CAA FOOTBALL WEEKLY RELEASE -- NOV. 29
2009 CAA Football All-Conference
CAA Football’s 2009 All-Conference teams, voted on by the 12 CAA Football head coaches, were handed out following an exciting 2009 season which included a record four wins over FBS foes and as many as eight squads were ranked among the FCS Coaches’ Top-25 poll.
Villanova junior wide receiver/running back Matt Szczur was chosen as the 2009 CAA Football Offensive Player of the Year and the 2009 CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Year. The league’s Defensive Player of the Year honor went to James Madison defensive lineman Arthur Moats, while Villanova head coach Andy Talley was named the league’s 2009 Coach of the Year. Talley guided the Wildcats to the No. 2 overall seed in this season’s NCAA Division I Football Championship. James Madison redshirt freshman quarterback Justin Thorpe was named the league’s top Offensive Rookie, while William and Mary defensive back B.W. Webb picked up CAA Football’s 2009 Defensive Rookie of the Year honor.
2009 CAA Football Champions Richmond and Villanova led the way by each garnering six selections to the All-CAA Football First Team. William and Mary was not far behind with five on the First Team, while both Massachusetts and Delaware logged four. James Madison and New Hampshire each had two First Team selections, while Hofstra, Maine and Northeastern also had one on the league’s First Team.
Szczur, who head coach Andy Talley called the best player he has had on the Mainline since Brian Westbrook, was a do-it-all threat for the Wildcats’ offense logging touches as a wide receiver, running back and quarterback. The junior was the only player in all of major college football (FBS and FCS) to log touchdowns as a receiver, rusher, returnman and quarterback. Szczur, who logged 68 carries for 467 yards and five touchdowns for Villanova, also caught 36 balls for 358 yards. Used as a Wildcat-formation quarterback, Szczur was perfect on three pass attempts during the regular season including two for touchdowns. The Erma, N.J., native ended the regular season ranked third in the league in scoring touchdowns with a 5.5 points/game average on a total of 10 touchdowns in 2009.
As a returnman, Szczur proved his capabilities by totalling 629 yards and a touchdown on 23 returns in the 2009 regular season. His average of 27.3 yards per return heading into the playoffs ranks second in CAA Football and fourth among the FCS national leaders. Szczur’s 1,454 all-purpose yards in 2009 is second-best in the league standings, while his average of 132.2 all-purpose yards per game ranks as a Top-20 national mark.
Moats received Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the league in sacks, tackles for loss and defensive linemen tackles. The Portsmouth, Va., native made 90 tackles in 11 games this season for a mark of 8.2 per game. His 2.14 tackles for loss per game not only leads the league, but also ranks as the best regular-season mark in all of major college football (FBS and FCS). Moats, who is listed on the Buck Buchanan Award ballot, totalled a league-best 11 sacks on the year and is tied with William and Mary defensive end Adrian Tracy in the category.
Talley, now in his 25th season at Villanova, garnered his first Coach of the Year honor since earning the award in 1997. He guided the Wildcats to a share of the CAA Football title and the league’s automatic bid into the 2009 NCAA Division I Football Championship. Talley, who led Villanova to its first league title since 2001, ranks as CAA Football’s winningest league-game coach after notching his 107th conference win Saturday over Delaware. The 30-year coaching veteran also moved into esteemed company in 2009 when he garnered his 200th collegiate head coaching win. With the Wildcats’ win over Rhode Island (Oct. 24), Talley joined a group of just 55 other NCAA football head coaches which have reached the 200-win plateau.
Thorpe, who began the 2009 season as part of a two-quarterback system at James Madison, was called on midway through the season to be JMU’s starter after an injury ended Drew Dudzik’s season. Thorpe responded by finishing the season with 1,260 passing yards and six touchdowns to go with 654 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 148 carries. Thorpe, a Richmond, Va., native, finished the regular season ranked sixth in the conference’s passing efficiency numbers with a mark of 130.8. The redshirt freshman also was ninth among CAA Football’s total offense leaders with 174.0 yards/game.
Webb, who began his redshirt-freshman campaign with a three-interception performance in a win at Virginia, is the first-ever William and Mary player to win the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year honor. Webb, who was one pick shy of the league’s single-game interceptions mark against the Cavaliers, was given the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honor following his standout performance. The Newport News, Va., native finished the regular season tied atop the league’s interception leaders with five, including 102 yards in interception returns and one touchdown.
