CAA News & Notes: A Dominant Start To Non-Conference Play

CAA News & Notes: A Dominant Start To Non-Conference Play

Straight from the CAA news desk, here's what's on tap for Week 2 of the 2019 college football season.

Sep 5, 2019 by FloFootball Staff
HIGHLIGHTS: Richmond Rocks Jacksonville

Two weeks ago, Villanova helped us unwrap some early college football gifts. One week ago was full-on Christmas morning. And this week, we're already heading into the CAA opener — under the lights no less.

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Straight from the CAA news desk, here's what's on tap for Week 2:

Rhode Island Hosts Delaware in CAA Opener Under The Lights

Conference play in CAA Football kicks off on Saturday night as Rhode Island hosts No. 21 Delaware. The game will be the first action at renovated Meade Stadium, which has added new lights and new artificial turf. The Rams edged the Blue Hens, 21-19, in last year’s season opener. 

Strong Start in Non-Conference Play

CAA Football teams are 7-1 against non-conference FCS foes this season. The league compiled a 22-9 (.710) record against non-conference FCS competition last year and went 26-6 (.813) in non-conference games against FCS opponents in 2017, which was the best winning percentage by any FCS conference.

CAA Looks to Extend Success Against FBS Foes

Maine, Richmond, Stony Brook and William & Mary face FBS opponents in Week 2 as the league looks to extend its streak of four straight years with a FBS win. CAA Football teams have posted multiple wins over FBS opponents in each of the past three seasons. In 2018, Villanova beat Temple, 19-17, and Maine beat Western Kentucky, 31-28. 

CAA Football has posted 38 wins over FBS foes in its history and has won at least one game against an FBS team in 11 of the past 13 years. Since 2013, seven different teams (UAlbany, JMU, Maine, New Hampshire, Richmond, Towson and Villanova) have recorded a FBS victory. 

Villanova's Amos Earns National Honor

Villanova cornerback Jaquan Amos was honored as the STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 2. The junior made seven tackles, recovered a fumble and returned an interception 27 yards for a TD as the Wildcats knocked off No. 13 Colgate, 34-14, on Aug. 24.

Five CAA Teams Ranked Nationally This Week

Five CAA Football teams are ranked in this week’s STATS FCS Top 25 poll and four are ranked in AFCA Coaches Poll. In the STATS poll, JMU is ranked No. 2, followed by No. 6 Maine, No. 8 Towson, No. 21 Delaware and No. 24 Villanova. The AFCA poll includes No. 2 JMU, No. 6 Maine, No. 9 Towson and No. 21 Delaware. 

The five ranked teams is tied for the most of any FCS conference. Eleven of the CAA’s 12 teams are either ranked or receiving votes in the Top 25 this week as Elon, Stony Brook, New Hampshire and Richmond got votes in both polls and Rhode Island and William & Mary received votes in the AFCA poll.

Lighting Up the Scoreboard

All seven CAA Football teams that posted victories in Week 0/1 scored at least 28 points, with six tallying 30 or more points.


UAlbany

  • Fell 38-21 at Central Michigan in last Thursday’s opener.
  • QB Jeff Undercuffler completed 15-of-28 passes for a career-high 199 yards and 2 TD’s at CMU. He has thrown for at least 165 yards in all four of his career starts.
  • WR Juwan Green made a team-high five receptions for 94 yards at CMU, including TD catches of 36 and 9 yards.
  • WR Dev Holmes had four receptions at CMU and has made at least four catches in nine of his 12 career games.
  • LB Eli Mencer forced a fumble and returned it 52 yards for a TD at CMU. It was the 8th forced fumble of his career. Mencer had 3 tackles and 2.0 TFL in the game.
  • Safety AJ Mistler recorded a team-high 11 tackles at CMU (9 solo).
  • UAlbany faces Bryant in its home opener on Saturday. The Great Danes play three of their next four contests at Casey Stadium.

Delaware

  • Beat in-state rival Delaware State, 31-13, in last Thursday’s home opener.
  • QB Pat Kehoe passed for 186 yards and 2 TD’s and also had a 21-yard TD run vs. DSU. Kehoe has thrown at least 2 TD passes in 8 of his 13 career starts.
  • WR Thyrick Pitts caught six passes for 81 yards and a TD vs. DSU. He entered the game with just two career receptions.
  • ODU transfer RB Will Knight rushed for a team-high 68 yards on four carries in his UD debut, including a 61-yard run.
  • The Blue Hens’ defense didn’t surrender a touchdown until 3:20 left in the game.
  • DB’s Kedrick Whitehead and Justis Henley made 7 tackles apiece and LB’s Drew Nickles and Johnny Buchanan had 6 stops. All four were making their first career starts.
  • Delaware Stadium is undergoing a two-phase, $60 million renovation, which includes new luxury seats and chairbacks to the west stands in 2019.

