Saturday, October 25
#16 Richmond (2-1/5-2) at Elon (0-3/1-6)
The Spiders went 3-1 in their out-of-conference games losing only to 1-A Virginia. In the CAA Richmond lost to UNH at home but beat Albany on the road by 13 and URI at home, 37-0 this past weekend. The Spiders moved up from #19 to #16 in the FCS Nation.
The Elon Phoenix went 1-3 in their non-CAA games and are still looking for their first conference victory having lost to UNH, at Delaware and Stony Brook at home this past weekend, 20-3.
Even if Richmond's focus is on their next opponent, a 24 point win in Elon looks pretty safe, 38-14. That next opponent for Richmond is Villanova and Elon travels to Towson next Saturday.
Stony Brook (3-1/4-4) at #3 New Hampshire (3-0/5-1)
The Seawolves are playing their best football of the season having won 3 games in a row. They play the best defense in the CAA and have one of the best in the FCS Nation giving up only 11 points a game. The problem is they only average 15 points a game. Their out-of-conference record was a disappointing 1-3. Their next disappointment was an overtime loss at home to William&Mary, 27-21. Since then it has been win after win after win: at Towson, Maine and at Elon.
The UNH Wildcats are well-rested for this game having a bye last week and are in the middle of a three game homestand. Their only loss of the season was to 1-A MAC Toledo, 54-20. You can take your pick as to the toughest remaining opponent for UNH - either Stony Brook this week or Albany next week but the schedule is VERY favorable for UNH to run the table into the playoffs without a loss.
Let's see what the Stony Brook defense can do with the New Hampshire offense but remember this - UNH just does not lose at home. UNH 28 and Stony Brook 14. UNH hosts Albany next and SB hosts JMU on Nov. 1st.
Maine (1-3/2-5) at Rhode Island (0-3/0-7)
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The Black Bears have gone from the 2013 CAA Champs to a tie for 10th place in 2014.They are struggling to put up points this year having scored only 7 points in each of their last two games: a 19-7 loss at Stony Brook and a 20-7 loss at home to Albany. They average a paltry 13 ppg.
URI has just two chances in their last 5 games to get one win in 2014 - this weekend at home against Maine and their last game of the season (Nov. 22) again at home vs Towson. That's it Ram fans and I wouldn't bet against them having an "0-fer" season. They need to fix a lot of things - on offense they only average a CAA low of 12 points a game and on defense a CAA high of 40 ppg. Can't win many games with that discrepancy.
Black Bears 28 and the Rams 14. Maine hosts Richmond on Nov. 8 after a bye week and URI travels to Newark, Delaware on Nov. 1st.
Delaware (2-1/4-3) at #18 William & Mary (1-2/4-3)
The Hens are now out of the playoff picture (oh, they could still go if they win the rest of their games but that won't happen having W&M on the road, UNH on the road and Villanova at home). Losing at home to a Northeast Conference team (Sacred Heart) and against a CAA-winless Towson also at home has sealed their fate. The Hens are awfully inconsistent and it starts with their awfully inconsistent QB, SR (transfer) Trent Hurley. The much-hated, obnoxious and arrogant K.C. Keeler and some bad financial decisions by the Administration have driven the fans away in Newark, cutting their season ticket holders from 11,000 down to 6,000 and that is not going up anytime soon. 2nd year head coach Dave Brock has to feel that he is climbing Mt. Everest to turn this program around.
Two weeks ago the Tribe was in the Top 10 of the FCS polls. Then an away game at UNH (a 32-3 loss) and a Homecoming loss to Villanova this past weekend (the two best teams in the CAA) have dropped them down to #15 and now #18 in the polls. To be fair, the Tribe should have beaten Villanova but two Red Zone fumbles and the CAA Offensive Player of the Year (well, at least for the past 5 consecutive weeks) sealed the fate for Jimmye Laycock's Warriors (is that being politically correct?) as QB John Robertson led the Villanova offense in just over a minute to score the winning touchdown with just 50 some seconds left. A huge game for playoff implications awaits the Tribe next week at JMU. Let's not get ahead of ourselves and stay in the moment.
Tribe to win at Zable Stadium, 34-24. W&M travels to Harrisonburg (JMU) and Delaware hosts URI next weekend.
