CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern is back at home this week as the Buccaneers host Monmouth at Buccaneer Field on Saturday night. The Bucs will also be hosting Goose Creek Appreciation Day, as well as their annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game as CSU kicks off against the Hawks at 6:05 p.m. on ESPN+.

Charleston Southern vs. Monmouth
Date/Time: Saturday, October 26 at 6:05 p.m. ET

Tickets: General Admission
Location: North Charleston, S.C. | Weather | Radar
Stadium: Buccaneer Field (4,000 Capacity)
Gates: Open at 4:30 p.m.
Parking: Lots open at 2 p.m. - $5 cash parking
TV: Big South Network on ESPN+
Live Stats: CSUSports.com
History: Sixth Meeting (Monmouth Leads 2-1, Monmouth won last two games)
More Information: Follow us on Twitter @CSUSports and @CSUGameDay for up-to-date information on Game Day

Charleston Southern (2-5, 0-1 Big South): Head Coach Autry Denson | Roster | Schedule | Statistics | Game Notes
Monmouth (5-2, 2-0 Big South): Head Coach Kevin Callahan | Roster | Schedule | Statistics | Game Notes

GAME DAY INFORMATION PAGE

Game Day Activities
Buc Walk: Charleston Southern continues the pregame Buc Walk this season. The team, joined by members of the band and cheer team, will walk the length of Academic Drive starting at Jones Hall and ending at the Stadium. Fans are encouraged to meet and greet the team as they prepare for kickoff starting at 3:30 p.m.

Game Day Giveaway: The Charleston Southern Athletic Department will be giving away Buccaneer Foam Swords to the first 500 fans through the gates at Saturday's game.

Food Trucks: The Charleston Southern Athletic Department welcomes several food trucks to Buccaneer Field this season as an additional source of food, while helping enhance the game day atmosphere at CSU. This weekend's game will feature: Roly Polly, Jamison Carts, Donut Connection, and Miracles Tasty Express.

Goose Creek Appreciation: Goose Creek residents will be able to purchase a $5 general admission ticket to Saturday's game, while kids wearing their Goose Creek recreation uniforms will be admitted free of charge. Mayor Greg Habib will be recognized and participate in pregame festivities, including the coin toss, while members of the Goose Creek youth leagues, first responders, and others will also be recognized throughout the game.

Breast Cancer Awareness Game: October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and Charleston Southern Football will be holding their annual "Fight Like A Buc" Pink Game on Saturday night. The cheerleaders will be throwing out pink t-shirts emblazoned with "Fight Like A Buc" throughout the game, with the shirts sponsored by Jimmy Dunn with State Farm in Goose Creek.

Postgame Movie: Charleston Southern Athletics will be showing the movie, The Incredibles, on the video board following the game against Monmouth on Saturday night. 

Charleston Southern Women's Soccer: The Buccaneers' women's soccer team continues Big South play on Saturday morning with a Senior Day kickoff against Radford at 11 a.m.

Charleston Southern Volleyball: The Buccaneers' volleyball team continues Big South play on Saturday afternoon with a 3 p.m. match against Winthrop in the Buc Dome.

Game Preview

Back to Big South Play
Although Saturday's game against North Alabama did not count against the current Big South standings, the annual matchup between the Bucs and the Lions will be one to watch moving forward once UNA joins the conference in 2022. CSU is back in conference play this weekend and will close out Big South competition with five consecutive games starting on Saturday against Monmouth.

Home Again, Home Again
Charleston Southern put its grueling road schedule in the past over the weekend as CSU wrapped up a stretch of five road contests over its first eight weeks. Included in the road schedule was matchups against nationally-ranked Furman, The Citadel, Kennesaw State, and South Carolina, as well as CSU's longest road trip of the 2019 season in North Alabama. Three of CSU's final five games are at home as the Bucs continue Big South play hosting Monmouth (Oct. 26), Hampton (Nov. 9), and Campbell (Nov. 23).

Unranked Opponents
Although Monmouth is not ranked in the top-25 in FCS, the Hawks have established themselves as one of the nation's top threats. The West Long Branch, N.J. institution is receiving votes in both of the major FCS polls and with a strong finish could make it into the top-25 by the end of the season. The Bucs have only faced off against one non-ranked FCS opponent this season in North Alabama, with CSU topping the Lions, 25-20.

Bucs Against the Big South
Charleston Southern is 22-29 all-time in Big South Conference play dating back to the inception of the league in 2002. The Bucs have posted a program-high six wins over Gardner-Webb dating back to their first matchup, while CSU is undefeated against both Campbell (2-0) and Hampton (1-0). CSU has posted all-time losing marks against Kennesaw State (1-3), Monmouth (1-2), Presbyterian (11-14), and Gardner-Webb (6-10). The Bucs are also 1-0 against North Alabama as the Lions will be joining the Big South as full members in 2022.