Elon

  • Lost 24-21 at #19 North Carolina A&T last Saturday on a 52-yard FG as time expired.
  • QB Davis Cheek passed for 202 yards and a TD at NC A&T. It was his first game action since suffering a knee injury last October.
  • Cheek has attempted 138 consecutive passes without throwing an interception.
  • WR Kortez Weeks made a team-high 4 catches for 41 yards and a TD at NC A&T. The TD catch was his first since 2017 and he now has 100 career receptions.
  • RB DeSean McNair rushed for 2 TD’s at NC A&T. It was the 4th time in his career that he’s reached the end zone twice in a game.
  • Elon’s three scoring drives at NC A&T were all at least 10 plays and covered at least 69 yards. The Phoenix had just 11 scoring drives of 10+ plays all last season.
  • LB Jarquez Bizzell recorded a team-best 9 tackles at NC A&T, which tied a career-high. He also had a tackle for loss.

James Madison

  • Edged 20-13 at West Virginia last Saturday. Outgained the Mountaineers, 328-294.
  • QB Ben DiNucci passed for 156 yards and ran for 36 at WVU.
  • RS freshman RB Solomon Vanhorse ran for a team-high 55 yards and a TD on 12 carries at WVU in his JMU debut.
  • Penn State transfer WR Brandon Polk caught four passes for a team-high 66 yards and also had 52 kick return yards at WVU.
  • LB Dimitri Holloway, who led JMU with 127 tackles in 2018, recorded a team-best 13 stops at WVU.
  • JMU’s defense held WVU to just 34 rushing yards on 24 attempts.
  • Ethan Ratke booted a pair of field goals at WVU and ranks third on JMU’s all-time list with 33 career FG’s.
  • JMU has won its last 16 home openers The Dukes are 22-1 at Bridgeforth Stadium over the past three seasons.

Maine

  • Scored TD’s on their first six possessions and cruised past Sacred Heart, 42-14, last Friday.
  • QB Chris Ferguson completed 23-of-29 passes for a career-high 423 yards and 3 TD’s vs. SHU. He hit his first 11 passes.
  • WR’s Jaquan Blair (7-140, 1 TD) and Devin Young (4-104, 1 TD) were the first Maine receivers to top the 100-yard mark in the same game since 2004.
  • Buffalo tranfer RB Emmanuel Reed ran for 62 yards and 2 TD’s on 10 carries vs. SHU.
  • Maine’s 582 yards of total offense vs. SHU was its most in a game since 2013.
  • The Black Bears held SHU to 207 total yards, including just 60 in the first half.
  • LB Jaron Grayer recorded a team-high seven tackles in the win over SHU.
  • Maine has defeated three FBS opponents in its history, including a 31-28 victory at Western Kentucky last year.

New Hampshire

  • Return nine starters on offense and seven on defense from a team that won three of its last four games in 2018.
  • RB Carlos Washington, Jr. rushed for more than 100 yards in three of UNH’s final four games, including 179 against Villanova.
  • WR Malik Love was limited to 2 games last year due to injury, but made 70 catches for 733 yards and 3 TD’s in 2017.
  • RS freshman Bret Edwards will make his first career start at quarterback at Holy Cross. He edged out true freshman Max Brosmer for the starting job.
  • Safety Pop Lacey was tied for the team lead in tackles last season with 79. He also had 2 interceptions and 5 pass breakups.
  • Evan Horn recorded a team-high four interceptions last season, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
  • UNH had its FCS-record streak of 14 straight playoff appearances snapped in 2018.

Rhode Island

  • Suffered a 41-20 setback at MAC East favorite Ohio last Saturday.
  • WR Aaron Parker caught 9 passes for 144 yards and a TD at Ohio. It was his 10th career 100-yard game. Parker ranks 5th in career receiving yards, 9th in receptions and 4th in TD catches at URI.
  • QB Vito Priore was 22-of-42 passing for 291 yards and 2 TD’s at Ohio. He’s thrown for 250+ yards in 3 of his last 5 games.
  • RB Zoe Bryant rushed for a team-best 89 yards on 17 carries at Ohio (5.2 avg).
  • Ahmere Dorsey made a career-high 4 catches for 59 yards at Ohio. He returned two kickoffs and one punt for TD’s last season.
  • DB Brian Campbell (8 tackles) and LB Andre Johnson (7 tackles) both set career-highs for stops at Ohio.
  • Saturday’s game will be the first under the new lights and on the new artificial turf at Meade Stadium.

