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CAA: Week 2 Recap and Power Rankings

Zac Price

We’ve already completed 2 weeks out of the 2017 regular season and look to have another exciting week of matchups in Week 3.  I’ll take a look back at the Colonial Athletic Association results from Week 2 and rank the teams as I see them after 2 weeks of play.

(#8) New Hampshire 22 – Georgia Southern 12

The Wildcats dominated the first half, heading into halftime up 22 – 0, and relied on their defense to hold on and win by 10 for the FBS upset.  QB Trevor Knight went 13 for 22 with 129 yards and 2 TDs, and ran on 9 rushes for 55 yards.  RB Evan Gray also added 77 yards and a TD on the ground.  New Hampshire’s defense shined in the first half, shutting out the vaunted Georgia Southern offense.  They also held on to prevent a Georgia Southern comeback.  UNH will continue to try and remain unbeaten in Week 3 against Patriot League foe Holy Cross.

(#7) Villanova 13 – Temple 16

Down 10-0 at the half, the Wildcats rallied to tied the game at 13 all with 3:29 left in the 4th quarter.  Their bid to claim another FBS scalp fell short, though, as Temple’s Aaron Boumerhi kicked the game winning field goal with a minute left and a Nova fumble ended their attempt to win or tie.  QB Zach Bednarczyk had a strong day completing 27 out of 41 attempts for 382 yards and a TD.  The Wildcats couldn’t get much going with their ground game, however, only rushing for 20 yards.  Villanova will hope to bounce back in Week 3 against regional Patriot League foe Lafayette.

Delaware 0 – (#18 FBS) Virginia Tech 27

The Blue Hens failed to repeat what the Dukes did 7 years ago in defeating a ranked Virginia Tech team, getting shut out in Blacksburg.  The Delaware defense did look promising, holding the Hokies to only 27 points and only 81 yards rushing.  But the offense could not get any traction either through the air or on the ground.  Troy Reeder did recover a fumble for the Blue Hens, but they were unable to turn it into points.  Delaware will have an easier path to victory in Week 3, facing Cornell at the Tub.

(#11) Richmond 20 – (#24) Colgate 17

Despite being down 14 – 7 at the half, Richmond rallied back to win on the strength of a Griffin Trau FG with 1:29 left. DB Daniel Jones’ picked off Colgate’s Grant Breneman on the Raiders’ first play of their final drive.   Spiders’ QB Kyle Lauletta came back down to earth somewhat, going 25 for 38 with 306 yards and an INT.  While RBs Deontez Thompson and Gordon Collins both punched in TD runs, Richmond did not have the same success on the ground as it did against Sam Houston, only rushing for 62 total yards.  The Spiders will look to go 2-1 in their challenging out of conference slate this year as they take on the first of two former head coaches they face this season in Howard’s Mike London.

https://twitter.com/SpiderFootball/status/906577889340116994

Elon 34 – Furman 31

The Phoenix jumped out to an early lead going up 21-0 in the first quarter.  However, the host Paladins came back to take the lead in the 3rd, going up 31-24.  The fourth quarter belonged to Elon, however, as they scored 10 unanswered to come back and win on a Owen Johnson 36 yard field goal with 5 seconds remaining.  Elon’s QB Davis Cheek went 26 for 35 for 301 yards and 3 TDs with one INT, and RB Brelynd Cyphers led the Phoenix with 75 yards rushing and a touchdown.  Elon continues its tough out of conference schedule in Week 3, hosting 2016 playoff team Charleston Southern.

Stony Brook 35 – Rhode Island 16

The Seawolves used a fast start to jump on top of the Rams 21- 0 in the 2nd quarter and held on to win by 17.  Stony Brook RB Stacey Bedell punched in 2 TDs and Donald Liotine punched in another to add to Joe Carbone’s 2 TDs in the air.  Rhode Island’s Tyler Harris averaged 5.8 ypc for 185 yard and a TD, but threw two interceptions that cost the Rams a chance to get back into the game.  The Seawolves will look to continue their success in Week 3 against former NEC foe Sacred Heart while Rhode Island will try to turn things around against Harvard.

