CAA FOOTBALL WEEKLY RELEASE - AUG. 24
Massachusetts Picked As League Favorite
Massachusetts, which returns 12 starters off last year’s CAA Football Championship team, is picked to capture the overall CAA Football Championship in 2008. Richmond, also a 2007 CAA Football Champion, edged out James Madison for the top spot in the South Division race according to a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches and selected media.
Massachusetts’ senior quarterback Liam Coen and Maine’s senior defensive lineman Jovan Belcher headlined the 2008 CAA Football Preseason All-Conference squad as both were selected as Preseason Players of the Year. Coen, who passed for 3,091 yards and had an effeciency rating of 156.3 in 2007, earned Offensive honors while Belcher, who led the league in sacks with 10 last season, picked up Defensive honors.
OVERALL CHAMPION -- Massachusetts
North Division (First Place votes)
1. Massachusetts (17)
2. New Hampshire (1)
3. Hofstra (1)
4. Maine
5. Northeastern
6. Rhode Island
South Division (First Place votes)
1. Richmond (11)
2. James Madison (7)
3. Delaware (1)
4. Villanova
5. William and Mary
6. Towson
CAA Football Launches Another Landmark TV Package
CAA Football will feature an even larger television package than the league debuted at the beginning of its Inaugural Season.
CAA Football Commissioner Tom Yeager announced a 38-game television schedule as part of the league’s Media Day Celebration at the ESPNZone in Baltimore, Md. The schedule, the largest conference television package among the nation’s Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), is highlighted by a conference-only package of 21 games on Comcast regional television networks CN8, The Comcast Network and Comcast SportsNet.
The 21-game conference-only package covered by the Comcast networks features the most competitive games airing on regional networks spanning the East Coast. CN8 will air 12 match-ups throughout its Maine to Virginia footprint. Comcast SportsNet networks including Comcast SportsNet New England and Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will cover an additional nine games throughout the 13-week season, with additional distribution possible on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, CSS and SNY, schedule permitting.
The remaining 17 games on the 2008 CAA Football Television package will include two non-conference games on CN8, one on Comcast SportsNet, five broadcasts on the ESPN family of networks and one on the Big Ten Network. WABI-TV in Maine will provide coverage for five of the Black Bears’ six home games this season. Madison Square Garden Network (MSG) has plans to broadcast one contest, Towson will play a non-conference match-up on CSTV and WMUR-TV in New Hampshire will provide coverage of New Hampshire’s contest at Dartmouth.
Television listings for every game are listed throughout this release.
CAA Football In The Polls
For a complete rundown of both the Sports Network Top-25 and the FCS Coaches Poll visit page 19 of the weekly release. Below are highlights and notes about CAA Football in this week’s rankings.
The Sports Network Top-25
CAA Football’s six ranked squads in the Sports Network’s Top-25 mark the first time since 2005 the league has had as many ranked in the preseason poll.
Only the Missouri Valley equals the number of CAA Football teams (6) in the poll, but CAA Football’s four among the Top-10 is two more than both the Valley and Big Sky can boast. CAA Football teams among the 2008 Preseason Sports Network rankings continue a weekly string of at least three league squads ranked among the Top 25 since the poll’s inception.
CAA Football also extends its string of at least two teams in the Sports Network Top-10 to 41-straight weeks. The league can now boast having at least two teams in the Sports Network Top 10 in 67 of the last 71 weeks. The last time CAA Football placed six among the Top-25 was in Week 11 of the 2007 season which included Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Richmond.
FCS Coaches Top-25
Since the FCS Coaches Poll debuted prior to last season, CAA Football has had at least four squads ranked every week. The league’s total of six in this week’s rankings are the most since Nov. 12, 2007 when Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Richmond all appeared in the poll.
CAA Football’s four teams among the poll’s Top-10 marks the second-straight week, and the third week overall, the league has had four among the Top-10. The final poll in 2007 showed Delaware (No. 2), James Madison (No. 7), Massachusetts (No. 6) and Richmond (No. 4) in Top-10. The Oct. 22, 2007, release also had four CAA Football teams in the Top-10 including Delaware, James Madison, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
UMass’ Coen, Towson’s Schaefer Among 2008’s Best Signal Callers
Massachusetts’ Liam Coen and Towson’s Sean Schaefer enter this season at the top of the NCAA career records among ACTIVE FCS QUARTERBACKS.