CAA Football In The FCS Polls
For a complete rundown of both the Sports Network Top-25 and the FCS Coaches Poll visit page 27 of the weekly release. Below are highlights and notes about CAA Football in this week’s rankings.
The Sports Network Top-25
-- CAA Football shows four squads among the Top-25 this week, marking a new season-low total for the conference. The last time the league had as few as four appear in The Sports Network Poll was Sept. 3, 2007.
-- Prior to this week, CAA Football has not had fewer than five programs ranked, and had as many as seven ranked on four occasions earlier in 2009 (Preseason-Sept. 14 & Oct. 12).
-- The league fell from the No. 1 spot Nov. 9 after previously-top-ranked Richmond loss to Villanova, Nov. 7. That loss, and subsequent drop in the polls, snapped a nine-week streak in which Richmond (CAA Football) held the top-spot in 2009.
-- CAA Football teams make up half of the Top-6 in this week’s poll, while the remaining three teams are from three different conferences -- Big Sky (Montana), Missouri Valley (Southern Illinois) and Southern (Appalachian State).
-- The league has had at least three teams ranked every week since the poll’s inception and two teams among the poll’s Top-10 in 68-straight weeks and 94 of the last 98 editions.
FCS Coaches Top-25
-- CAA Football has now had two-straight weeks showing a season-low four ranked teams.
-- The league has had as many as eight ranked this season in the Coaches poll, while the league’s total of four equals the fewest dating back to the Sept. 3, 2007 edition of the FCS Coaches Top-25.
-- Richmond’s loss to Villanova, Nov. 7, caused the Spiders to fall from the No. 1 ranking Nov. 9 and snapped the league’s nine-week hold on the poll’s top-spot this season. CAA Football held No. 1 for 11-straight weeks in 2008 (James Madison).
-- The league holds four of the Top-10 spots in this week’s poll, marking 11-straight editions the league has had at least four in the Top-10.
-- Since the FCS Coaches Poll debuted in 2007 CAA Football has had at least four squads ranked in every edition (41 weeks).
Bring On The BCS/FBS
CAA Football has logged a record-breaking total of four wins over BCS/FBS opponents in 2009. New Hampshire (Ball State), Richmond (Duke), Villanova (Temple) and William and Mary (Virginia) all have added BCS/FBS victories to the league’s current total of 23 non-conference wins in 2009.
The league has an all-time mark of 27-112 (.194) against BCS/FBS opponents dating back to the 1978 I-A/I-AA split by the NCAA. Prior to 2009, the league had not beaten more than three BCS/FBS squads in a single season.
CAA Football finished the 2009 season 2-1 against the Mid-American Conference and had a .500 (2-2) mark against the Atlantic Coast Conference (BCS). The only wins for FCS squads, as recognized by the NCAA, over BCS/FBS teams this season have come from CAA Football (4-86).
Note: Central Arkansas (Southland, FCS) beat Western Kentucky (Sun Belt, FBS), 28-7, Sept. 19, but is in its final year of NCAA Division I FCS transition and is not recognized as an FCS program in the NCAA statistics.
CAA Football has now won 18 games versus BCS/FBS opponents in the last 10 years. The league has garnered at least one win over BCS/FBS foes in seven of the last eight years, and multiple wins over BCS/FBS teams in six of the last eight years.
For a complete list of CAA Football’s wins over BCS/FBS opponents check out page 26 of the weekly release.
Poll Position
Villanova, Richmond and William and Mary’s spots at No. 2, No. 4 and No. 6, respectively, in the Sports Network’s Top-10 are among the nation’s longest active streaks for Top-10 rankings. New Hampshire had a string of 13-straight weeks in Top-10 snapped Nov. 16 after it fell to No. 11 (loss at then-No. 5 William and Mary). New Hampshire rebounded with a win over Maine, Nov. 21, and has jumped back into the Top-10 to start a new streak. The Spiders have been part of the Sports Network’s Top-10 for 31-straight weeks which trails only Appalachian State’s 61 consecutive weeks. Villanova’s 22-straight weeks in the Top-10 is right behind Richmond, while William and Mary’s mark of 12-straight ranks as the sixth-longest current streak.
