Well, we are one-quarter of the way through the schedule. So far JMU has been most impressive in the CAA. However, of the 253 Division 1 (1-A & 1-AA) teams in college football, JMU's schedule is rated 243 according to the Sagarin ratings. Thus, their numbers are somewhat inflated.
Saturday, September 26
Rhode Island (0-1/0-3) at Maine (0-0/0-2)
The Rams opened up on the road for their first 2 games and lost both - to 3-0 Syracuse (0-47) and to 1-2 Albany (CAA game, 7-35) and last week at home to 1-0 Harvard (10-41). The Rams lost this game to Maine at home last year, 20-14.
The Black Bears opened their season with not one but two 1-A teams in B.C. and Tulane both on the road and both losses, 24-3 and 38-7.
Look for the Black Bears to get their 1st victory of the 2015 season at home this weekend, 24-14.
URI plays at Ivy rival Brown next and their only chance for at least one win in 2015 and Maine travels to Richmond.
Stony Brook (1-0/ 2-0) at William & Mary (0-0/1-1)
After a cancelled game at Toledo (weather), the Seawolves played two home games and won both. First was a 38-9 win over 1-2 Central Connecticut St. and next a CAA matchup with UNH and an upset victory for Stony Brook, 31-6. Chuck Priore's team is probably playing as the second best team in the CAA right now and so, this will be a must-see game and the best in the CAA this week.
The Tribe opened on the road at 0-3 Lafayette and won, 34-7. Next was a game at 1-A/ACC Virginia and gave the Cavs (1-2) a big scare before losing, 35-29. Last year W&M won in overtime at Stony Brook, 27-21.
This should be a coin-flip game with the home team (Tribe) getting a 24-21 win down in Williamsburg.
W&M plays at Delaware next and SB travels to JMU next.
Towson (0-0/2-1) at Elon (0-0/1-2)
The Tigers opened up with a 1-A 2014 Bowl team in East Carolina (1-2) and played well before losing, 28-20. Well, we found out that East Carolina isn't as strong this year and probably won't get a Bowl game. Next up for the Tigers was 1-2 St. Francis and a win, 35-20. Last week the Tigers took a step backwards and almost lost to 1-1 Holy Cross but pulled out a 29-26 win at home. The Tigers won this game against Elon in 2014, 21-19.
The Phoenix opened at 1-A/ACC Wake Forest and lost, 41-3. Week Two was another road game but this time an overtime win over Big South Gardner-Webb (1-2), 21-13. Last week the Phoenix played their 1st home game but lost to the top-ranked MEAC team in 2-1 North Carolina A&T, 14-7.
Crystal Ball says this is going to be a very close game and is going with a 21-17 Towson win. But don't bet the ranch on this one. Elon comes north to UNH next and Towson hosts JMU after a bye week.
Duquesne (2-1) at Albany (1-1/1-2)
The Dukes opened with a Division 2 team in Kentucky Christian and blew them out, 47-7. Next was a quality road victory at 2-1 Bucknell, 26-7 and last week a loss at Dayton (2-0), 24-13. The Dukes were picked for 2nd in the Northeast Conference.
The CAA Great Danes opened at 1-A/MAC Buffalo and lost, 51-14. Next was a CAA victory over Rhode Island at home, 35-7. Last week Albany played well but lost at JMU, 42-28.
The Great Danes should have no problem with the Dukes and win, 35-17. Albany plays at Patriot Holy Cross next week.
Delaware (0-1/1-2) at North Carolina (2-1)
The Blue Hens opened at home and lost to the best Pioneer team in Jacksonville (2-0), 20-14. In Week Two they defeated Patriot Lafayette (0-3), 19-9, also at home. Last week they gave Villanova all they could handle and should have won before losing in the last two minutes, 28-21.
The 1-A/ACC Tar Heels lost at home to 1-2 South Carolina, 17-13. Next came two home victories, 2-1 1-AA Noth Carolina A&T, 53-14 and Big Ten 2-1 Illinois, 48-14. First four games all at home and two of them against 1-AA teams, is the coach on the hot seat? Get a real schedule, UNC!
Carolina still has egg on its face from their Bowl loss to Rutgers last year, 40-21. Wish the Hens could lay more eggs on that face but UNC wins, 38-13. Hens host William & Mary next.
JMU (1-0/3-0) at SMU (1-2)
The Dukes opened at home for 3 straight games and won all: against 1-2 Morehead St., 56-7; against 2-1 Lehigh, 55-17 and against CAA Albany, 42-28.