Both are among the Top-3 in four major passing categories. Below is a breakdown of where each ranks in those four statistical groups:
Pass Attempts
1. Sean Schaefer, Towson -- 1,162
2. Brandon Landers, Grambling -- 1,002
3. Liam Coen, Massachusetts -- 968
Pass Completions
1. Sean Schaefer, Towson -- 741
2. Liam Coen, Massachusetts -- 624
3. Brandon Landers, Grambling -- 502
Passing Yards
1. Sean Schaefer, Towson -- 8,358
2. Liam Coen, Massachusetts -- 8,282
3. Brandon Landers, Grambling -- 7,030
Passing Touchdowns
1. Liam Coen, Massachusetts -- 66
2. Brandon Landers, Grambling -- 58
3. Sean Schaefer, Towson -- 51
Bring On The BCS/FBS
With New Hampshire’s 48-35 win at Marshall Sept. 15, 2007 and Delaware’s 59-52 win at bowl-bound Navy Oct. 27, 2007, CAA Football has now won 15 games versus BCS/FBS opponents in the last 10 years (11 different opponents).
The league also boasts two wins over the BCS/FBS level in five of the last six seasons.
CAA Football sports a 10-year record of 15-56 (.211) against BCS/FBS level opponents dating back to 1997.
All 12 CAA Football squads are slated to play an BCS/FBS foe in 2008, while Northeastern will face two this season including Ball State and Syracuse.
For a complete list of CAA Football’s wins over BCS/FBS opponents check out page 18 of the weekly release.
CAA Football Logs 13 Preseason Sports Network All-Americans
The Sports Network included a total of 13 CAA Football athletes on its 2008 Preseason All-America squads, released Aug. 22. Headlining the list for the league include Maine’s Jovan Belcher, Rhode Island’s Joe Casey, New Hampshire’s Scott Sicko and Delaware’s Kheon Hendricks all of whom were part of the First Team.
Below is a list of all the CAA Football athletes among the 2008 Sports Network Preseason All-Americans.
First-Team Offense
Joe Casey, Rhode Island, FB
Scott Sicko, New Hampshire, TE
Kheon Hendricks, Delaware, C
Second-Team Offense
Brian Mandeville, Northeastern, TE
Scott Lemn, James Madison, C
Matt McCracken, Richmond, G
Jon Striefsky, Delaware, K
Justin Rogers, Richmond, KR
Third-Team Offense
Tim Silver, Richmond, T
First-Team Defense
Jovan Belcher, Maine, DE
Second-Team Defense
Matt Marcorelle, Delaware, DE
Sean Smalls, Massachusetts, CB
Third-Team Defense
Sherman Logan, Richmond, DE
CAA Football Partners With Circuit City
One of the nation’s largest consumer electronic retailers has teamed up with CAA Football to promote the nation’s best FCS Conference.
CAA Football, and some of its member schools, have given Circuit City the right to use past-player images in its weekly advertisements, in-store television ads, online promotions and nationally-aired television commercials over the course of the 2008 season.
Checkout all of the promotions which include CAA Football images online at circuitcity.com.
CAA Football Garners Preseason Publicity
Throughout the summer months leading up to the 2008 season CAA Football was garnering all sorts of attention. In various polls and preseason magazine rankings, the league could boast as many as six teams earning honors. CAA Football also saw several rankings include as many as five teams in its Top-10. Below are CAA Football’s list of preseason publicity.
AnyGivenSaturday.com Top-25 Poll (#1 votes)
2. James Madison (2)
3. Richmond (1)
6. Massachusetts
11. Delaware
17. Villanova
20. New Hampshire
Sporting News Preseason Rankings
2. James Madison
5. Delaware
7. Richmond
11. Massachusetts
17. Villanova
23. New Hampshire
Lindy’s Preseason Rankings
3. James Madison
4. Massachusetts
6. Richmond
9. Delaware
10. New Hampshire
Phil Steele College Football Preview Rankings
1. James Madison
3. Richmond
4. Delaware
5. Massachusetts
11. New Hampshire
USA Today Sports Weekly Preseason Rankings
4. James Madison
5. Massachusetts
7. Richmond
16. Villanova
19. Delaware
22. New Hampshire
2007 CAA Football -- Record-Breaking
Not only did CAA Football advance a record-five league teams to the 2007 NCAA Division I National Championship, but those teams came within two last-second plays of all advancing to the quarterfinal round.
CAA Football squads also combined to go 27-9 (.750) against non-conference FCS opponents in 2007 -- a better non-conference winning percentage than any other FCS league in the country.
In 2006, CAA Football (then the Atlantic 10) finished the season 19-8 against FCS non-conference opponents which included six games in the playoffs.
