CAA FOOTBALL RECAP - OCT. 20
Below is a recap for each CAA Football game played this
weekend. Please scroll down to find the
CAA Football team and game you are interested in. This page will be updated as games go final
so be sure to logon to CAASports.com throughout the day.
No. 4 Massachusetts 24, Northeastern 7Boxscore
No. 4 UMass continued their dominance over Northeastern, winning for the
21st time in the last 22 meetings and improving their record over the Huskies
at McGuirk Stadium to 12-0 with a 24-7 win on Saturday afternoon. The
Minutemen, who are now 19-1 against FCS teams over the last two years, improved
to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the CAA. Northeastern is now 1-6 and 0-4 in
conference play.
Redshirt senior tailback Matt Lawrence
piled up his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season running for 107 yards
and a touchdown on 24 carries. Redshirt senior wide receiver J.J. Moore
had 7 catches for 97 yards to lead UMass receivers as he moved to second
all-time at UMass in career receptions with 149. Redshirt junior quarterback Liam Coen
threw two touchdown passes (to Moore and Rasheed
Rancher) to give him 51 in his career, tying him for UMass' all-time
mark in touchdown passes. Senior linebackers Jason
Hatchell and Charles
Walker each posted double figures in tackles with 12 and 11,
respectively.
All of the scoring took place in the first half as neither team mustered
much on offense in the second half. Junior defensive back Courtney
Robinson ended a Northeastern drive into UMass territory early in
the fourth quarter with his third interception of the season.
The Minutemen took their largest lead of the game, 21-0, in the second
quarter after Lawrence capped a nine play, 76-yard drive with a one-yard
touchdown run. Senior wide receiver Michael Omar
hauled in a 29-yard pass from Coen to setup the play.
Junior quarterback Anthony Orio was able to respond
for Northeaster with a 29-yard pass himself to setup a scoring play on
Northeastern's next possession. Orio then ran the ball into the end zone to
give Northeastern their first points against UMass since 2004 after 156:22 of
play.
Senior kicker Chris
Koepplin capped the scoring in the half with a 37-yard field goal.
Northeastern reached the 20-yard line near the end of the half, but Redshirt
junior defensive back Michael
Meggett stopped the threat by picking off Orio in the end zone for
his first career interception.
Coen left the game near the end of the first with an injury. Sophomore Scott
Woodward replaced him and played the remainder of the game.
UMass took charge from the start, forcing Northeastern to go three-and-out
and then driving 57 yards on eight plays to the end zone on their first
possession. Coen completed a 15-yard pass to Redshirt senior wide receiver Rasheed
Rancher for the score.
Northeastern was able to move the ball on the preceding possession, but
Robinson knocked the ball away from Orio at the end of a 17-yard run to the
UMass 23-yard line and sophomore defensive end Michael
Hanson was there to recover it.
UMASS took a 14-0 lead on their next possession as Liam Coen tied Todd Bankhead for the Umass record in career touchdown passes with 51 on a 25-7ard pass to J.J. Moore.
No. 11 New Hampshire 40, No. 10 Hofstra 3
Boxscore
Quarterback Ricky Santos passed for 262 yards and four
touchdowns to lead the 11th-ranked Wildcats of New Hampshire to a 40-3 CAA
victory over the 10th-ranked Pride of Hofstra at James M. Shuart Stadium
Saturday evening. The Pride (6-1) get handed their first loss of the season in
seven games and slip to 3-1 in conference play. New Hampshire improves to 5-2
overall and 2-2 in league action.
Hofstra quarterback Bryan Savage completed 31 of 50
passes for a career-high 325 yards but was picked off three times. Freshman
receiver Anthony Nelson posted his first college 100-yard receiving game with
128 yards on a season-high 10 receptions. Senior receiver Charles Sullivan
hauled in nine passes for 74 yards to become the Hofstra career receptions
leader with 212, passing Steven Jackson’s (1997-2000) former record of 206. In
addition to Santos, who returned after missing last week’s contest against
Iona, the Wildcats of New Hampshire received seven receptions for 121 yards and
a fourth quarter, 47-yard touchdown grab from senior Keith LeVan. Red-shirt
freshman tight end Scott Sicko posted five catches for 79 yards and a 26-yard
TD catch, while freshman J.T. Wright had three receptions for 37 yards and
touchdown catches of 31 yards and 1 yard from Santos.
New Hampshire scored on its opening possession as
Santos directed a nine-play, 74-yard drive and called his own number for a
one-yard scoring run that gave the Wildcats a 7-0 lead 3:06 into the game.
Santos completed five of six passes in the drive for 45 yards. On the ensuing
Hofstra possession, the Pride, starting out at their 28 yard line, marched 71
yards to the UNH 1 before settling for a 19-yard field goal by Rob Zarrilli. It
would turn out to be the Pride’s only points of the day.