Ranking, Team - Consecutive Weeks In The Sports Network Top-10
No. 5 Appalachian State - 61
No. 4 Richmond - 31
No. 2 Villanova - 22
No. 3 Montana - 21
No. 1 Southern Illinois - 16
No. 6 William and Mary - 12
No. 9 Elon - 8
No. 7 South Carolina State - 6
No. 8 McNeese State - 3
No. 10 New Hampshire - 1
Buck Buchanan & Eddie Robinson Ballots Include Nine CAA Football Names
The Sports Network will hand out its 2009 National Awards, Dec. 17, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Six CAA Football student-athletes were included on the ballot for the Buck Buchanan Award (Defensive) and three head coaches are up for the the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award. The league did not have one of the three finalists for the Walter Payton Award (Overall).
Buck Buchanan Award Ballot
-- Charles Graves, DB, Delaware
-- Tim Kukucka, DL, Villanova
-- Jeromy Miles, DB, Massachusetts
-- Arthur Moats, DL, James Madison
-- Martin Parker, DL, Richmond
-- Adrian Tracy, DL, William and Mary
Eddie Robinson Award Ballot
-- Jimmye Laycock, William and Mary
-- Mike London, Richmond
-- Andy Talley, Villanova
FCS Non-Conference Domination
CAA Football schools are a combined 67-14 against non-conference FCS regular-season competition since 2007. League schools combined to go 21-4 against non-conference FCS regular-season foes in 2007, then compiled a 25-5 non-conference regular-season FCS mark in 2008. Four wins in the NCAA playoff first round this past weekend pushed CAA Football’s non-conference record 21-5 in 2009.
Bend But Don’t Break Defense
Sure the four remaining CAA Football defenses may not all be among the nation’s Top-10 in total, scoring, rushing or passing rankings but they all have a knack for holding steady inside the redzone.
All four CAA Football defenses which remain in the playoffs rank among the Top-45 in redzone defense efficiency. When you take a look at all eight remaining teams in the playoffs, only Southern Illinois ranks among the four CAA Football teams in the category. The remaining three do not rank higher than 54th in the country in redzone defense.
Page 19 of the weekly release has a complete breakdown of redzone touchdowns scored by CAA Football offenses and those allowed by CAA Football defenses.
RZ Eff. Rank (Team) - RZ Efficiency (Pct.)
No. 3 William and Mary - 11/19 (.579)
No. 6 Richmond - 16/25 (.640)
No. 26 Southern Illinois - 24/34 (.706)
No. 32 New Hampshire - 26/36 (.722)
No. 45 Villanova - 24/32 (.750)
No. 54 Stephen F. Austin - 22/28 (.786)
No. 74 Montana - 27/33 (.818)
No. 87 Appalachian State - 24/29 (.828)
CAA Football -- NCAA Championship Notebook
-- All four of CAA Football’s playoff teams have earned wins over FBS foes -- the only teams in the field of 16 with a win over an FBS team. Villanova (Temple), Richmond (Duke), William and Mary (Virginia) and New Hampshire (Ball State).
-- The league’s four first round wins marks the second-straight and third all-time season CAA Football teams have made up four of the final eight playoff squads. The league advanced four past the first round last season, and saw four teams win first round games in 2004 (Atlantic 10).
-- CAA Football teams are a combined 14-22 (.389) in NCAA Division I Football Championship quarterfinal games. League squads have faced each other in quarterfinal games three times, making CAA Football’s non-conference mark 11-19 (.367) in the quarterfinals.
-- The league’s four playoff teams have a combined record of 23-23 in playoff history while under the CAA Football, Atlantic 10, Yankee Conference banner. Those same squads are also 18-9 in playoff games dating back to the 2003 season.
-- The two non-conference CAA Football opponents in this year’s quarterfinals (Appalachian State and Southern Illinois) are a combined 9-5 against CAA Football squads in NCAA Division I Football Championship games.
-- This year’s CAA Football “rematch” in the quarterfinals between New Hampshire and Villanova marks the second-straight year Villanova has played a league foe twice in the same season. Villanova lost to James Madison during the 2008 regular season then fell to the Dukes in last year’s quarterfinal round. New Hampshire beat Villanova during the 2009 regular season in Durham, N.H.
-- CAA Football has two Top-4 seeded teams in the NCAA Division I Football Championship for the first time since 1997. Villanova earned the No. 2 seed and Richmond is the fourth-seeded team this season. In 1997 Villanova earned the top-seed with an 11-0 mark, while Delaware was the No. 4 seed with a record of 10-1.
