CAA FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK -- OCT. 15
RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 15, 2007) - After a wild weekend of CAA Football, which included a four-overtime win by Massachusetts and two non-conference wins, the league announced its Player of the Week honorees, Monday, Oct. 15. Four individuals earned honors after helping each of their squads to wins Saturday, including James Madison’s Rodney Landers, Hofstra’s Gian Villante, Richmond’s Derek Hatcher and William and Mary’s Cameron Dohse.
Landers, now a two-time CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week, led No. 9 James Madison to a 44-27 road win over Rhode Island. The Virginia Beach, Va., native finished the day 11-of-15 passing for 242 yards and three touchdowns. The junior also rushed 27 times for 173 yards, totalling an impressive 415 yards of offense. His 415 yards of total offense, more than 72 percent of James Madison’s 576 yards of total offense, rank as the best single-game total in Dukes history. His 176 rushing yards also rank as the second-best single-game rushing total for a JMU quarterback. Landers, who has now thrown for 200-or-more yards and rushed for 100-or-more yards on three occasions this season, also has completed 81-of-108 passes without throwing an interception -- a streak dating back to JMU’s game at North Carolina, Sept. 1. The quarterback needs just 77 yards to become the Dukes’ all-time rushing quarterback leader, passing Eriq Williams’ mark of 764 set in 1990.
Villante grabbed CAA Football Defensive Player of the Week honors after leading No. 10 Hofstra and the Pride defense to a 20-3 win on the road against Towson. Villante led the Pride with eight tackles, including five solo stops, as Towson was held to just 70 yards on the ground. Hofstra’s defense has now held five of its six opponents this season below the 100-yard rushing mark. The Wantagh, N.Y., native also broke up two passes and recorded a tackle for loss in the win. The Pride limited a vaunted Towson passing attack, led by Sean Schaefer, to a season and career-low of 123 yards. Towson was averaging 320 total yards prior to playing Hofstra, but Villante and the Pride, allowed just 193 yards. Villante and the Hofstra defense also held the Tigers without a touchdown, marking the first time since Nov. 18, 2006 against James Madison, Towson had failed to reach the endzone.
Hatcher, the CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week, helped No. 20 Richmond to a 42-0 win over Stony Brook in Richmond, Va. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native finished the day with 141 yards on five punt returns, including a 66-yarder for a touchdown. The sophomore returner became the first Spider to return a punt for a touchdown since Cordell Roane did it against Rhode Island, Oct. 9, 1999. His 141 punt return yards on five attempts gave him an average of 28.2 against Stony Brook, as he now leads the league with a 19.6 punt return yard average in 10 attempts.
Dohse logged CAA Football Rookie of the Week honors after helping William and Mary garner a 21-20 win on the road against Maine. The Clifton, Va., native was Tribe quarterback Jake Phillips’ favorite target on the day hauling in a game-high seven catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns. The rookie receiver became the first William and Mary player to touch the endzone twice in one game this season, and now has 15 catches for 240 yards in 2007. Dohse’s touchdown catches came on completions of 31 yards and 33 yards against the Black Bears.