Colgate (2-0/4-3) at #25 Albany (2-2/5-2)
The Patriot League Raiders were picked for 5th in the 7 team conference in preseason. This is their 2nd CAA conference team game having lost in the closing minute at Delaware, 28-25 back in Week 2. The Raiders opened 2014 with a loss to 2-5 1-A MAC Ball St., 30-10. After Delaware, it was a 27-12 win over 0-5 Ivy Cornell and then a 19-0 win over 2-5 Patriot Georgetown. In October it was a 20-17 win over 2-5 Patriot Holy Cross; a 31-30 win over 3-2 Ivy Princeton and a 45-31 loss to 4-1 Ivy Yale last week.
The Great Danes sneak back into the Top 25 for the 2nd time this season. New head coach Greg Gattuso should be the leading candidate for CAA Coach of the Year as well as FCS Coach of the Year. Their two losses were both CAA losses (JMU and Richmond - both at home). The Great Danes are 3-0 in non-conference games having beaten 2-5 Patriot Holy Cross, 2-5 Northeast Central Connecticut St. and 0-5 Ivy Columbia. OK, so they haven't beaten anyone good but it still looks good for the conference to have 5 and not 4 Top 25 teams.
Move 'em up in the polls with an Albany 27-17 win this Saturday. Colgate travels to 6-1 Fordham (Patriot League game) and the Great Danes put that Top 25 ranking to the test at New Hampshire next weekend. Good luck, Coach Gattuso!
JMU (2-2/4-3) at Charlotte (3-4)
Charlotte is the only Independent in FCS. The 49ers started out 3-0 beating 4-3 Campbell, D-2 Johnson C. Smith (Who?) and 3-4 MEAC NC Central. Then 1-6 CAA Elon gave the 'Niners their first loss, 20-13. Their 2nd loss was to 5-2 Big South Charl Southern, 47-41 in OT. The following week was another loss to another Big South team (Gardner-Webb/4-3), 27-24. Their 4th consecutive loss was last week to 2-5 SoCon Citadel, 63-56 in 2 overtimes.
The JMU Dukes will finish their out-of-conference schedule at 3-1 (lone loss to 1-A/Big Ten Maryland,52-7) with a 35-24 win in North Carolina this weekend. The JMU Dukes host W&M next weekend and after a bye week the Charlotte 49ers will host #4 ranked and 7-0 Coastal Carolina on Nov. 8.
Morgan State (3-1/4-3) at #5 Villanova (4-0/6-1)
The Bears were a preseason pick of 9 in the 11 team MEAC Conference but are playing much better than predicted.They average 26 points a game while giving up 20ppg. What do you make of their opening 2014 season game - only a 3 point loss to 2-5 1-A MAC Eastern Michigan, 31-28? Their next loss was a disappointing one - to 2-6 Patriot Holy Cross,again by 3 points and again on the road, 29-26. Two home games brought the Bears two victories - D-2 Bowie St., 28-3 and 1-7 MEAC Howard, 38-35. Their next loss was again on the road but this time by just one point, 15-14 to 3-5 MEAC Norfolk St. The Bears first road victory came at 2-5 MEAC Florida A&M, 24-9. Last week the Bears returned home for their 2nd consecutive victory, a 21-20 win over 3-4 MEAC NC Central. So, Morgan St. is 1-3 on the road and 3-0 at home. But, those 3 road losses are by a total of 7 points. 7 points!!! Otherwise, they would be bringing an undefeated 7-0 (with a win over a 1-A) to the Mainline this weekend. Since the Bears last winning season (2009 where they went 6-5) they have gone: 4-7 in 2010, 5-6 in 2011 (Cats were 2-9), 3-8 in 2012 and 5-7 last year in 2013. They are a run-team first (which plays into our hands) and a pass threat 2nd (thank God). However, that could change once they see the tape from this past weekend.
How much the Cats win by this weekend will be determined by how much they get up for Tha Bears. Take 'em light and it will be a 14 to 17 point margin with fumbles and turnovers. Come to play and the Cats will win by more than 30. Let's take some middle ground here and say Cats 42 and Morgan St. 17. Remember, coaching staff, the Bears are 4-1 in their last 5 games with just a one point road loss.
I'm not saying who the Cats play next because you can't overlook this week's game especially after an emotionally draining game at W&M last weekend. Morgan State travels to 1-6 MEAC Hampton on the 1st.
GO CATS - BEAT THA BEARS FOR HOMECOMING, 2014!