-- CAA Football has had a program advance to the National Championship game in five of the last six seasons and six times since 1998. The league has also won three of the last six National Championships.
-- CAA Football teams are 34-13 (.723) in home NCAA playoff games and 23-41 (.359) when playing postseason road games since 1978 (includes head-to-head conference team matchups).
DELAWARE (6-5, 4-4 CAA)
Season Complete
-- Delaware closed out its 2009 season with a 30-12 loss to Villanova. The loss to Villanova marks a four-game losing skid for the Blue Hens in the series dubbed The Battle of the Blue. The Blue Hens lost this season’s rivalry game to Villanova despite having more total yards (452-343) and more first downs (25-16).
-- Delaware finished the regular season with a mark of 6-5 and 4-4 in league play. The 6-5 record is the 19th .500-or-better record over the last 23 seasons of Blue Hen football. The .500 mark in league play marks the 17th time in the last 23 seasons.
-- Delaware earned seven All-CAA Football honors following the regular season. Senior wide receiver Mark Duncan earned First Team offensive honors, while senior defensive linemen Brandon Gilbeaux, junior cornerback Anthony Walters and senior safety Charles Graves were on the First Team defense. Senior offensive lineman Corey Nicholson was part of the Second Team offense and junior safety Anthony Bratton was on the Second Team defense. Junior punter Ed Wagner logged a spot as the Third Team All-CAA Football punter.
HOFSTRA (5-6, 3-5 CAA)
Season Complete
-- Quarterback Cory Christopher, the final CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week in 2009, capped his Hofstra career by passing for a career-high 484 yards and three touchdowns in the win over UMass. The senior posted career-highs of 38 completions, 50 attempts and three touchdowns. Christopher’s passing total was the most since Bobby Seck threw for 560 yards against Rhode Island in 2004.
-- The Pride compiled 599 yards of total offense in the season-finale win over UMass. Hofstra also exceeded the 50-point mark for the first time since a 55-0 win over Stony Brook in the 2005 home opener. The 52-point outburst marked the most points by a Dave Cohen-coached Hofstra team during his four-year tenure.
-- Hofstra earned four All-CAA Football honors following the regular season. Senior linebacker Luke Bonus earned First Team defensive honors. Junior fullback Everette Benjamin and junior wide receiver Aaron Weaver were part of the Second Team offense. Sophomore offensive lineman Derek Moore was a Third Team offensive honoree.
JAMES MADISON (6-5, 4-4 CAA)
Season Complete
-- Tight end Mike Caussin had a career-high seven catches for 75 yards in the season-finale win over Towson. The senior raised his career recptions total to 66 and his career receiving yards total to 1,009. Caussin became the eighth player in JMU history with 1,000 receiving yards and ranks No. 18 on Madison’s career receptions list.
-- James Madison earned 11 All-CAA Football honors following the regular season. Senior offensive lineman Dorian Brooks and senior defensive lineman Arthur Moats were First Team picks. Senior cornerback/return specialist Scotty McGee earned Second Team honors as the punt returner, kick returner and at the cornerback position. Senior defensive lineman Sam Daniels also earned Second Team accolades. Senior wide receiver Rockeed McCarter, senior tight end Mike Caussin, junior offensive lineman Theo Sherman, junior defensive lineman Ronnell Brown and sophomore linebacker Pat Williams all earned Third Team spots.
-- In addition to the All-CAA Football honors, the Dukes’ Arthur Moats was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and redshirt freshman quarterback Justin Thorpe was the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.
MAINE (5-6, 4-4 CAA)
Season Complete
-- Quarterback Chris Treister, who completed a school record 40 passes for 468 yards and five touchdowns in the Black Bears’ win over Rhode Island, had his second-consecutive 300 yard passing game against New Hampshire to end the season -- 303 yards and two touchdowns.
-- Wide receiver Mike Brusko made 13 catches for 119 yards and a touchdown in the season-finale loss at New Hampshire. Brusko also served as Maine’s punter, landing three kicks inside the 20-yardline.
-- Maine earned five All-CAA Football honors following the regular season. Senior wide receiver Landis Williams earned First Team offensive honors. Senior offensive lineman Tyler Eastman picked up Second Team offensive recognition. Senior defensive lineman Jordan Stevens, sophomore linebacker Donte Dennis and junior corner back Steven Barker all logged Third Team spots.
