CAA Preseason Poll and All-Conference Team

[93henfan]

Towson's QB is now listed as a senior. Apparently he played on Holy Cross's JV and then transferred to a JC. Both counts towards his eligibility now.

Also:

[BDKJMU]

BDKJMU, I'll include you on the opposite side of my wager. Penalties for being incorrect should be some kind of change of avatar and signature for at least several months once the 2012-2013 season is complete. I'm thinking to give everyone a little leg room we'll make it a 6 win threshold. If Towson wins 6 or fewer games, they certainly won't win the conference, but they'll still have a VERY outside shot at a playoff bid with a schedule as challenging as theirs.

TU wasn't able to win more than 3 consecutive games last season, with an easier schedule than what they have this year, and the CAA was in a bit of a rebuilding year. BDK, you have them winning 5 straight coming off trips to Baton Rouge and Harrisonville, and over a month after their rest week. 5 straight is so improbable, that I might be willing to make an even more embarrassing bet just for you.

There's still plenty of time for things to change with camp coming here in a few days, but just taking a glance at things here in late July I think it's curtains for a Towson repeat, and a winning record is going to be an uphill battle for them.

6-5 will not get Towson or anyone else a playoff bid. But I'll take your wager. Towson wins 7 or more I win. They win 6 of less you win.

[BDKJMU]

Teams listed in order of CAA Pre season coach's picks. Last season's record listed and # of staters returning according to the CAA Preview unless otherwise noted:
http://www.caasports.com/ViewArticle.db ... =205430212" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Towson (9-3/7-1)
Starters Returning: 17 (8 Offense, 9 Defense)
Key returners:
-QB Grant Enders
-1st team All CAA: RB Terrance West (CAA & national offensive rookie of year), S Jordan Dangerfield
-2nd team All CAA: DL Frank Beltre, KR Derrick Joseph
-3rd team All CAA: OL Eric Pike
Key losses:
2nd team All CAA: OL Henry Glackin
3rd team All CAA: FB/HB Tyler Wharton

(miss UR & GST)
9/1 @ Kent State
9/8 Bye
9/15 W&M
9/22 St Francis
9/29 @ LSU
10/6 @ JMU
10/13 Maine
10/20 ODU
10/27 @ Villanova
11/3 @ UD
10/10 URI
10/17 @ UNH

[BDKJMU]

ODU (10-3/6-2)
Starters Returning 13: (7 Offense, 6 Defense) (CAA Preview lists 8 Offense, 7 Defense, but that was before returning 3rd Team All CAA WR & punt returner and starting CB were arrested on rape charges).
Key returners:
1st team All CAA: WR Nick Mayers, LB Craig Wilkins
2nd team All CAA: CB Eriq Lewis
3rd team All CAA: QB Taylor Heinicke, DL Chris Burnette, PK Jarod Brown
Key losses:
1st team all CAA: DL Ronnie Cameron
3rd team All CAA: OL Jeremy Hensley

(the no travel/no I-A game schedule with 9 of 11 games in VA + @ TU and GST) (miss Maine & URI):
9/1 Duquesne
9/8 @ Hampton
9/15 Campbell
9/22 UNH
9/29 @ UR
10/6 Bye
10/13 Villanova
10/20 @ TU
10/27 UD
11/3 @ GST
11/10 W&M
11/17 @ JMU

[BDKJMU]

JMU (8-5/5-3)
Starters Returning 14 (8 offense, 6 defense)
+ 2 offensive starters from 10' who missed all of last season, an OL and 4 star WR transfer from UVGay.
+ starting LB from 08'-09' who missed most of the last 2 season.
+ 4 star transfer who was MD's starting safety last yr as an rFr.
+ starting DT who went down for the season in game 2

Key Returners
-QB Justin Thorpe (10-1 in last 11 starts vs I-AA, including 7-0 CAA, only loss being @ NDSU)
-1st team All CAA: OG Earl Watford, LB Stephon Roberstson (2010 CAA Defensive Rookie of Year)
-2nd team All CAA: RB Dae'Quan Scott (also 2nd team PR), TE/HB Brian Barlow
-3rd team All CAA: S Dean Marlowe (CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year)
Key losses:
1st team all CAA: DE DJ Bryant
2nd team All CAA: OC Roane Babington
3rd team All CAA: WR Kerby Long, DT Lamar Middleton, LB Pat Williams

(miss UD & UNH)
9/1 Saint Francis
9/8 Alcorn St
9/15 WVU @ Fed Ex Field
9/22 @ URI
9/29 Bye
10/6 Towson
10/13 W&M
10/20 @ UR
10/27 GST
11/3 @ Maine
11/10 @ Villanova
11/17 ODU

[BDKJMU]

