All 12 conference teams were in action this weekend, as were the first league games.
The CAA went 4-2 outside the conference this weekend. Here’s a brief recap of what happened Saturday.
Let’s start with the conference games.
h5. No. 7 James Madison 52 – No. 3 Massachusetts 38
This top-10 in-conference battle saw JMU quarterback Rodney Landers take charge. He accounted for 291 of the Dukes’ 423 yards on offense and three touchdowns. Landers helped JMU show UMass why the CAA South is the stronger division, as the Dukes never trailed and led by as much as 21.
h5. No. 4 Richmond 45 – Towson 14
The Tigers literally threw away any chance they had at beating the Spiders. Towson’s starting quarterback Sean Schaefer had four interceptions and his backup Blair Peterson tossed another. The Spiders returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the fourth quarter to cap an efficient performance.
h5. No. 10 New Hampshire 51 – Rhode Island 43
New Hampshire scored 17 unanswered points to start the game and held off a pair of late Rhode Island comeback efforts. The Wildcats and Rams combined for over 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
Quarterback Derek Cassidy kept the Rams in it, throwing for 436 yards and three touchdowns, but New Hampshire always had an answer.
Now to the non-conference games:
h5. No. 21 Villanova 33 – Lehigh 14
The Wildcats forced four turnovers and had a seven minute advantage in terms of time of possession. A 20-point second quarter for Villanova, which included points from its defense, offense and special teams, blew the game open.
h5. No. 6 Delaware 48 – West Chester 20
The Blue Hens cruised to an easy win over D-II West Chester, scoring 34 points in the first half. Delaware had 26 first downs, 497 yards of total offense and over 37 minutes of possession in the rout. Ohio State transfer Rob Schoenhoft completed 14 of 26 passes for 194 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
h5. No. 17 Georgia Southern 34 – Northeastern 27
The Huskies gave Georgia Southern a tough game, holding the lead for most of the game before faltering late. Northeastern running back Alex Broomfield fumbled with three minutes remaining and opened the door for Georgia Southern, which scored on a 65-yard pass play with 1:01 remaining in regulation. The Huskies blocked the PAT, but the Eagles scored first in overtime and kept Northeastern from gaining a first down.
h5. Maine 28 – Stony Brook 13
The Black Bears took care of business against Stony Brook. Maine scored all 28 of its points in the first half and caused four turnovers.
h5. Albany 22 – Hofstra 16
Hofstra gave the CAA its second overtime loss of the weekend Saturday. The Pride rallied to tie the game at 16 early in the fourth quarter and had the ball first in overtime, but Albany snuffed that chance by blocking a field. A seven-yard touchdown run snapped Albany’s nine-game losing streak against Hofstra.
h5. Tribe 52 – VMI 17
Click here for a full recap.
h5. CAA Standings
_North Division_
New Hampshire (1-0, 2-0)
Maine (0-0, 2-1)
Northeastern (0-0, 0-2)
Hofstra (0-0, 0-2)
Massachusetts (0-1, 2-1)
Rhode Island (0-1, 1-2)
_South Division_
James Madison (1-0, 2-1)
Richmond (1-0, 2-1)
William & Mary (0-0, 1-1)
Delaware (0-0, 1-1)
Villanova (0-0, 1-1)
Towson (0-1, 1-2)