MASSACHUSETTS (5-6, 3-5 CAA)
Season Complete
-- Quarterback Scott Woodward drew the first start of his career in his final collegiate game -- at Hofstra. He had played 41 previous games, mostly as a holder. Woodward set new career-highs for completions (19), yards (277), attempts (30) and long pass (48 to Victor Cruz).
-- Running back Tony Nelson scored three rushing touchdowns in the Hofstra game to give him 25 in his career. Nelson is now alone in sixth place all-time in career rushing TDs at UMass. He entered the game tied with Greg Landry, who had 22.
-- Massachusetts earned nine All-CAA Football honors following the regular season. Senior fullback Chris Zardas, senior wide receiver Victor Cruz, senior offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse and senior safety Jeromy Miles all picked up First Team honors. Senior running back Tony Nelson, senior defensive lineman Kyle Harrington and sophomore linebacker Tyler Holmes were part of the All-CAA Football second team. Senior placekicker Armando Cuko and senior defensive lineman Brandon Collier logged spots on the Third Team.
#10/10 NEW HAMPSHIRE (10-2, 6-2 CAA)
This Week: at #2/3 Villanova (11-1, 7-1)
Next Week: To Be Determined
-- Quarterback R.J. Toman completed 17-of-25 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns and rushed eight times for 14 yards and touchdown in New Hampshire’s first round win at McNeese State. Tight end Scott Sicko caught five passes for 51 yards and had two touchdowns against the Cowboys.
-- The win over McNeese State marked UNH’s 10th of the season, which gives the Wildcats 10-or-more wins in four of the last six seasons.
-- The Wildcats, which never trailed on the road to McNeese State, scored 14 of the games first 27 points as well as the game’s final 35 points Saturday.
-- New Hampshire’s berth in the 2009 NCAA Division I Football Championship marks the sixth-straight season the Wildcats have been part of the postseason field. The six-straight appearances equals that of nine other programs, but trails only Montana’s current streak of 17-straight postseason appearances when comparing active streaks.
NORTHEASTERN (3-8, 3-5 CAA)
Season Complete
-- Running back John Griffin logged his fourth 100-yard rushing game over the final five weeks of the 2009 season, tallying 154 yards and two touchdown on 28 carries in Northeastern’s 33-27 season-finale win at Rhode Island. Griffin finished the season with 1,009 yards, just the fifth rusher in Huskies’ history to crack the 1,000 yard mark on the ground. He was also the only running back in CAA Football to finish the regular season with over 1,000 rushing yards.
-- Defensive back Darryl Jones capped his 2009 season with a pair of takeaways in Northeastern’s 33-27 season-finale win at Rhode Island. The junior intercepted a Rhody pass and returned it 33 yards in the first quarter to set up a field goal. He later scooped up a fumble which led to another field goal in the third quarter. Jones ended the 2009 season with a team-best four interceptions and a team-best three fumble recoveries.
-- Northeastern earned two All-CAA Football honors following the regular season. Junior running back John Griffin picked up First Team honors, while senior offensive lineman Kevin Newhall was part of the All-CAA Football second team.
RHODE ISLAND (1-10, 0-8 CAA)
Season Complete
-- Wide receiver Shawn Leonard tied a career-high with three touchdown receptions in the season-finale loss to Northeastern. Leonard led the way offensively for the Rams as he finished the game with five catches for 163 yards. Leonard’s three touchdowns came from 28, 55 and 31 yards out, respectively.
-- Quarterback Chris Paul-Etienne completed 8-of-16 passes for 191 yards in the loss to Northeastern. On the ground, Rhody finished with 147 yards rushing, while running back Ryan Lawrence led the Rams with a career-high 67 yards. Defensively, junior linebacker Matt Hansen led the way as he registered 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack. Defensive lineman Steve Weedon and linebacker Rob Damon also finished with 10 tackles apiece in the loss to the Huskies.
-- Rhode Island earned two All-CAA Football honors following the regular season. Sophomore punter Tim Edger was a Second Team selection and junior linebacker Rob Damon earned Third Team honors.