All five CAA Football squads ranked in the final 2007 Sports Network poll took up a third of the poll’s Top-15. Only the Southern Conference came within one team of having as many squads ranked, but only two of its four squads were among the Top-15. For a complete list of all the 2007 non-conference games and results refer to page 18 in the weekly release.
National Honors All Around
The Sports Network and College Sporting News, both publications which devote major coverage to the FCS level of college football, selected National Player of the Week honorees following each week of competition during the 2007 regular season. CAA Football garnered recognition in nine of the 12 weeks in 2007, and boasted a total of 15 national winners. CAA Football’s total trailed only the Southern Conference’s 16 National Player of the Week honorees last season. Check out page 17 of the weekly release for a complete rundown of CAA Football’s National Players of the Week.
The Millenium Men
The proverbial number which determines greatness in a running back’s season is 1,000 yards. CAA Football returns two such backs in 2008 who accomplished the feat a year ago.
JMU’s quarterback Rodney Landers, who will lead the Dukes again this season, ended his junior campaign with a grand total of 1,273.
Maine’s Jhamal Fluellen, who also will be in the Black Bears’ backfield in 2008, crossed into the promised land against Rhode Island, Nov. 10, and ended his junior campaign with a total of 1,052 yards.
#9/8 DELAWARE (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
This Week: at Maryland (0-0)
Next Week: Bye Week
-- Delaware is coming off one of its finest seasons in school history in 2007 as the Hens went 11-4 and posted NCAA FCS playoff victories over Delaware State, Northern Iowa, and Southern Illinois before falling to three-time defending national champion Appalachian State in the championship game.
-- Delaware has now advanced to the national championship game twice in the last five years and advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times this decade (only New Hampshire has matched that in the CAA).
-- Delaware has three active players with over 1,000 career receiving yards -- Aaron Love (1,896), Kervin Michaud (1,183), and Mark Duncan (1,159).
-- Since joining the CAA (Yankee Conference, Atlantic 10) in 1986, Delaware leads all CAA schools in winning seasons (19), winning conference seasons (17), winning pct. (.687), conference winning pct. (.672), and First Team All-Americans (58).
HOFSTRA (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
This Week: at Connecticut (0-0)
Next Week: Bye Week
-- In 2007 the Pride under then-second year Head Coach Dave Cohen, posted the second-most improved record in FCS. Hofstra’s five-game improvement saw the Pride go from 2-9 in 2006 to 7-4 last season.
-- Senior quarterback Bryan Savage leads the Pride’s seven offensive returnees in 2008. The Coffeyville CC-transfer came into Hofstra last season and passed for 2,668 yards and 13 touchdowns, ranking fourth among CAA quarterbacks in passing average (242.5 ypg). Savage’s season passing yardage total is the sixth-best in school history.
-- Sophomore receiver/returner Anthony Nelson ranked second on the Pride team in receptions last year with a freshman record 44 catches for 543 yards and one touchdown. The newcomer also led the CAA in punt returns with a 15.6 yards per return mark.
#6/3 JAMES MADISON (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
This Week: at Duke (0-0)
Next Week: hosts North Carolina Central (0-0)
-- During the last four seasons JMU has compiled a 37-13 record and made three NCAA playoff appearances, including winning the 2004 National Championship.
-- In 2007, JMU was the national leader in fewest quarterback sacks allowed, giving up only six for a minus-27 yards in 12 games. The Dukes were seventh nationally in rushing offense (265.1 yards per game).
-- Cornerback Scotty McGee has returned a kickoff for a touchdown during each of the last two seasons and is averaging 31.6 yards on 28 career returns.
-- Tenth-year JMU coach Mickey Matthews (1999-2008) will enter the 2008 season with a 64-44 record with the Dukes and needing only four victories to become the program’s all-time winningest coach. Challace McMillin (1972-84), who had a 67-56-1 career record as JMU’s first football coach, has the record for coaching wins with the Dukes.
MAINE (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
This Week: at Iowa (0-0)
Next Week: at Monmouth (0-0)
-- Senior defensive end Jovan Belcher was named the 2008 Preseason CAA Defensive Player of the Year prior to the start of fall training camp.
-- Maine enters its 117th season of intercollegiate football in 2008 with an all-time record of 468-447-38 (.513).
-- Maine will open its 2008 season at Iowa, Aug. 30. It marks the fifth-straight season and the seventh time overall the Black Bears will be taking on a Division I FBS opponent. Maine is 1-5 all-time against FBS schools, including a 9-7 win over SEC-opponent Mississippi State in 2004. Iowa is led by head coach Kirk Ferentz, who served in the same capactiy at Maine from 1990-92. Maine head coach Jack Cosgrove served as Ferentz’ offensive coordinator in Orono during those three seasons. Maine assistant head coach/defensive coordinator, Robb Smith, was a graduate assistant on Ferentz’ staff at Iowa from 1999-2001.