Richmond

  • Scored 31 first-half points and rolled to a 38-19 win over Jacksonville last Thursday. It was UR’s 14th straight home-opening win.
  • QB Joe Mancuso was 14-of-19 passing for 131 yards and ran for a team-high 77 yards and 2 TD’s vs. JU.
  • Richmond rushed for 320 yards against JU, which was its most in a game since 2007.
  • Northwestern transfer WR Charlie Fessler caught 4 passes for 48 yards and averaged 18.7 yards on 3 punt returns in his debut.
  • DE Maurice Jackson, the CAA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, returned a fumble 56 yards for a TD vs. JU. He added five tackles and a sack in the win.
  • Freshman LB Tristan Wheeler made a team-high 12 tackles vs. JU in his first collegiate game.
  • Richmond’s last win over an ACC opponent came in 2016 when the Spiders knocked off Virginia, 37-20. UR has 16 current players who were part of that victory.

Stony Brook

  • Extended their home winning streak to 10 following a 35-10 victory over Bryant last Thursday.
  • QB Tyquell Fields threw for a career-high 194 yards and a TD and ran for 52 yards and a TD in his first collegiate start.
  • Senior Isaiah White ran for a team-best 54 yards and 2 TD’s in his first game at RB since his freshman year. The Seawolves finished with 247 yards on the ground.
  • DB Synceir Malone returned an interception 22 yards for a TD in the first quarter vs. Bryant. It was Stony Brook’s 7th defensive touchdown in the past 13 games.
  • The Seawolves held Bryant to 205 total yards, including just 38 on the ground.
  • DB Gavin Heslop recorded a team-high 3.0 TFL vs. Bryant, including a sack.
  • Stony Brook travels to Utah for the first time in program history this Saturday to take on Utah State.

Towson

  • Rallied for a 28-21 road victory at The Citadel last Saturday. Drove 75 yards in 6 plays and scored the winning TD with 1:27 to go.
  • QB Tom Flacco, the CAA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, threw for 328 yards and a TD at The Citadel. It was his 6th 300-yard effort in 13 career games at TU.
  • RB Shane Simpson contributed 151 all-purpose yards and 3 TD’s at The Citadel, including the game-winner on a 4-yard run with 1:27 remaining.
  • WR Shane Leatherbury made a team-best 5 catches for 78 yards at The Citadel and hit the 100-reception mark for his career.
  • Aidan O’Neill kicked 2 FG’s (40, 25) at The Citadel. His 55 career FG’s are four shy of the CAA all-time record.
  • DL Bryce Carter recorded a team-high 13 tackles and forced two fumbles.
  • LB Coby Tippett sealed the victory by intercepting a pass with 1:17 remaining. He also had five tackles in the game.

Villanova

  • Knocked off No. 13 Colgate, 34-14, to open the 2018 season.
  • Campbell transfer QB Dan Smith threw for 205 yards and 3 TD’s in his VU debut and also ran for 37 yards and a TD.
  • RB Justin Covington rushed for a career-high 134 yards on 19 carries at Colgate.
  • RB Jalen Jackson added 64 yards rushing and caught an 18-yard TD pass.
  • Villanova’s defense shutout Colgate until midway through the third quarter and allowed just 288 total yards.
  • CB Jaquan Amos recovered a fumble that set up VU’s first touchdown and then returned an interception 27 yards for a score that made it 14-0. He added six tackles.
  • LB Forrest Rhyne made a career-high eight tackles, including 2.0 TFL and a sack.
  • The VU/Colgate contest was the first Div. I college football game of the year and was VU’s earliest opener in school history.

William & Mary

  • Scored 24 third-quarter points and posted a 30-17 win over Lafayette last Saturday.
  • Hollis Mathis set a school record for rushing yards by a QB, running for 127 yards and a TD on 16 carries. Mathis was the first true freshman to ever start at QB for W&M.
  • RB Owen Wright contributed 64 yards and 2 TD’s on 14 carries vs. Lafayette.
  • W&M rushed for 255 yards against Lafayette, which was its most since 2016.
  • The Tribe forced four turnovers vs. LC, with three coming on three consecutive possessions in the third quarter.
  • W&M’s defense also tallied six sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss in the victory.
  • All-CAA DL Bill Murray blocked a FG vs. LC, which was his 7th career blocked kick.
  • W&M head coach Mike London spent six seasons as head coach at Virginia and eight members of the Tribe staff either played or coached for the Cavaliers.