Towson 17 – Maryland 63

The Tigers were overmatched from the start, giving up 21 points in both the first and third quarters.  Towson’s defense gave up 367 yards on the ground to the Terrapins, and 163 in the air.  Tigers’ QB Ryan Stover went 21 for 36 with 210 yards and two TDs and two INTs.  He also added on 52 yards rushing on 13 attempts to lead the Tigers on the ground.  Not much to say here other than the Tigers’ got a payday.  They’ll hope to rebound in Week 3 against St. Francis (PA).

William & Mary 20 – Norfolk State 6

Tribe QB Tommy McKee showed he could get it done in the air going 16-27 for 169 yards and 3 TDs, but continued on last week’s performance on the ground at UVA by rushing for 114 yards on 14 carries.  It seems the Ebirt’s entire offense is going through McKee at this point, with no other rushers sticking out through two games.  The Tribe will take on Bucknell in Week 3 while Norfolk State faces an even tougher task at James Madison.

Bryant 12 – Maine 60

Maine bounced back after a tough loss last week to rival UNH to show the rest of the CAA that they have what it takes to compete – especially on the ground.  Josh Mack ran wild for 255 yards on only 13 carries (averaging 19.6 ypc) and 3 TDs, while Joe Fitzpatrick also broke the 100 yard mark by rushing for 103 yards on 17 carries.   Black Bear QB Chris Ferguson matched Mack’s 3 TDs while throwing for 150 yards as well. Maine’s defense held Bryant to only a FG and a TD, and just over 300 yards total offense.  The Black Bears will have two weeks to prepare for #1 James Madison on 9/23, getting their bye week in Week 3.

Albany 26 – Morgan State 0

The Bears were blanked for the second straight week against a CAA opponent as the Great Danes imposed their will on offense and defense at Hughes Stadium.  Albany QB Will Brunson threw for 143 yards and a TD while running back Karl “Motor” Mofor was 2 yards shy of the Hundo mark with 98 yards and 2 TDs.  The Great Dane defense was also great, only allowing 234 total yards and impressing by shutting out the Bears at home.  Albany looks to continue to improve hosting Monmouth in Week 3.

East Tennessee State 10 – (#1) James Madison 52

The National Champs showed they could get it done on both sides of the ball after dominating with the rush in Week 1.  ETSU sold out against the run and forced the Dukes to go to the air, which they did successfully.  QB Bryan Schor threw 25 for 33 for 304 yards and 5 TDs, showing he is well-placed in the group of elite FCS quarterbacks.  The Bucs should be commended for stopping the run, allowing JMU to rush for only 122 on the ground.  However, JMU’s defense continued to impress, allowing only a field goal to the ETSU offense.  Schor’s one mistake, an INT returned for a TD, was the lone highlight for the Bucs’ defense.  JMU’s Ish Hyman led receivers with 93 yards and 2 TDs, while Riley Stapleton also had 64 yards and two TDs.  The Dukes take Division 1’s longest active win streak (14) in to Week 3 as they host Norfolk State.

Week 2 CAA Power Rankings (previous week)

Lots of shake-ups in our power rankings this week as some teams jump ahead. Our biggest jump up was Elon after their impressive win against SOCON power Furman.  The biggest fall was Delaware after failing to put points on the board against FBS Virginia Tech.

1. James Madison (1)
2. New Hampshire (3)
3. Villanova (2)
4. Maine (4)
5. Richmond (5)
6. Stony Brook (9)
7. Albany (10)
8. Elon (12)
9. Rhode Island (6)
10. W&M (8)
11. Delaware (7)
12. Towson (11)

 

 

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I'm a native Georgian who who grew up watching Georgia Southern and FCS football. As a JMU alum, I've watched countless CAA and FCS football contests in person and televised since 2002. I currently live in Richmond VA with my beautiful wife and 5 pound chihuahua, my Mexican stepson. Follow me on twitter @ZPriceIsRight

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