SMU was 1-11 in 2014 with their only win coming in the last game against 2-10 UConn, 27-20. The 1-A/AAC Mustangs opened at #4 Baylor and lost, 56-21. Next was a win over 0-2 1-A North Texas, 31-13. Last week was a 56-37 loss to #3 and 3-0 TCU.
This is going to be a dog fight of a game. Sagarin has SMU rated at 107 and JMU at 109 (out of 253 teams). Let's give the home team and 1-A team a 3 point win, 38-35. JMU hosts Stony Brook next.
Central Connecticut St. (1-2) at New Hampshire (0-1/1-2)
The Northeast Conference Blue Devils opened at 2-1 Lehigh and lost, 20-14. Next was a CAA foe on the road at Stony Brook and another loss, 38-9. Finally, a win over Division 2 Bowie St., 21-14.
UNH opened at 1-A Mountain West San Jose St. and lost big, 43-13. Next was 0-3 Colgate and a 26-8 win. Last week UNH opened their CAA season with a 31-6 trouncing by Stony Brook on the road.
UNH Wildcats get back on winning ways with a 31-14 triumph over the Blue Devils. UNH hosts Elon next weekend.
Thursday, September 24
Penn (0-1) at Villanova (2-1)
The Quakers opened their season at 2-1 Lehigh and lost 42-21. They also opened their season with a new coach for the first time in 23 years in Ray Fiore replacing Al Bagnoli who is now at Ivy Columbia. Penn lost at home to Villanova last year, 41-7. The Quakers just don't have the athletes to compete with the CAA Cats and will terminate the series after Thursday's game.
The Cats opened with a 20-15 loss to 2-1 1-A/AAC UConn and then beat Top 20 Fordham on the road, 14-7. Last week saw their field general taken out by a cheap shot assasin in a Delaware defender and Villanova fans are holding their breath and saying their rosaries that do-it-all QB John Robertson can come back. However, there is excitement on the fans part to see how redshirt back-up QB Zach Bednarczyk will perform for the whole 60 minutes after leading the Cats to a come-from-behind victory over the Hens. The defense will have to come to play as points may be tough to get in a shortened week of preparation, a depleated O line (two more out with injury) and the 2nd string QB.
Cats to win, 28-7. After a bye week on October 3rd, the Cats host William & Mary.
Last week was a perfect 8-0 pick week and now 25-2 for the season.
GO CATS - BEAT THE QUAKERS!!!
Saturday, September 26
Rhode Island (0-1/0-3) at Maine (0-0/0-2)
The Rams opened up on the road for their first 2 games and lost both - to 3-0 Syracuse (0-47) and to 1-2 Albany (CAA game, 7-35) and last week at home to 1-0 Harvard (10-41). The Rams lost this game to Maine at home last year, 20-14.
The Black Bears opened their season with not one but two 1-A teams in B.C. and Tulane both on the road and both losses, 24-3 and 38-7.
Look for the Black Bears to get their 1st victory of the 2015 season at home this weekend, 24-14.
URI plays at Ivy rival Brown next and their only chance for at least one win in 2015 and Maine travels to Richmond.
Stony Brook (1-0/ 2-0) at William & Mary (0-0/1-1)
After a cancelled game at Toledo (weather), the Seawolves played two home games and won both. First was a 38-9 win over 1-2 Central Connecticut St. and next a CAA matchup with UNH and an upset victory for Stony Brook, 31-6. Chuck Priore's team is probably playing as the second best team in the CAA right now and so, this will be a must-see game and the best in the CAA this week.
The Tribe opened on the road at 0-3 Lafayette and won, 34-7. Next was a game at 1-A/ACC Virginia and gave the Cavs (1-2) a big scare before losing, 35-29. Last year W&M won in overtime at Stony Brook, 27-21.
This should be a coin-flip game with the home team (Tribe) getting a 24-21 win down in Williamsburg.
W&M plays at Delaware next and SB travels to JMU next.
Towson (0-0/2-1) at Elon (0-0/1-2)
The Tigers opened up with a 1-A 2014 Bowl team in East Carolina (1-2) and played well before losing, 28-20. Well, we found out that East Carolina isn't as strong this year and probably won't get a Bowl game. Next up for the Tigers was 1-2 St. Francis and a win, 35-20. Last week the Tigers took a step backwards and almost lost to 1-1 Holy Cross but pulled out a 29-26 win at home. The Tigers won this game against Elon in 2014, 21-19.