#5/5 MASSACHUSETTS (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
This Week: hosts Albany (0-0)
Next Week: at Holy Cross (0-0)
-- UMass led the league in all-conference selections for the second year in a row as the Minutemen had 17 All-CAA picks last year. In 2006, UMass set a conference record with 20 selections.
-- Senior quarterback Liam Coen is the school’s all-time leader in passing yardage and touchdowns. In just three seasons he ranks first in passing yards (8,282), passing efficiency (152.43), completion percentage (64.5), touchdown passes (66), completions (624) and attempts (968).
-- Over 39 games in 2005-07 the Minutemen allowed just 14 points per game. Last season, UMass was 15th in scoring defense allowing 19.2.
-- UMass has a 23-5 record over the last 28 games, spanning the last two years. Against FCS teams, UMass is 23-3 with the losses in the 2006 NCAA Championship game to Appalachian State, at Rhode Island in a hurricane on Nov. 3, 2007 and to Southern Illinois in the 2008 Quarterfinals.
#16/16 NEW HAMPSHIRE (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
This Week: Bye Week
Next Week: at Army (0-0)
-- UNH has won its last three FBS games over the likes of Marshall, Northwestern and Rutgers and will be looking to make it No. 4 in a row when the team travels to take on Army on Sept. 6.
-- UNH football is looking to advance to the NCAA Championships for an unprecedented fifth straight year after playing in the first round in 2007.
-- UNH had coach Sean McDonnell, entering his 10th season as the head coach of UNH, has posted an amazing four-year record of 37-14. His overall mark is a winning 60-46-0.
-- The biggest question this season for UNH is who will fill the shoes of All-American QB Ricky Santos. The frontrunners for the job will be sophomore R.J. Toman, who saw limited time last season when Santos suffered a shoulder injury. In addition, redshirt freshman QB Kevin Decker has shown signs of being a good one with his strong arm.
NORTHEASTERN (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
This Week: at Ball State (0-0)
Next Week: Bye Week
-- The Huskies look to rebound from a 3-8 season in 2007 which they played an FBS team, five ranked opponents and all five CAA Football playoff teams. Despite the rigorous schedule, the Huskies did manage to beat two ranked teams, giving them a win over at least one ranked opponent in five of the last six seasons.
-- Northeastern will miss all-time rushing leader Maurice Murray, who graduated with a career 3,806 yards and 43 touchdowns. Last season alone, he rushed for 1,421 yards and 14 TDs, accounting for 40 percent of NU’s total yards and 47 percent of NU’s total touchdowns.
-- The Huskies will play a 12-game schedule in 2008, including two FBS teams for the first time in school history. They will play at Ball State Aug. 28 and at Syracuse Sept 20. Northeastern is 2-4 all-time against FBS teams, beating Connecticut in 2000 and Ohio in 2002.
RHODE ISLAND (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
This Week: hosts Monmouth (0-0)
Next Week: at Fordham (0-0)
-- The 2008 season marks the return of URI Alum Darren Rizzi as head coach. A walk-on who earned All-America honors following his senior season in 1992, Rizzi returns to Kingston after spending the last six seasons at Rutgers.
-- The Rams return their top two running backs - senior All-American Joe Casey led the Rams with 782 yards despite missing the final three games of the season due to injury. He recorded three 100-yard games last season en route to earning First Team All-CAA Football honors. Senior Jimmy Hughes gained 610 yards on 101 carries last season ? good for an average of 6.0 yards per carry.
-- Seniors Steve Weedon and Paul Vellano have helped mentor and anchor the defensive line through the preseason, while senior Chenry Lewis ? a transfer from Rutgers ? will also lend experience. Weedon appeared in 10 games and finished seventh in tackles with 37 (15 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups during his first season at URI in 2007.
#4/6 RICHMOND (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
This Week: at #15/15 Elon (0-0)
Next Week: at Virginia (0-0)
-- Head Coach Mike London took the reigns of his alma mater on January 19, 2008, following Dave Clawson’s departure for Tennessee. London served the previous six seasons as the defensive coordinator at Virginia. This will be London’s first head coaching position and marks the first time at Richmond since the Ed Merrick era (1951-65) that an alumnus has led the program.
-- In addition to the 16 starters returning, the Spiders will also welcome back of pair of redshirt seniors ? OL Tim Silver and DE Sherman Logan ? who each are All-Conference performers and missed a majority of last season due to injury.
