Week 1 CAA Game Breakdowns
Nine games are on the schedule for the new season of the Colonial Athletic Association, and if this year is as wild as the previous season then East Coast football fans could be in for a real treat. The season gets underway with three games on Thursday and finishes with several Saturday contests, including a night game involving a top-25 national team.
Rhode Island at Fordham, Thursday, 7:00
It was not a strong season at all for Rhode Island, which went winless last year and is now on a 13-game losing streak to begin the 2013 campaign. At first it looked like Rhode Island wouldn’t even be in the CAA after it announced its intent to join the Northeast Conference. That agreement fell through for the most part, and Rhode Island is an associate member of the CAA in football only for the time being. Fordham takes part in the Patriot League but does not contend for the title because it uses scholarship players. Fordham was 6-5 a year ago, and that’s all you need to know about this matchup.
Projected Score: Fordham 28, Rhode Island 0
#9 Towson at Connecticut, Thursday, 7:30
When is it possible for an FCS squad to beat an FBS opponent and make a little history in the process? When the team you are facing is much better known for its men’s and women’s basketball than its gridiron exploits. This will not be an easy game for Towson, but it has a chance of winning against a UConn squad that went 5-7 overall last season. Towson went 6-2 in the CAA and ended in a four-way tie for second place. This game will be an interesting one, and I give the edge to Towson based on last year’s exploits and its high FCS rank.
Projected Score: Towson 21, Connecticut 20
Jacksonville at Delaware, Thursday, 7:30
Poor Delaware. The Blue Hens were thought to have a strong squad, as evidenced by a 4-0 start, but the bottom dropped out as Delaware lost six of its final seven games and finished out of the running for the CAA title and a .500 record. Jacksonville plays in the Pioneer League and its respectable 7-4 mark was bolstered by a 5-3 record in Pioneer play. Jacksonville had a similar swoon after starting the season with a 6-1 record. This game is a tossup based on past records, and it will be very close.
Projected Score: Jacksonville 27, Delaware 21
William & Mary at West Virginia, Saturday, 12:00
Welcome back to Morgantown, Mountaineer football lovers. Your sacrificial opponent for week one happens to be one of the bottom teams in the CAA. William and Mary ended up with a 2-9 overall record (1-7 in the league), while West Virginia went 7-6 overall and 4-5 in its first year as a Big 12 member. So why is this game a one-sided contest? West Virginia plays a much tougher schedule than William and Mary and some week one contests are lopsided. This will be one of them.
Projected Score: West Virginia 40, William and Mary 7
#6 Villanova at Boston College, Saturday, 12:00
Villanova is one of those schools with memberships in two conferences, and Villanova’s football program is in the CAA. Villanova went 8-4 last season and earned the automatic bid into the FCS playoffs because Old Dominion was not eligible for the bid as the league champion. Boston College went 2-10 overall and 1-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Atlantic Division, putting the team solidly into the basement. This is an example of a game where FCS could – and likely will – beat the FBS.
Projected Score: Villanova 17, Boston College 14
Albany at Duquesne, Saturday, 12:10
The Great Danes are a new member to the CAA, but they are no strangers to success in FCS ball. Albany went 9-2 overall and won a share of the Northeast Conference title. Somehow it didn’t earn a trip to the playoffs, but it is another year and Albany could be quite successful in its first season of CAA play. Duquesne (5-6, 3-5) is a current Northeast Conference member, so this game will almost be old home week for Albany. This won’t be as one-sided as it could be because Duquesne played Albany tough last season. The Dukes will again.
Projected Score: Albany 37, Duquesne 34
James Madison at Central Connecticut State, Saturday, 6:00
Central Connecticut State is also a member of the Northeast Conference, and it did not have a good year at all as it finished near the bottom of the NEC. That should be a recipe for a one-sided victory for James Madison (7-4, 5-3 CAA). The league had seven teams finish at or above .500, and the relative strength of the CAA schedule should not be an issue at all as James Madison triumphs in a week one matchup.
Projected Score: James Madison 31, Central Connecticut State 3
Maine at Norfolk State, Saturday, 6:00
Maine finished .500 in the CAA at 4-4 but just below the even mark overall at 5-6. Still, the same rule of thumb applies here. The CAA is one of the toughest conferences in the nation, and that makes all non-league matchups tilt in favor of the CAA. Norfolk State comes into 2013 having been picked to finish seventh in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. There is a big difference between the CAA’s No. 7 and the MEAC’s No. 7.
Projected Score: Maine 34, Norfolk State 17
VMI at #17 Richmond, Saturday, 6:00
Richmond turned around its football program in a hurry. The 2011 squad went 3-8 overall and didn’t win a game in the CAA, but the 2012 team finished in a tie for second at 8-3 overall and went 6-2 in the league. VMI is one of six remaining teams in the Big South and it placed fifth overall (2-9, 1-5). This game could get ugly in a hurry, although the Spiders may let up on the gas and avoid a blowout. Week one goes to Richmond.
Projected Score: Richmond 44, VMU 10
See All FCS Games of the Week Breakdowns
