Tuesday, August 31, 2010

It's an odd year in the Colonial Athletic Association for football. It's one year after Northeastern and Hofstra discontinued their programs and one year before the league starts expanding again.

So for one season, the football conference, which has won four of the last seven Championship Subdivision titles, will have 10 teams and a handful of contenders trying to add to the title total.

The following are CAA team capsules in order of the league's preseason poll.

1. Villanova

2009: 14-1 (7-1 CAA) won FCS Championship

Key players: Matt Szczur, Sr., WR; Terrence Thomas, Sr., LB; Chris Whitney, Sr., QB; John Dempsey, Sr., S

Outlook: The Wildcats, who are the top-ranked team in the country, are the favorite to repeat both in the CAA and nationally. Villanova returns the preseason offensive and defensive players of the year in Szczur and Thomas respectively, as well as Whitney, who belongs in any discussion of the FCS' top passers.

Szczur, who is listed as a wide receiver, will line up at running back, receiver and occasionally even quarterback. In 2009, he ran for 813 yards and a league best 10 rushing TDs. He caught 15 passes for 51 yards and four touchdowns.

Whitney led the CAA in TD passes with 18 while averaging 129.1 passing yards per game. Thomas was second in the conference with 116 tackles.

UMass does not play Villanova.

2. William & Mary

2009: 11-3 (6-2 CAA) advanced to the FCS playoff semifinals.

Key players: Jonathan Grimes, Jr., RB; Jake Trantin, Jr., LB; B.W. Webb, So., CB

Outlook: If the Tribe can effectively replace quarterback R.J. Archer, they could be in the mix of teams competing for a CAA and FCS title.

In a surprise move, coach Jimmye Laycock named senior Mike Callahan the starter at quarterback over North Carolina transfer Michael Paulus. Callahan will have the luxury of handing off to Grimes, whose 1,294 rushing yards and nine touchdowns landed him on the Walter Payton watch list.

Trantin and Webb, who was last year's defensive rookie of the year, lead a deep defense that should take some pressure off the offense early.

The Tribe play at UMass Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

3. New Hampshire

2009: 10-3, (6-2 CAA) advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs

Key players: R.J. Toman, Sr., QB; Dino Vasso, Sr., CB; Brian McNally, Jr., DL; Devon Jackson, Sr., LB

Outlook: New Hampshire was ranked third in the CAA Preseason poll and No. 10 in the nation, but they'll have some key players to replace to be able to live up to annual high expectations.

While Toman (2,181 passing yards, 15 TDs, 11 INTs) returns, the Wildcats have some holes to fill at key spots as leading receiver Scott Sicko and top tailback Chad Kackert graduated.

Jackson, who averaged 8.2 tackles per game last year, leads the Wildcat defense.

New Hampshire plays UMass on Oct. 23 at Gillette Stadium at 3:30 p.m.

4. James Madison

2009: 6-5 (4-4 CAA)

Key players: Ronnell Brown, Sr., DL; Drew Dudzik, Sr., QB

Outlook: The Dukes won their last four games of the 2009 season and will try to build off that momentum and return to the FCS elite. They're ranked No. 15 in both preseason polls, but coach Mickey Matthews thinks his team is underrated.

"In the preseason polls nobody is giving us much credit, but around here we think we're going to be pretty good," Matthews said.

Dudzik will be back under center after missing the last six games last year with a foot injury.

JMU hosts UMass on Oct. 30 at 3:30 p.m.

5. Delaware

2009: 6-5 (4-4 CAA)

Key players: Pat Devlin, Sr, QB; Anton Bratton, Sr., S; Matt Marcorelle, Sr., LB

Outlook: Two years out of the postseason is an eternity at Delaware, where fans expect to compete for FCS titles. The Blue Hens will try to avoid making it three.

A year ago, they beat the teams they were expected to beat, but struggled against the tougher teams on their schedule. To get back to the playoffs, they'll need to start winning tougher games.

Aiding that quest is the presence of Devlin, who is among the best quarterbacks in FCS and a potential NFL draft pick. On defense, Delaware has been helped by the return of Marcorelle (15 career sacks), who was injured last season.

The Blue Hens are at UMass on Nov. 13 at 1 p.m.

6. Richmond

2009: 11-2 (7-1 CAA) advanced to the second round of FCS Playoffs

Key players: Aaron Corp, Jr., QB; Kevin Grayson, Sr., WR; Tre Gray, Jr., WR; Martin Parker, Sr., DL; Eric McBride, Sr., LB; Justin Rogers, Sr., CB

Outlook: Who knows better, the CAA coaches and media who vote in the preseason poll or the national voters in both the Sports Network media poll and FCS coaches poll? Richmond was picked No. 6 out of 10 in the CAA preseason poll putting them in the back half of the league. The Spiders were also picked No. 6 in both top 25s, putting them in the top five percent of teams in the country.

Richmond starts 2010 with a new stadium, a new coach and a new quarterback. Behind coach Latrell Scott, who replaced Mike London, and Corp, a Southern Cal transfer at QB, the Spiders will try to make their first season in Robbins Stadium one that keeps them among the nation's elite.

On defense Richmond has three players on the Buck Buchanan watch list in McBride, Parker and Rogers.

Richmond is at UMass on Oct. 16 at 3:30 p.m.

7. Maine

2009: 5-6 (4-4 CAA)

Key players: Jerron McMillian, Jr., DB; Trevor Coston, Jr., DB; Donte Dennis, Jr., LB; Jared Turcotte, Sr., RB

Outlook: Coach Jack Cosgrove named Warren Smith the winner of his team's quarterback competition, but it's the running game that will pace the Black Bear offense. The return of Turcotte, who missed last season with an injury, should further strengthen that attack.

Maine's defense seems to always be good and this year's unit should be led by a talented secondary and Dennis, whose 106 tackles were fifth in the CAA in 2009.

Maine is at UMass on Nov. 6 at 3:30 p.m.

8. UMass

2009: 5-6 (3-5 CAA)

Key players: Tyler Holmes, Jr., LB; John Griffin, Sr., RB; Kyle Havens, Sr., QB

Outlook: For UMass to become a playoff contender again some questions need to be answered?

Can the newly constructed offensive and defensive lines be effective?

Can the Minutemen figure out how to win on the road?

Can Havens improve off a tough season to give UMass strong quarterback play?

9. Rhode Island

2009: 1-10 (0-8 CAA)

Key players: Steve Probst, Jr., QB; Rob Damon, Sr., LB

Outlook: The Rams plan to leave the Colonial Athletic Association for the Northeast Conference in 2013 will make it that much harder for them to recruit top level CAA players. They haven't recruited well anyway, but until they're gone, their recent struggles in conference play are likely to intensify.

The Rams were helped by the addition of Probst, the former Hofstra quarterback, who'll be the starter for at least the beginning of the season until injured incumbent Chris Paul-Etienne is healthy.

Damon, the conference's leading tackler last year with 124 tackles, returns to lead the Ram defense. He's joined at linebacker by Matt Hansen, who was fourth in the league with 103.

URI hosts UMass on Nov. 20 at 12:30 p.m.

10. Towson

2009: 2-9 (1-7 CAA)

Key players: Yaky Ibia, Sr., DL; Bart Blanchard, Sr., QB

Outlook: The Tigers ranked last in scoring last year (13.5 ppg.) and second to last in points allowed (36.5 ppg.) so there's plenty of room to improve.

Perhaps helping that improvement could be Blanchard, the transfer from the Citadel, who'll try to right the ship at quarterback. On defense sophomore Danzel White, who was among the league leaders in tackles last year, will lead a young defense.

Towson hosts UMass on Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.