#4/4 RICHMOND (11-1, 7-1 CAA)
This Week: #5/5 Appalachian State (10-2)
Next Week: To Be Determined
-- Saturday’s win over Elon extended Richmond’s winning streak in NCAA Playoff action to five-consecutive games, which includes the four games the Spiders won last season en route to the National Championship.
-- The Spiders’ out-gained Elon 260-27 in rushing yards, improving to 8-0 over the past two seasons when holding an opponent to less than 40 yards rushing.
-- Richmond is making its third-consecutive playoff appearance and the eighth in the program’s history. The Spiders were the 2008 National Champions, a 2007 Semifinalist and have advanced past the first round in their last four appearances.
-- Quarterback Eric Ward set a career-high with his 136 yards rushing in the win over Elon, surpassing his previous career-high of 91 yards at Appalachian State in last year’s NCAA Quarterfinals. It marks the most yards rushed by a Richmond quarterback since Stacy Tutt gained 144 yards against Towson in 2005.
TOWSON (2-9, 1-7 CAA)
Season Complete
-- Towson intercepted three passes in the season-finale loss at James Madison. Ray White intercepted two passes and linebacker Darius Hill intercepted another pass. The Tigers had intercepted only three passes in their first 10 games going into the game at James Madison.
-- Quarterback Brian Potts, a redshirt freshman, made his first career start at quarterback for the Tigers against James Madison. Potts completed 20-of-34 passes for 168 yards in the season-finale.
-- Receiver Casey Cegles caught six passes for 49 yards in the final game of his career at Towson. Cegles’ 49 receiving yards in the season-finale at James Madison make him the 21st player in Towson history to finish his career with 1,000 receiving yards. In his Tiger career, Cegles caught 85 passes for 1,040 yards and six touchdowns.
-- The Tigers played without redshirt freshman linebacker Danzel White, their leading tackler, in the season-finale loss at James Madison. White finished the 2009 season with 105 tackles in 10 games.
#2/3 VILLANOVA (11-1, 7-1 CAA)
This Week: #10/10 New Hampshire (10-2, 6-2)
Next Week: To Be Determined
-- The Wildcats’ defense limited Holy Cross to just 46 rushing yards marking the ninth time in 11 games this season Villanova opponents have failed to reach the 100-yard mark on the ground.
-- CAA Football Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year Matt Szczur hauled in seven catches for a career-high 130 yards in the win over Holy Cross. Szczur also rushed 11 times for 55 yards and touchdown to go with two kick returns for 27 yards.
-- New Hampshire handed Villanova its only loss this season, 28-24, in Durham, N.H., on Oct. 10. Saturday’s CAA Football rematch between Villanova and New Hampshire will mark the fifth time since 2004 CAA Football league teams have faced each other in the NCAA Division I Football Championship. It is the second-straight season Villanova has had to play a CAA Football foe in the quarterfinal round (at JMU, 2008). New Hampshire’s last “rematch” game in the NCAA playoffs was in 2006 when it took on Massachusetts. Both teams are 0-1 in the “rematch” scenarios.
#6/6 WILLIAM AND MARY (10-2, 6-2 CAA)
This Week: at #1/2 Southern Illinois (11-1)
Next Week: To Be Determined
-- William and Mary limited Weber State to (-6) rushing yards in Saturday’s win marking the third time this season the Tribe did not allow an opponent at least one yard on the ground.
-- The Tribe’s four interceptions in the win over Weber State were a season high. The College also returned two for touchdowns which equalled a league-best single-game team mark. The last time the Tribe had more than four INT’s in a single game was against Penn in 1995 when it picked off five passes.
-- Cornerback B.W. Webb’s two interceptions against Weber State gave him seven on the year, which ties him for fifth all-time on the Tribe’s single-season list.
-- The Tribe is making its first appearance in the NCAA Division I Football Championship since advancing to the National Semifinals in 2004. That same year William and Mary topped James Madison during the regular season, 27-24, before falling to the eventual National Champions in the National Semifinals, 48-34.
#6/6 WILLIAM AND MARY AT #1/2 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Saturday, Dec. 5 - 12:00 pm
McAndrew Stadium (17,324), Carbondale, Ill.