UNH: (8-4/5-3)
Starters Returning: 14 (7 offense, 7 defense)
Key Returners:
-1st team All CAA: LB Matt Evans
-2nd team All CAA: WR R.J. Harris, OL Ricky Archer, PK Mike MacArthur
-3rd team All CAA: WR Joey Orlando, OL Seamus O'Neill
Key Losses
-1st team All CAA: QB Kevin Decker, DE Brian McNally

(miss Villanova & JMU)
9/1 @Holy Cross
9/8 @Minnesota
9/15 Central Conn St
9/22 @ODU
9/29 Delaware
10/6 @Georgia St
10/13 Richmond
10/20 @Maine
10/27 @URI
11/3 W&M
11/10 Bye
11/17 Towson

[BDKJMU]

UD: (7-4/5-3)
Starters Returning:13 (4 offense, 9 defense + MD starting DE transfer Mackall)
Key Returners:
-QB Tim Donnely (one of 3 candidates to start at QB including a transfer from Bowling Green).
-1st Team All CAA: PK Sean Baner
-2nd team All CAA: RB Andrew Pierce, WR Nihja White, LB Paul Worrilow, CB Travis Hawkins
-3rd team All CAA: CB Marcus Burley
Key Losses:
-1st Team All CAA: OL Shea Allard, OL Gino Gradkowski
-2nd team All CAA: OL Rob McDowell, DL Michael Atunrase

(miss JMU & GST) *With Div 2 West Chester will need to go 8-3 to get 7 Div I wins to make playoffs.
9/1 - West Chester (Div II)
9/8 – DelState
9/15 – Bucknell
9/22 - @ W&M
9/29- @ UNH
10/6 – Maine
10/13 - BYE
10/20 – URI
10/27 - @ ODU
11/3 – Towson
11/10 - @ Richmond
11/17 – Villanova

[BDKJMU]

Maine: (9-4/6-2)
Starters Returning: 14 (7 offense, 7 defense) (Lose 1st and 2nd string QB)
Key returners:
1st team All CAA: WR Maurice McDonald, OL Chris Howley,
2nd team All CAA: TE Justin Perillo, OL Josh Spearin, DL Michael Cole
Key losses:
1st team all CAA safety Jerron McMilliam,
2nd team All CAA QB Warren Smith, LB Vincent Givens, S Trevor Coston
3rd team All CAA: RB Pushaun Brown, DL Raibonne Charles

(miss ODU & UR)
9/1: Bye
9/8: @ BC
9/15: Bryant
9/22: Albany
9/29: Nova
10/6: @ UD
10/13: @ TU
10/20: UNH
10/27: @ W&M
11/3: JMU
11/10: GST
11/17: @ URI

[BDKJMU]

W&M: (5-6/3-5)
Starters Returning: 12 (6 offense, 6 defense)
Key Returners:
-QB Brent Caprio
-1st Team All CAA: CB BW Webb,
-2nd team All CAA: S Brian Thompson, LB Dante Cook (2010, pre season 11’ All CAA, missed most of last season)
-3rd team All CAA: LB Jabrel Mines
Key Losses:
-1ST Team All CAA: RB Jonathon Grimes (also 3rd team KR), TE Alex Gottleib, OL James Pagliaro
-2nd team All CAA: DE Marcus Hyde

(miss Villanova & URI)
9/1 @ Maryland
9/8 Lafayette
9/15 @ Towson
9/22 UD
9/29 GST
10/6 @ Penn
10/13 @ JMU
10/20 Bye
10/27 Maine
11/3 @ UNH
11/10 @ ODU
11/17 UR

[BDKJMU]

Villanova: (2-9/1-7)
Starters Returning: 21 (11 Offense, 10 Defense)

Key returners:
-QBs Chris Polony, Dustin Thomas
-1st team All CAA: WR Norman White (2010, pre season 11’ All CAA, missed all of last season), OC Dan Shirey
-3rd team All CAA: LB Dillon Lucas, P Mark Hamilton
Key losses:
1st team all CAA: CB James Pitts

(miss W&M & UNH)
8/30: @ Temple
9/8: Fordham
9/15: URI
9/22: @ Penn
9/29: @ Maine
10/6: UR
10/13: @ ODU
10/20: @ GST
10/27: Towson
11/3: Bye
11/10: JMU
11/17: @ UD

[BDKJMU]

UR (3-8/0-8)
Starters Returning: 13 (6 offense, 7 defense)
Key Returners:
2nd team All CAA LB Darius McMillan
Key Losses:
QB Aaron Corp
1st team All CAA WR Tre Gray
3rd team All CAA S Colin Pehanick

(miss Towson & Maine)
9/1 @ UVA
9/8 Gardner-Webb
9/15 @ VMI
9/22 GST
9/29 ODU
10/6 @ Villanova
10/13 @ UNH
10/20 JMU
10/27 Bye
11/3 URI
11/10 UD
11/17 @ W&M [/b]