100-yard Rushers
Charleston Southern had another running back hit the century mark for the first time in their collegiate career this past weekend as junior Jamari Dunbar eclipsed the statistic this past weekend against North Alabama. Dunbar toted the ball a career-high 28 times for 128 yards and added a pair of 20-plus yard carries in leading the Bucs to a season-high 271 rushing yards against North Alabama. Dunbar entered this past Saturday with seven carries on the season and provides another dynamic back to the strong running back corps that features Markus Melvin, Ronnie Harris, and Terrence Wilson. Harris was the Bucs' first 100-yard running back earlier this season when he picked up 120 yards on 18 carries against Savannah State.

Taking Possession
One of Charleston Southern's key successes this past weekend was keeping the North Alabama high-powered passing game off the field. The Buccaneers held onto the ball for a season-high 37:01 courtesy of their season-high 271 rushing yards. CSU was also 8-of-17 in third-down conversions – the second-consecutive week the Bucs have posted at least a 50-percent conversion rate on the vital down. The offensive line took the lead in the time of possession battle with CSU averaging 4.67 yards per rush on the ground in the Bucs' first 200-yard rushing game of the season. CSU added 25 total first downs, picking up 16 on the ground in the win. The Bucs are 57th in FCS in time of possession on the year with CSU averaging holding onto the ball for 30:04 per game.

Passing Game Flourishing
After struggling to find the passing game last season, the Bucs are back with a vengeance this year as CSU posted its seventh consecutive 150-yard passing performance of the season this past Saturday against North Alabaman. CSU is currently ranked fourth in the Big South in passing yards per game at 215.3 and is second in the conference with 143 completions through the first seven games. The Bucs also lead the Big South with 254 passing attempts on the season after finishing next to last in the conference with 175 attempts in 2018. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Chambers is currently fourth in the Big South with 1,239 passing yards and fifth with seven touchdown passes. He's connected with a variety of different receivers throughout the season on his way to averaging 177.0 yards per game through the air.

17 – Count Them
When Travay Hatten hauled in the 13-yard first-down reception on CSU's second drive of the game against North Alabama, the senior tight end became the 17th different Buccaneer to haul in a pass on the season. The number far eclipses the 13 different receivers that hauled in receptions in the 2018 season, while three different Buccaneers have matched Kenny Dinkins' 17 receptions that led the Bucs last season. CSU has seen a number of contributors to the passing game with quarterbacks Jack Chambers, Ross Malmgren, and Christian Reid all seeing time back in the signal-calling spot. Kameron Brown (32), Isaac Ross (18), and Jaquan Williams (17) are among CSU's receiving leaders this year, while Garris Schwarting joins Brown as the Bucs' 100-yard single game receivers on the season.

Kameron Brown Still Open
Even though he's spotted and game-planned against every time he steps on the field, Kameron Brown still finds ways to make his impact on the game. The 6-3 wide receiver leads the Buccaneers with 32 receptions and 431 yards, as well as a team-high four touchdowns. Brown boasts a pair of 100-yard receiving efforts this season against North Carolina A&T and The Citadel, and had four consecutive games with at least five catches. The five-catch streak snapped this past weekend against North Alabama as Brown was limited to two catches for 28 yards, but the redshirt senior added to the Bucs' dynamic with a 32-yard completion to Garris Schwarting on a double-reverse pass. He looks to be back on the field this weekend against a Monmouth pass defense allowing 254.7 yards per game.

Chambers Making Adjustments
Redshirt sophomore Jack Chambers has exhibited a stronger connection with the offense over the last few weeks as he has taken firm reins over the Buccaneers' offense. The Lilburn, Ga. native has hit at least 100 passing yards in six of the seven games this season and added 126 yards and a touchdown on 14 completions against North Alabama. Chambers' rushing game has also been reliable as the quarterback has shown off his athleticism at times on the ground. He's posted 94 rushing yards already this season against The Citadel and is currently second on the team with 231 rushing yards, while leading the Bucs with three touchdowns. Chambers is fourth in the Big South in total offensive yards on the season at 210.3 per game.

McIntire Puts on a Show
Justin McIntire continues to climb among the CSU tackling leaders this season as the junior linebacker had another highlight performance this past week against North Alabama. McIntire tied for the Bucs' team lead with eight tackles, added two tackles for loss, and CSU's lone sack of the day as he powered his way through the UNA offensive line for the key third-quarter takedown. His eight tackle performance tied his season-best going back to Furman, while his two tackles swung his season total to 3.0. He has posted at least two solo tackles in six of the seven games this season, including a season-high five against South Carolina. One of the Bucs top linebackers this season, McIntire helps lead a talented group that includes J.D. Sosebee, Kyle Syvarth, and Garrett Sayegh on the year.