-- The Spiders broke 13 team records during the 2007 season, which included most points, most rushing yards and most total offense. Five players combined to break or tie a total of 17 individual single-season records, led by Tim Hightower’s six.
TOWSON (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
This Week: at Navy (0-0)
Next Week: hosts Morgan State (0-0)
-- When the Tigers open their season at Navy on August 30, it will mark the first time that Towson has ever faced an NCAA BCS program. Towson is the eighth different CAA school that Navy has faced over the years.
-- Senior quarterback Sean Schaefer enters his senior season as the passing yardage leader among active NCAA FCS quarterbacks. In his college career, Schaefer has passed for 8,358 yards while completing 741-of-1162 passes. He has thrown 51 touchdown passes and 45 interceptions. In his career, he has started 32 of a possible 33 games and has a 16-16 record.
-- Eight of Towson’s 11 games in 2007 were decided by ten points or less. The Tigers’ three wins came by a total of 19 points while five of their losses were decided by a total of 30 points. Towson’s 23-21 win over Richmond was decided on the final play. The Tigers’ losses to Maine and Villanova were determined by two-point conversions in the final minutes.
#21/19 VILLANOVA (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
This Week: at West Virginia (0-0)
Next Week: Bye Week
-- Villanova will open the 2008 season at Big East Conference member West Virginia Aug. 30. This will be the 13th time that the Wildcats have played an FBS opponent. In the previous 12 games against FBS competition, Villanova has compiled a 2-10 mark, including a 1-4 record against Big East schools. The team’s two FBS wins have come at Rutgers in 2002 and at Temple in 2003.
-- Junior quarterback Antwon Young will be at full strength when the Wildcats take the field against the Mountaineers. As a sophomore last year, Young started the first six games, before suffering a season-ending knee injury versus William & Mary in week six. In the six games he played in, Young completed 99-of-153 (64.7%) for 1,192 yards to go with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions.
-- Villanova will be looking for its 18th winning season in head coach Andy Talley’s 24-year career in 2008. Last year’s 7-4 mark was the sixth winning season in the last seven years and it was the 17th winning season of Talley’s Main Line career.
WILLIAM AND MARY (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
This Week: Bye Week
Next Week: at NC State (0-0)
-- Led by Jake Phillips, the Tribe’s offense averaged 396.2 yards and 29.0 points a contest in 2007. The production should continue this season as nine total starters return. These returnees accounted for 1,092 of the teams 1,299 rushing yards and 15 of the 19 rushing TDs from a season ago, while the receiving corps returns 2,531 of the 3,059 receiving yards produced in 2007.
-- The Tribe’s defense will also be heavy on experience this season, as only three seniors graduated from the unit. Nine of the starters will be back, including the healthy return of senior linebacker Josh Rutter. Rutter started 11 games in 2007 and was second on the team with 95 total tackles.
-- The Tribe football program officially moved its operations into the state-of-the-art Jimmye Laycock Football Center in mid-February. The 30,000-square foot, football-only structure gives the College’s program one of the nation’s premier training complexes.
NORTHEASTERN AT BALL STATE
Thursday, Aug. 28 - 7:00 pm
Scheumann Stadium (22,500), Muncie, Ind.
Series: First Meeting
Northeastern (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
Coach: Rocky Hager (Minot State, 1974)
Career: 106-54-1 (14 years)
School: 15-29 (4 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Alex Broomfield (11 G, 70-253 yards, 2 TD)
Passing: Anthony Orio (11 G, 139-229-6-1558 yards, 8 TD)
Receiving: Alex Broomfield (11 G, 39-267 yards, 2 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Cord Parks (11 G, 38 solo, 25 assisted, 63 total)
Sacks: Wil Colon (11 G, 5.0-34 yards)
Interceptions: Cord Parks (11 G, 2-7 yards)
Ball State (0-0)
Coach: Brady Hoke (Ball State, 1982)
Career: 22-37 (5 years)
School: 22-37 (5 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Frank Edmonds (13 G, 140-531 yards, 6 TD)
Passing: Nate Davis (13 G, 270-478-6-3667 yards, 30 TD)
Receiving: Dante Love (13 G, 100-1398 yards, 10 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Bryant Haines (13 G, 65 solo, 60 assisted, 125 total)
Sacks: Brandon Crawford (13 G, 8.0-39 yards)
Interceptions: B.J. Hill (13 G, 5-43 yards)
HOFSTRA AT CONNECTICUT
Thursday, Aug. 28 - 7:30 pm
Rentschler Field (40,000), East Hartford, Conn.
