game with 235 passing yards, one touchdown, and also contributed with 24 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Monmouth continues to maintain its unbeaten streak of 3-0 in their program’s history against Villanova.