Sosebee Continues to Climb
All J.D. Sosebee continues to do is hit the ball-carrier. The redshirt senior linebacker has posted at least six tackles in each of the last six games, and has recorded tackles for loss in each of the last five to sit among CSU's leaders in the categories on the season. His 50 tackles lead the Bucs in 2019, while his 6.0 tackles for loss sit just behind the defensive end duo of Nick Salley and Anton Williams. He even added his first collegiate interception this past Saturday with a diving grab that ended a North Alabama drive on the CSU side of the field in the fourth quarter. Sosebee sits seventh in the Big South in tackles per game (7.1) and is just outside the top-10 in tackles for loss per game. His 240 career tackles put him just three behind Aaron Brown (243, 2012-15) from entering the CSU all-time top-10 in the category.

Salley/Williams – the Dynamic Duo
Charleston Southern will be setting its sights back on the quarterback this weekend as CSU welcomes in the Big South's top passing offense of the 2019 season in Monmouth. The Bucs boast one of the top pass rush duos of Nick Salley and Anton Williams as the defensive line duo have a combined 16.5 tackles for loss on the season. Only Kennesaw State (Kareem Taylor - 8.5, Joel Parker – 7.5, and Desmond Johnson – 7.5) can match the CSU's duo's output this season with Salley leading the Big South with 9.5 tackles for loss on the year. The Bucs are fourth in the Big South in averaging 6.1 tackles for loss per game on the season and face a tough offensive line unit that sits eighth in FCS in allowing just 4.29 tackles per loss per game. Opponents have picked up at least 2.0 tackles for loss per game against the Hawks this season and have recorded at least one sack per game against the Hawks.

Smalls Closes It Out
Both of Charleston Southern's wins in the 2019 season have one element in common – a game-clinching interception by CSU redshirt senior safety Darin Smalls. The Summerville, S.C. native made his season debut against North Carolina A&T and immediately made an impact with six tackles against the Aggies. Since then, he's averaged at least five tackles per game over the ensuing four games and has come up with a pair of clinching interceptions. The first came in CSU's 24-19 come-from-behind win over Savannah State back on October 5 as Smalls capped a seven-tackle game with an interception on a pattern up the seam against the Tigers. Two weeks later, it was a similar scenario as Smalls once again came up with the interception against a similar pass pattern as the redshirt senior soared up to nab the ball at the CSU 30 and secured the Bucs' win.

Stanley and the Interception Gang
Jarrod Stanley started the Bucs' interception fun this past weekend against North Alabama as the redshirt junior cornerback picked off his first pass of the season to set up a CSU field goal. The interception sparked a three-interception game for the Buccaneers' defense as J.D. Sosebee and Darin Smalls both recorded picks for CSU in the win over the Lions. The trio of interceptions marked just the third, fourth, and fifth interceptions for the Buccaneers' defense this season and first since Smalls picked off the pass against Savannah State in the CSU win. The first interception of 2019 came back against South Carolina when Tavian Montgomery picked off a pass. Monmouth quarterback Kenji Bahar has been one of the Big South's best when it has come to ball control this season with the senior throwing just five interceptions on the year.

You Shall Not Pass
As the famous J.R.R. Tolkien character Gandalf mentioned in the first book of his Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Charleston Southern defense has also let opposing offenses know that "You Shall Not Pass." The Buccaneers lost their top spot in the FCS pass defense rankings this past week against North Alabama, but sit just 0.9 yards behind Alabama State (146.2 ypg) from retaking the crown as CSU is currently allowing just 147.1 yards per game through the air. The Bucs faced off against the previous top passing offense in the Big South in North Alabama this past weekend and limited the Lions to a season-low 206 yards and three interceptions. Monmouth now boasts the top passing attack in the conference with 265.6 yards per game with quarterback Kenji Bahar leading the conference with 279.3 yards of total offense per game. It's another clash of one-vs.-one as the Bucs will look to limit the Bahar-headlined attack on Saturday at Buccaneer Field.

Usry Setting Records
Alex Usry set or tied several school records this past Saturday in the win over North Alabama. The redshirt sophomore placekicker connected on field goals from 24, 36, 26, and 52, and was a perfect 1-for-1 on PAT attempts to lead CSU's scoring efforts. Usry's school-record-setting 52-yarder into the wind to start the fourth quarter put the Bucs ahead 19-17.  His four field goals in the game also tied a CSU and Big-South single game record in the win. Usry now leads the Bucs all-time with two 50-plus yard field goal attempts and is second in the conference with 10 field goals on the season. His 52-yard field also tied seven other Big South athletes who have achieved the distance to sit 10th all-time for the longest field goal in conference history.

Reighard on Verge of History
Usry's holder and battery mate in the CSU kicking game, redshirt senior Kyle Reighard is also approaching his own record in the Big South annals. The Salem, Va. native is currently in a three-way tie for the most 50-yard punts in conference history with Gardner-Webb's Michael Hanna (29, 2005-08) and Presbyterian's Patrick Morgano (29, 2009-12). Reighard uncorked his 29th 50-yarder and 11th of the season this past weekend against North Alabama as his 54-yarder in the second quarter switched the field against the Lions. Reighard is currently second in the Big South in averaging 43.0 yards per punt over his 40 punts on the year. He also leads the Big South with a 72-yard punt against Savannah State sitting as the conference's best mark this season.