Television: ERT, SNY - Bob Picozzi (pbp), Jim Donnan (analyst), Darren Chiapetta (producer), Matt McCandlish (director)
Series: Series Tied 2-2
Last Meeting: Sept. 4, 1999, Hofstra 56-17 in Hempstead, N.Y.
Hofstra (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
Coach: Dave Cohen (C.W. Post, 1988)
Career: 9-13 (2 years)
School: 9-13 (2 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Bryan Savage (11 G, 118-302 yards, 10 TD)
Passing: Bryan Savage (11 G, 232-367-16-2668 yards, 13 TD)
Receiving: Anthony Nelson (11 G, 44-543 yards, 1 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Luke Bonus (11 G, 42 solo, 42 assisted, 84 total)
Sacks: Zach Carney (10 G, 2.0-19 yards)
Interceptions: Deron Mayo (9 G, 1-4 yards)
Connecticut (0-0)
Coach: Randy Edsall (Syracuse, 1980)
Career: 50-55 (9 years)
School: 50-55 (9 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Andre Dixon (11 G, 167-828 yards, 3 TD)
Passing: Tyler Lorenzen (13 G, 197-348-6-2367 yards, 13 TD)
Receiving: D.J. Hernandez (13 G, 30-404 yards, 2 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Lawrence Wilson (13 G, 53 solo, 60 assisted, 113 total)
Sacks: Julius Williams (13 G, 8.5-50 yards)
Interceptions: Robert Vaughn (13 G, 7-112 yards)
MAINE AT IOWA
Saturday, Aug. 30 - 12:00 pm
Kinnick Stadium (70,585), Iowa City, Iowa
Television: B10 - Mike Crispino (pbp), Anthony Herron (analyst), J.B. Long (sideline), Michael Molinari (producer), Jack Graham (director)
Series: First Meeting
Maine (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
Coach: Jack Cosgrove (Maine, 1978)
Career: 80-90 (15 years)
School: 80-90 (15 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Jhamal Fluellen (11 G, 223-1052 yards, 5 TD)
Passing: Adam Farkes (8 G, 78-154-4-836 yards, 7 TD)
Receiving: Landis Williams (10 G, 38-481 yards, 6 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Jovan Belcher (1 G, 36 solo, 49 assisted, 85 total)
Sacks: Jovan Belcher (11 G, 10.0-73 yards)
Interceptions: Jonathan Calderon (10 G, 2-34 yards)
Iowa (0-0)
Coach: Kirk Ferentz (Connecticut, 1978)
Career: 73-70 (12 years)
School: 61-49 (9 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Albert Young (12 G, 206-968 yards, 6 TD)
Passing: Jake Christensen (12 G, 198-370-6-2269 yards, 17 TD)
Receiving: Derrell Johnson-Koulianos (4 G, 28-310 yards, 5 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: A.J. Edds (12 G, 29 solo, 51 assisted, 80 total)
Sacks: Mitch King (12 G, 4.5-45 yards)
Interceptions: Brett Greenwood (11 G, 2-12 yards)
MONMOUTH AT RHODE ISLAND
Saturday, Aug. 30 - 1:00 pm
Meade Stadium (6,555), Kingston, R.I.
Series: First Meeting
Monmouth (0-0)
Coach: Kevin Callahan (Rochester, 1977)
Career: 89-62 (15 years)
School: 89-62 (15 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: David Sinisi (10 G, 206-1184 yards, 17 TD)
Passing: Brett Burke (10 G, 192-297-6-1967 yards, 10 TD)
Receiving: Tory Yudin (10 G, 33-35- yards, 0 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Joe Cella (10 G, 23 solo, 26 assisted, 49 total)
Sacks: David Kennedy (10 G, 3.5-22 yards)
Interceptions: Joe Cella (10 G, 2-37 yards)
Rhode Island (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
Coach: Darren Rizzi (Rhode Island, 1992)
Career: 15-14 (3 years)
School: 0-0 (First year)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Joe Casey (8 G, 163-782 yards, 2 TD)
Passing: Derek Cassidy (10 G, 76-153-6-1025 yards, 5 TD)
Receiving: Shawn Leonard (11 G, 34-440 yards, 2 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Matt Hansen (11 G, 44 solo, 29 assisted, 73 total)
Sacks: Kevaughn Johnson-Henry (6 G, 2.0-13 yards)
Interceptions: Matt Urban (6 G, 1-0 yards)
TOWSON AT NAVY
Saturday, Aug. 30 - 3:30 pm
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000), Annapolis, Md.