The Phoenix opened at 1-A/ACC Wake Forest and lost, 41-3. Week Two was another road game but this time an overtime win over Big South Gardner-Webb (1-2), 21-13. Last week the Phoenix played their 1st home game but lost to the top-ranked MEAC team in 2-1 North Carolina A&T, 14-7.
Crystal Ball says this is going to be a very close game and is going with a 21-17 Towson win. But don't bet the ranch on this one. Elon comes north to UNH next and Towson hosts JMU after a bye week.
Duquesne (2-1) at Albany (1-1/1-2)
The Dukes opened with a Division 2 team in Kentucky Christian and blew them out, 47-7. Next was a quality road victory at 2-1 Bucknell, 26-7 and last week a loss at Dayton (2-0), 24-13. The Dukes were picked for 2nd in the Northeast Conference.
The CAA Great Danes opened at 1-A/MAC Buffalo and lost, 51-14. Next was a CAA victory over Rhode Island at home, 35-7. Last week Albany played well but lost at JMU, 42-28.
The Great Danes should have no problem with the Dukes and win, 35-17. Albany plays at Patriot Holy Cross next week.
Delaware (0-1/1-2) at North Carolina (2-1)
The Blue Hens opened at home and lost to the best Pioneer team in Jacksonville (2-0), 20-14. In Week Two they defeated Patriot Lafayette (0-3), 19-9, also at home. Last week they gave Villanova all they could handle and should have won before losing in the last two minutes, 28-21.
The 1-A/ACC Tar Heels lost at home to 1-2 South Carolina, 17-13. Next came two home victories, 2-1 1-AA Noth Carolina A&T, 53-14 and Big Ten 2-1 Illinois, 48-14. First four games all at home and two of them against 1-AA teams, is the coach on the hot seat? Get a real schedule, UNC!
Carolina still has egg on its face from their Bowl loss to Rutgers last year, 40-21. Wish the Hens could lay more eggs on that face but UNC wins, 38-13. Hens host William & Mary next.
JMU (1-0/3-0) at SMU (1-2)
The Dukes opened at home for 3 straight games and won all: against 1-2 Morehead St., 56-7; against 2-1 Lehigh, 55-17 and against CAA Albany, 42-28.
SMU was 1-11 in 2014 with their only win coming in the last game against 2-10 UConn, 27-20. The 1-A/AAC Mustangs opened at #4 Baylor and lost, 56-21. Next was a win over 0-2 1-A North Texas, 31-13. Last week was a 56-37 loss to #3 and 3-0 TCU.
This is going to be a dog fight of a game. Sagarin has SMU rated at 107 and JMU at 109 (out of 253 teams). Let's give the home team and 1-A team a 3 point win, 38-35. JMU hosts Stony Brook next.
Central Connecticut St. (1-2) at New Hampshire (0-1/1-2)
The Northeast Conference Blue Devils opened at 2-1 Lehigh and lost, 20-14. Next was a CAA foe on the road at Stony Brook and another loss, 38-9. Finally, a win over Division 2 Bowie St., 21-14.
UNH opened at 1-A Mountain West San Jose St. and lost big, 43-13. Next was 0-3 Colgate and a 26-8 win. Last week UNH opened their CAA season with a 31-6 trouncing by Stony Brook on the road.
UNH Wildcats get back on winning ways with a 31-14 triumph over the Blue Devils. UNH hosts Elon next weekend.
Thursday, September 24
Penn (0-1) at Villanova (2-1)
The Quakers opened their season at 2-1 Lehigh and lost 42-21. They also opened their season with a new coach for the first time in 23 years in Ray Fiore replacing Al Bagnoli who is now at Ivy Columbia. Penn lost at home to Villanova last year, 41-7. The Quakers just don't have the athletes to compete with the CAA Cats and will terminate the series after Thursday's game.
The Cats opened with a 20-15 loss to 2-1 1-A/AAC UConn and then beat Top 20 Fordham on the road, 14-7. Last week saw their field general taken out by a cheap shot assasin in a Delaware defender and Villanova fans are holding their breath and saying their rosaries that do-it-all QB John Robertson can come back. However, there is excitement on the fans part to see how redshirt back-up QB Zach Bednarczyk will perform for the whole 60 minutes after leading the Cats to a come-from-behind victory over the Hens. The defense will have to come to play as points may be tough to get in a shortened week of preparation, a depleated O line (two more out with injury) and the 2nd string QB.
Cats to win, 28-7. After a bye week on October 3rd, the Cats host William & Mary.
Last week was a perfect 8-0 pick week and now 25-2 for the season.
GO CATS - BEAT THE QUAKERS!!!