Television: ESPN Game Plan, ESPN360.com, ESPN Syndication
Series: First Meeting
William and Mary (10-2, 6-2 CAA)
Coach: Jimmye Laycock
Career: 199-140-2 (30 years)
School: 199-140-2 (30 years)
Offense
Rushing: Jonathan Grimes (12 G, 225-1102 yards, 6 TD)
Passing: R.J. Archer (12 G, 225-370-7-2347 yards, 15 TD)
Receiving: D.J. McAulay (10 G, 45-510 yards, 3 TD)
Defense
Tackles: Jake Trantin (12 G, 40 solo, 39 assisted, 79 total)
Sacks: Adrian Tracy (12 G, 11.0-64 yards)
Interceptions: B.W. Webb (12 G, 7-160 yards)
Southern Illinois (11-1)
Coach: Dale Lennon
Career: 122-37 (13 years)
School: 20-4 (2 years)
Offense
Rushing: Deji Karim (12 G, 228-1667 yards, 18 TD)
Passing: Paul McIntosh (8 G, 72-105-3-839 yards, 8 TD)
Receiving: Joe Allaria (12 G, 51-690 yards, 4 TD)
Defense
Tackles: Brandin Jordan (11 G, 32 solo, 44 assisted, 76 total)
Sacks: Kyle Walker (11 G, 8.0-52 yards)
Interceptions: Mike McElroy (12 G, 6-129 yards)
#10/10 NEW HAMPSHIRE AT #2/3 VILLANOVA
Saturday, Dec. 5 - 3:30 pm
Villanova Stadium (12,000), Villanova, Pa.
Television: ESPN Game Plan, ESPN360.com, ESPN Syndication
Series: Villanova leads 10-9
New Hampshire (10-2, 6-2 CAA)
Coach: Sean McDonnell
Career: 80-52 (11 years)
School: 80-52 (11 years)
Offense
Rushing: Chad Kackert (11 G, 157-790 yards, 10 TD)
Passing: R.J. Toman (11 G, 168-302-11-2135 yards, 15 TD)
Receiving: Scott Sicko (12 G, 53-696 yards, 9 TD)
Defense
Tackles: Devon Jackson (11 G, 44 solo, 53 assisted, 97 total)
Sacks: Kyle Maroney (12 G, 5.5-45 yards)
Interceptions: Terrence Klein (12 G, 6-88 yards)
Villanova (11-1, 7-1 CAA)
Coach: Andy Talley
Career: 204-120-2 (30 years)
School: 176-102-1 (25 years)
Offense
Rushing: Chris Whitney (12 G, 156-790 yards, 4 TD)
Passing: Chris Whitney (12 G, 139-208-3-1652 yards, 17 TD)
Receiving: Brandyn Harvey (12 G, 50-629 yards, 5 TD)
Defense
Tackles: Terence Thomas (12 G, 54 solo, 43 assisted, 97 total)
Sacks: Terence Thomas (12 G, 7.0-53 yards)
Interceptions: James Pitts (12 G, 4-16 yards)
#5/5 APPALACHIAN STATE AT #4/4 RICHMOND
Saturday, Dec. 5 - 7:00 pm
UR Stadium (21,319), Richmond, Va.
Television: ESPN Game Plan, ESPN360.com, ESPN Syndication
Series: Appalachian State leads 4-3
Appalachian State (10-2)
Coach: Jerry Moore
Career: 215-123-2 (28 years)
School: 188-75 (21 years)
Offense
Rushing: Devon Moore (12 G, 213-1115 yards, 15 TD)
Passing: Armanti Edwards (10 G, 208-291-6-2722 yards, 11 TD)
Receiving: Brian Quick (12 G, 49-819 yards, 4 TD)
Defense
Tackles: D.J. Smith (12 G, 49 solo, 64 assisted, 113 total)
Sacks: Lanston Tanyi (12 G, 7.5-69 yards)
Interceptions: Mark LeGree (12 G, 7-81 yards)
Richmond (11-1, 7-1 CAA)
Coach: Mike London
Career: 24-4 (2 years)
School: 24-4 (2 years)
Offense
Rushing: Justin Forte (12 G, 210-999 yards, 6 TD)
Passing: Eric Ward (12 G, 189-300-10-2194 yards, 15 TD)
Receiving: Tre Gray (12 G, 46-622 yards, 3 TD)
Defense
Tackles: Collin McConaghy (12 G, 35 solo, 54 assisted, 89 total)
Sacks: Martin Parker (12 G, 6.5-38 yards)
Interceptions: Michael Ireland (11 G, 3-115 yards)