Television: CBS-CS - Tom Hart (pbp), Trev Alberts (analyst), Steve Scheer (producer), Chris Svendsen (director)
Series: First Meeting
Towson (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
Coach: Gordy Combs (Towson, 1972)
Career: 89-81 (16 years)
School: 89-81 (16 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Matt Castor (10 G, 22-116 yards, 0 TD)
Passing: Sean Schaefer (11 G, 255-417-19-2553 yards, 12 TD)
Receiving: Marcus Lee (11 G, 66-680 yards, 2 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Drew Mack (10 G, 34 solo, 40 assisted, 74 total)
Sacks: Raymond White (11 G, 3.0-16 yards)
Interceptions: Raymond White (11 G, 2-61 yards)
Navy (0-0)
Coach: Ken Niumatalolo (Hawaii, 1989)
Career: 0-1 (First year)
School: 0-1 (First year)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Eric Kettani (13 G, 152-880 yards, 10 TD)
Passing: Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada (12 G, 55-98-5-952 yards, 8 TD)
Receiving: Tyree Barnes (13 G, 10-168 yards, 1 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Wyatt Middleton (13 G, 57 solo, 31 assisted, 88 total)
Sacks: Michael Walsh (13 G, 3.0-22 yards)
Interceptions: Ross Pospisil (13 G, 1-20 yards)
#21/19 VILLANOVA AT WEST VIRGINIA
Saturday, Aug. 30 - 3:30 pm
Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000), Morgantown, W.Va.
Television: ERT, SNY, WPVI - John Sanders (pbp), Rene Nadeau (analyst), Mark Goldsmith (producer), Matt McCandlish (director)
Series: West Virginia leads 4-1
Last Meeting: Oct. 29, 1977, Villanova 41-36 in Morgantown, W.Va.
Villanova (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
Coach: Andy Talley (Southern Connecticut, 1967)
Career: 183-116-2 (28 years)
School: 155-98-1 (23 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Aaron Ball (10 G, 47-247 yards, 1 TD)
Passing: Antwon Young (6 G, 99-153-4-1192 yards, 14 TD)
Receiving: Phil Atkinson (11 G, 32-324 yards, 8 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Osayi Osunde (11 G, 36 solo, 46 assisted, 82 total)
Sacks: Greg Miller (11 G, 7.5-42 yards)
Interceptions: Martel Moody (10 G, 3-71 yards)
West Virginia (0-0)
Coach: Bill Stewart (Fairmont State, 1975)
Career: 9-25 (3 years)
School: 1-0 (First year)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Pat White (13 G, 198-1335 yards, 14 TD)
Passing: Pat White (13 G, 144-216-4-1724 yards, 14 TD)
Receiving: Dorrell Jalloh (13 G, 24-272 yards, 1 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Reed Williams (13 G, 48 solo, 59 assisted, 107 total)
Sacks: Mortty Ivy (13 G, 6.0-40 yards)
Interceptions: Ellis Lankster (9 G, 1-22 yards)
#9/8 DELAWARE AT MARYLAND
Saturday, Aug. 30 - 3:45 pm
Byrd Stadium (51,500), College Park, Md.
Television: ESPNU, ESPNUHD - Doug Bell (pbp), Charles Arbuckle (analyst), Todd Kulis (producer), Dan McVan (director)
Series: Delaware leads 5-3-1
Last Meeting: Oct. 2, 1948, Maryland 21-0 in Wilmington, Del.
Delaware (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
Coach: K.C. Keeler (Delaware, 1981)
Career: 140-47-1 (14 years)
School: 52-26 (6 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Phillip Thaxton (11 G, 64-390 yards, 3 TD)
Passing: Sean Scanlon (6 G, 4-8-0-37 yards, 0 TD)
Receiving: Aaron Love (14 G, 73-1009 yards, 3 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Erik Johnson (15 G, 69 solo, 53 assisted, 122 total)
Sacks: Matt Marcorelle (14 G, 8.0-68 yards)
Interceptions: Anthony Walters (15 G, 3-50 yards)
Maryland (0-0)
Coach: Ralph Friedgen (Maryland, 1970)
Career: 33-23 (7 years)
School: 33-23 (7 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Da’Rel Scott (9 G, 14-135 yards, 0 TD)
Passing: Chris Turner (11 G, 153-241-7-1958 yards, 7 TD)
Receiving: Darrius Heyward-Bey (13 G, 51-786 yards, 3 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Dave Philistin (13 G, 54 solo, 70 assisted, 124 total)
Sacks: Jeremy Navarre (13 G, 5.5-35 yards)
Interceptions: Kevin Barnes (13 G, 4-55 yards)
ALBANY AT #5/5 MASSACHUSETTS
Saturday, Aug. 30 - 6:00 pm
McGuirk Alumni Stadium (17,000), Amherst, Mass.