But the floodgates opened in the second quarter as
UNH scored 26 of their 33 straight points before halftime. After a Hofstra punt
late in the first quarter gave the Wildcats the ball on their own 42 yard line,
Santos, the 2006 Walter Payton Award winner as FCS Offensive Player of the
Year, led a five-play, 58-yard drive capped by a 31-yard TD pass to Wright
eight seconds into the second quarter. Tom Manning’s extra-point missed and UNH
was up 13-0. The big play in the drive was a 26-yard run on a fake punt by
punter Tom Bishop that moved the ball to the Pride 26 yard line.
After Hofstra was held to three-and-out on its next
possession, UNH took over, after the Pride punt, on the Wildcats 33. Santos
made quick work again, going 67-yards on five plays and hooked up with Scott
Sicko for a 26-yard touchdown. Manning’s extra-point was blocked by Tom Massey
as UNH boosted the lead to 19-3 with 11:53 to play in the half. Hofstra had a
chance to add some points on its next possession but after an eight-play drive,
Zarrilli’s 35-yard field goal attempt went wide right.
UNH came right back and went on an 80-yard drive in
11-plays that took up just 2:25 with Santos hitting Wright with a one-yard bullet
for the touchdown. Manning made the extra point to boost the lead to 26-3 with
5:46 to play in the second quarter.
On the Pride’s next possession Hofstra marched down
to the UNH 27 yard line before UNH senior free safety Jeff Pammer batted a
Savage pass, caught it in mid-air and then rambled 66-yards for the touchdown.
Manning’s extra-point made it 33-3 with 2:49 to play in the half. The stat
sheet at the end of the half showed the Wildcats outgaining Hofstra 269-268,
and being even in almost every other category. Yet Hofstra had its largest
halftime deficit since 1993.
UNH boosted its advantage after forcing Nelson to
fumble after a 16-yard reception and recovering at the Pride 47. On the first
play from scrimmage, Santos found LeVan behind the Pride defense for a 47-yard
touchdown pass. Santos would be relieved midway through the third quarter.
Despite moving the ball to the tune of 206 yards
and holding UNH to just 109 in the second half, the Pride couldn’t get anything
on the board. Hofstra finished with 474 yards on the day while New Hampshire
closed out with 377.
No. 18 Richmond 38, Rhode Island 6Boxscore
The No. 18 Spiders needed a big day from the defense. They
got it. Richmond kept visiting Rhode Island out of the end zone and sacked the
Rams' six times in a convincing 38-6 win Saturday at UR Stadium. The Spiders
have won two straight and improved to 5-2 overall, 3-1 in the CAA.
Adam
Abramowitz was in on a sack and a career-high 10 tackles (seven
solo), including four for losses that totaled 15 yards. Eric McBride
made a game and career-high16 stops, while Parker Miles
collected two sacks and three tackles for loss. In all, Richmond's 16 tackles
behind the line of scrimmage resulted in 65 lost URI yards.
Since allowing a last-second touchdown to Towson Oct. 6, Richmond has played
two consecutive games without allowing an opponent in the end zone. The Rams'
lone offense was two field goals from Brian Giannecchini.
Walter Payton candidate Tim Hightower
did his damage both on the ground and in the air. The senior tailback carried
the ball 19 times for 96 yards, while catching four passes for 45 yards and TD
to finish as the game's leading receiver.
Although snapping his streak of consecutive 100-yard rushing games at five, the
senior continued his string of eight-straight games with a TD dating back to
last season. With 141 all-purpose yards on the day, he's 326 shy of Richmond's
career record of 4,000.
Rhode Island (1-6, 0-4) converted just two of its 17 third-down plays and was
forced to punt nine times. While the Spiders were five-of-12 on third downs, it
was a key conversion on third-and-13 midway through the fourth quarter that
helped put the game out of reach.
Hightower caught an Eric Ward pass in the flank, weaseled his way out of trouble and gained 24 yards for a first down at the 10. He rushed for nine on the next play and Ward finished it off with a TD, making the score 24-6.
The Spiders piled on 14 more points in the quarter, thanks to a 24-yard blocked-punt return for touchdown by Jonathan Mayfield a minute after Ward's TD and a 14-yard TD run by Justin Forte late. Forte blocked the URI punt.
Josh Vaughan
carried the ball nine times for 71 yards, including a 30-yarder for touchdown
on Richmond's opening drive of the second half. Eric Ward,
who was 11-of-20 passing for 131 yards and a TD, rushed for a career-best 74
yards. The Spiders also played their second consecutive game without a turnover
and were penalized just twice.
Richmond forced Rhody into three-and-outs on its first two possessions of the
game and the Spiders scored on each of the ensuing drives to take a 10-0 lead
at the 4:56 mark of the first quarter. Andrew Howard
drilled a 33-yard field goal and Hightower finished off a 10-play, 84 yard
drive with his 12-yard TD reception.
A Ward run of 36 yards and a 15-yard reception by Arman Shields
- seeing his first action since going down at Northeastern with an injury -
highlighted the drive.
Giannecchini booted a career-long 49-yard field goal late in the second
quarter, making the score 10-3 at the break. His 24-yarder with 8:38 left in
the third pulled URI within 17-6.
Joe Casey gained 94 yards rushing on 16 carries and Derek Cassidy completed
just eight of 16 passes for 77 yards. Out of the option, Cassidy rushed 19
times for minus 33 yards.