[BDKJMU]

URI: (3-8/2-6)
Starters Returning: 9 (5 offense, 4 defense)
Key Returners
-QB Bob Bentsen
-3rd team All CAA: LB Doug Johnson
Key Losses:
-2nd team All CAA: WR Anthony Baskerville, OL Jason Foster, DL Willie McGinnis
-3rd team All CAA: OL Kyle Bogumil

(miss W&M & ODU)
9/1 Bye
9/8 @ Monmouth
9/15 @ Villanova
9/22 JMU
9/29 @ Bowling Green
10/6 Brown
10/13 GST
10/20 @ UD
10/27 UNH
11/3 @ UR
11/10 TU
11/17 Maine

[BDKJMU]

GST: (3-8)
Starters Returning: 10 (6 Offense, 4 Defense)

(miss UD & Towson)
9/1 SC State
9/8 @ Tennessee
9/15 UTSA
9/22 UR
9/29 @ W&M
10/6 UNH
10/13 @ URI
10/20 Villanova
10/27 @ JMU
11/3 ODU
11/10 @ MAINE
11/17 Bye

[BDKJMU]

Coaches & media have to do their predictions now because of Media Days, and coaches don't have time to deal with that at the end of camp. But its better to wait till the week of the opener to do a league wide prediction for all the teams because of the fact that teams can lose important or top players during summer camp, or multiple players at one position, that changes everything. Just 2 examples off the top of my head:
-09' JMU lost 2 Sr starting OL for the season, one to an academic eligibility issue, and one to injury. Started 2 rFr in their place. Had a major negative impact on offense.
-Last season the week before their home opener with Temple Villanova lost their season All CAA & AA WR for the season due to injury

Odds are 1-2 of the 25 or so pre season All CAA players will go down during camp with injuries that cause them to miss a good portion of all of the season
Someone could lose a QB to injury that cause them to miss a good portion of all of the season.
A team could lose a couple of starters at one position to injury.

Plus I'm interested to hear about several things such as what UNH and Maine have at QB which I have no idea about, and who ends up starting for UD at QB behind the 4 new starting OL.

[Purple Reign]

Kate says JMU will be the CAA Champs ! Go Dukes !

[BDKJMU]

Richmond Times Dispatch CAA football schools waiting for stabilization

BALTIMORE --
Old Dominion coach Bobby Wilder saw James Madison increase the capacity of Bridgeforth Stadium to 25,000 for last season, and then consistently sell out. He thought what a lot of other folks did.

"As a coach, you don't think that a school like JMU makes a move like they did with their stadium to stay where they are," Wilder said Wednesday at the CAA Football media day at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens.

Old Dominion made the move, announcing May 17 a shift from FCS to the FBS and Conference USA for next season. Georgia State is leaving the CAA in 2013 for the FBS and the Sun Belt Conference. A steady beat in Wednesday conversations among coaches and media was the unstable state of college football.

Speaking of reclassification and conference changes, University of Richmond coach Danny Rocco said, "you don't know where it ends, and you don't know what it looks like in years to come."

He remains confident CAA Football will remain prominent, though "it may have a few different helmets. It might have a few new places to travel to," Rocco said. "But it's still going to be the premier league in FCS football."

James Madison sticks out as a possibility for a higher level of competition because of consistent football success, the university's growth (now about 20,000 undergraduates), a passionate following for an FCS program, and facility upgrades led by the stadium expansion.

Dukes coach Mickey Matthews acknowledged Wednesday that the question about potential James Madison movement from CAA Football to FBS "is a natural." He added, "I think we're comfortable where we are, but we all know that could (rapidly) change."

NCAA rules require schools shifting from FCS to FBS belong to a league. James Madison has not been invited to join a league that offers a good fit in the view of the school administration. JMU aligns mostly with Northeast schools, in Matthews' estimation.

Any determination of the football future of James Madison, or any other league school, probably should wait until the college football landscape solidifies, CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager believes.

"The big unknown in the college football world is, when the (FBS) playoff comes in and the public draws a bright line below those four or five (elite FBS) leagues, does everybody else almost become indistinguishable?" Yeager said.

Albany and Stony Brook seem strong possibilities for CAA Football membership.

Those Northern additions may influence Rhode Island to remain on board and not move to the Northeast Conference.

The league could add a Southern school and break into two, six-team divisions. That may firm up CAA Football, or be just the latest step in its evolution.

"I've been here since we were the Yankee Conference, then the Atlantic 10, and now CAA," said Jimmye Laycock, William and Mary's coach since 1980.

"There's nothing any more consistent than change, I guess. And I'm sure some things will change."
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/sp ... r-2084727/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DJnVa]

Quick question--Why is URI eligible for the CAA title (or are they?) when they've decided to move to the NEC (or have they?), but ODU and GSU are not?