Series: Massachusetts leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Sept. 17, 2005, Massachusetts 40-0 in Amherst, Mass.
Albany (0-0)
Coach: Bob Ford (Springfield, 1959)
Career: 225-162-1 (39 years)
School: 216-140 (35 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: David McCarty (12 G, 219-1503 yards, 13 TD)
Passing: Vinny Esposito (12 G, 154-277-6-1810 yards, 12 TD)
Receiving: Daniel Bocanegra (12 G, 26-316 yards, 0 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Justin Brancaccio (12 G, 27 solo, 36 assisted, 63 total)
Sacks: Emerson Kinsey (11 G, 3.5-30 yards)
Interceptions: L.B. McCloskey (12 G, 3-43 yards)
Massachusetts (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
Coach: Don Brown (Norwich, 1977)
Career: 88-40 (11 years)
School: 36-14 (4 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Tony Nelson (12 G, 92-486 yards, 1 TD)
Passing: Liam Coen (13 G, 232-360-14-3091 yards, 30 TD)
Receiving: Ian Jorgensen (13 G, 15-145 yards, 5 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Josh Jennings (13 G, 27 solo, 41 assisted, 68 total)
Sacks: Michael Hanson (13 G, 7.0-67 yards)
Interceptions: Courtney Robinson (13 G, 3-39 yards)
#6/3 JAMES MADISON AT DUKE
Saturday, Aug. 30 - 7:00 pm
Wallace Wade Stadium (33,941), Durham, N.C.
Series: First Meeting
James Madison (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
Coach: Mickey Matthews (West Texas State, 1976)
Career: 64-44 (9 years)
School: 64-44 (9 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Rodney Landers (12 G, 223-1273 yards, 12 TD)
Passing: Rodney Landers (12 G, 130-205-5-1678 yards, 13 TD)
Receiving: Rockeed McCarter (12 G, 20-285 yards, 2 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Marcus Haywood (12 G, 53 solo, 40 assisted, 93 total)
Sacks: Arthur Moats (12 G, 6.5-38 yards)
Interceptions: Darrieus Ramsey (9 G, 2-7 yards)
Duke (0-0)
Coach: David Cutcliffe (Alabama, 1976)
Career: 44-29 (7 years)
School: 0-0 (First year)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Re’quan Boyette (12 G, 104-432 yards, 2 TD)
Passing: Thaddeus Lewis (12 G, 199-360-10-2430 yards, 21 TD)
Receiving: Eron Riley (12 G, 40-830 yards, 9 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Vincent Rey (12 G, 49 solo, 62 assisted, 111 total)
Sacks: Vince Oghobaase (12 G, 4.5-29 yards)
Interceptions: Michael Tauiliili (11 G, 3-38 yards)
#4/6 RICHMOND AT #15/15 ELON
Saturday, Aug. 30 - 7:00 pm
Rhodes Stadium (11,250), Elon, N.C.
Series: Richmond leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Oct. 20, 1928, Richmond 34-0 in Elon, N.C.
Richmond (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
Coach: Mike London (Richmond, 1983)
Career: 0-0 (First year)
School: 0-0 (First year)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Josh Vaughan (14 G, 109-723 yards, 9 TD)
Passing: Eric Ward (14 G, 216-353-11-2341 yards, 17 TD)
Receiving: Kevin Grayson (12 G, 68-970 yards, 7 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Eric McBride (14 G, 60 solo, 66 assisted, 126 total)
Sacks: Collin McConaghy (14 G, 7.5-59 yards)
Interceptions: Seth Williams (14 G, 2-44 yards)
Elon (0-0)
Coach: Pete Lembo (Georgetown, 1992)
Career: 56-24 (7 years)
School: 12-10 (2 years)
Offense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Rushing: Brandon Newsome (10 G, 58-238 yards, 2 TD)
Passing: Scott Riddle (11 G, 346-508-13-3817 yards, 31 TD)
Receiving: Terrell Hudgins (11 G, 117-1474 yards, 18 TD)
Defense (category leader who returns in 2008)
Tackles: Brandon Wiggins (11 G, 36 solo, 47 assisted, 83 total)
Sacks: Corey Weaver (11 G, 4.0-10 yards)
Interceptions: Nolan Ward (9 G, 3-53 yards)