In its three games at home this season, Richmond is undefeated and averaging
41.7 points. Under head coach Dave Clawson,
who coached his 100th career game, the Spiders are 16-0 when scoring over 30
points. Colgate 27, Towson 17Boxscore
Colgate fooled the Tigers by taking to the air and kept
Towson off balance as the Raiders downed the Tigers 27-17 Saturday afternoon in
Andy Kerr Stadium.
The loss dropped the Tigers to 3-5 on the year and snapped a
13-game non-conference winning streak. Colgate improved to 4-3 and ran its
unbeaten record against the Tigers to 9-0.
Raiders’ quarterback Alex Relph passed for a career high 264
yards (21 of 32), then handed off to Scott Jordan, the nation’s second leading
rusher, who finished with 133 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries. It was
Relph’s adept passing that kept the Colgate drives going. The Raiders were 10
of 17 on third down conversions for the game.
Colgate was anxious to score and wasted no time in putting
the first points on the board, converting Coree Moses’ interception of a Sean
Schaefer pass at the Raiders’ 17 yard line into a touchdown. Colgate’s drive
was methodical but aided by a critical pass interference penalty that kept the
march alive at the Tigers’ 24-yard line. Relph tossed the final yard to Erik
Burke for the score, capping an 83-yard drive in 12 plays.
The Tigers shook off the interception and the Raiders’
touchdown to come right back with a 12-play, 71 yard drive of their own.
Tailback Nick Williams tied the game, 7-7, with 5:27 left in the opening
quarter when he broke off the right side for a 15-yard touchdown run.
Colgate wasn’t impressed and spent the rest of the period
driving toward Towson’s goal line. But the Tigers got tough once the Raiders
had earned a first-and-goal at the two-yard line. After Andrew Lee stuffed Jordan
Scott for a yard loss, Drew Mack broke through and sacked Relph who fumbled. Maurice
Wilkins recovered for the Tigers at the 13 yard line to stop the threat.
The Raiders shot themselves in the foot later in the period
when they drove to Towson’s 16-yard line only to turn the ball over on Jeremy
Gardner’s interception in the end zone. But three plays later Towson gave it
right back when Wayne Moten picked off Schaefer at Towson’s 25. An offensive
pass interference penalty backed Colgate to its 36 where the Raiders’ chance
withered.
A Colgate punt downed at Towson’s three-yard line put the
Tigers in a precarious position but they managed to kick their way out of it.
After forcing a Colgate punt, the Tigers took over at their own 25 yard line
with 1:15 left in the half. Schaefer directed the Tigers down to Colgate’s 14
where he gave Mark Bencivengo a chance to give Towson the lead at halftime.
With no time remaining Bencivengo made good use of the opportunity by booting a
31-yard field goal for a 10-7 Tigers’ advantage at the break. That ended an
11-play, 61-yard drive.
The Raiders tied it up early in the third quarter when Mike
Gallihugh wrestled the ball away from Rasheed McClaude at Towson’s 15. Four
plays later Mike Buck hit a 32-yard field goal for the 10-10 deadlock.
Towson tried to regain the lead on the next series but Bencivengo’s
43-yard field goal attempt was short.
It seemed the game had become a duel between placekickers.
The Red Raiders put together another drive that stalled, forcing a 42-yard
field goal by Buck that lifted Colgate to a 13-10 lead with 2:44 left in the
third quarter.
The see-saw contest continued on the next series when the
Tigers reclaimed the lead on a nine-play, 57 yard drive. Williams literally
pounded the ball in from eight yards out, carrying a couple of Raiders on his
back into the end zone as Towson went ahead 17-13 with 14:33 left in the game.
Back to scoring touchdowns instead of field goals, Colgate
regained the advantage, 20-17, when Scott plunged in from three yards out to
cap a 10-play, 60 yard drive with 9:27 left.
Colgate then ran the clock out, driving 86 yards in 7:34
with Jordan scoring on a one yard run with 44 seconds remaining to put the
contest out of reach for the Tigers.
Schaefer was 16 of 35 for 183 yards passing. He was intercepted three times. Williams came close to 100 yards for Towson, rushing for 94 on 18 carries.
Stony Brook 30, Maine 23 (2OT)Boxscore
Conte Cuttino scored his third touchdown of the game on a 9-yard run
in the second overtime, giving Stony Brook a 30-23 victory over Maine
on Saturday.
Cuttino ran for 162 yards on 30 carries for the Seawolves (4-4), and
also scored on runs of 25 and 2 yards. Josh Dudash was 21-of-32 for 267
yards.
Jhamal Fluellen carried 26 times for 143 yards to lead the Black Bears (1-6).
Maine had taken a 20-10 lead on Bob Donnelly's 25-yard field goal
with 10:34 remaining, but Cuttino answered with a 2-yard touchdown run
a few minutes later. Luke Gaddis' 41-yard field goal with two seconds
left in regulation send it to overtime.
Donnelly kicked a 42-yard field goal in the first overtime before
Gaddis responded with a 42-yarder to send it to a second overtime.