[clenz]

ODU and GSU are moving up....but I believe they both are eligible.

[93henfan]

BDKJMU, I'll include you on the opposite side of my wager. Penalties for being incorrect should be some kind of change of avatar and signature for at least several months once the 2012-2013 season is complete. I'm thinking to give everyone a little leg room we'll make it a 6 win threshold. If Towson wins 6 or fewer games, they certainly won't win the conference, but they'll still have a VERY outside shot at a playoff bid with a schedule as challenging as theirs.

TU wasn't able to win more than 3 consecutive games last season, with an easier schedule than what they have this year, and the CAA was in a bit of a rebuilding year. BDK, you have them winning 5 straight coming off trips to Baton Rouge and Harrisonville, and over a month after their rest week. 5 straight is so improbable, that I might be willing to make an even more embarrassing bet just for you.

There's still plenty of time for things to change with camp coming here in a few days, but just taking a glance at things here in late July I think it's curtains for a Towson repeat, and a winning record is going to be an uphill battle for them.

6-5 will not get Towson or anyone else a playoff bid. But I'll take your wager. Towson wins 7 or more I win. They win 6 of less you win.

Ooh! Ooh! Can I get in on this too? Towson goes <7 wins. Hell I think they might go <.500.

[State Line Liquors]

Ooh! Ooh! Can I get in on this too? Towson goes <7 wins. Hell I think they might go <.500.

Yup. 7 wins is going to be the bet. 7 or better for Towson, & Andy and BDK win.

Appropriate exposure here I'd say is something along the lines of Winners get to pick Losers avatar and signature for the following 6 months or something of that nature.

[bluehenbillk]

This preseason all-conference team has serious credibility issues. I know people are guilty at all levels, SID's, coaches, magazine publishers, website editors etc. of just looking at last year's votes & plugging in names.

But: Villanova OL Shirey - dude got hurt in spring practice or before & is out for the 2012 season. Yet, his contribution from the sidelines will be worthy of a top 5 CAA OL spot? I believe ESPN & Cris Carter would say "Cmon man!!".

And I'll jump in on that Towson action too, I have them south of 7 wins, like stealing candy from a baby. I see a blowup with West this year, saw tremors of it with the LU debacle in the playoffs.

[93henfan]

This preseason all-conference team has serious credibility issues. I know people are guilty at all levels, SID's, coaches, magazine publishers, website editors etc. of just looking at last year's votes & plugging in names.

But: Villanova OL Shirey - dude got hurt in spring practice or before & is out for the 2012 season. Yet, his contribution from the sidelines will be worthy of a top 5 CAA OL spot? I believe ESPN & Cris Carter would say "Cmon man!!".

And I'll jump in on that Towson action too, I have them south of 7 wins, like stealing candy from a baby. I see a blowup with West this year, saw tremors of it with the LU debacle in the playoffs.

Did I read somewhere that Marcus Burley made one of the strings of the All-Conference listings? That's about all you really need to know. My dad and I call him Sunbeam, he gets toasted so much.

[State Line Liquors]

Burley has the challenge of being the guy that our opponents would rather throw against. Hawkins is a pretty special corner. Still, Burley was 5th in tackles last year, 2nd in pass break-ups, and had 2 ints.

When your line only gets 14 sacks in a season, it's not exactly easy to be out there on an island.

You'll change his nickname this year with what's happening on the defensive side.

[93henfan]

Burley has the challenge of being the guy that our opponents would rather throw against. Hawkins is a pretty special corner. Still, Burley was 5th in tackles last year, 2nd in pass break-ups, and had 2 ints.

When your line only gets 14 sacks in a season, it's not exactly easy to be out there on an island.

You'll change his nickname this year with what's happening on the defensive side.

I'll drink to that.

[BDKJMU]

This preseason all-conference team has serious credibility issues. I know people are guilty at all levels, SID's, coaches, magazine publishers, website editors etc. of just looking at last year's votes & plugging in names.

But: Villanova OL Shirey - dude got hurt in spring practice or before & is out for the 2012 season. Yet, his contribution from the sidelines will be worthy of a top 5 CAA OL spot? I believe ESPN & Cris Carter would say "Cmon man!!".

And I'll jump in on that Towson action too, I have them south of 7 wins, like stealing candy from a baby. I see a blowup with West this year, saw tremors of it with the LU debacle in the playoffs.

Wrong on Shirey being out, so yes, his contribution is certainly worthy of a top 5 spot, as he will be a 4th yr starter and was 1st team All CAA last season. Delcotimes 2 days ago has him returning:

"Center Dan Shirey, who was named to the preseason all-conference team along with defensive lineman Antoine Lewis, is recovering from off-season Achilles’ tendon surgery and may not be ready until the league opener against Rhode Island Sept. 15."
http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2012 ... 898871.txt" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;