Ten CAA teams were in action Saturday. South division leaders – James Madison University and Villanova University – stayed perfect, while another division contender, University of Richmond, didn’t look ahead to its upcoming game with no. 1 JMU and rolled past VMI.
I’ll start with the conference games.
Northeastern 35 – Towson 17
The Huskies trailed 17-14 at halftime on the road, but rallied in the second half, blanking the Tigers and scoring 21 points to pull away. Northeastern utilized a balanced running and passing attack, while Towson quarterback Sean Schaeffer and his receivers accounted for over 84 percent of their offense.
No. 14 Villanova 38 – Tribe 28
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No. 1 James Madison 56 – Hofstra 0
This game might have been over before it started. The Dukes dominated Hofstra, racking up 279 yards on the ground behind quarterback Rodney Landers and running back Eugene Holloman. JMU’s defense looked good too, holding Hofstra to one third-down conversion on 15 attempts.
No. 5 New Hampshire 17 – No. 16 Delaware 7
UMass outgained Delaware 459 to 167 yards in total offense, but four Minutemen turnovers kept Delaware in the game until a costly Blue Hens turnover in the fourth quarter. Delaware quarterback Rob Schoenhoft tossed an interception, which Jeromy Miles returned 52 yards for a touchdown. The Blue Hens didn’t earn a first down following the pick-six.
Two CAA teams stepped outside the conference this weekend.
No. 6 Richmond 56 – VMI 16
The Spiders tuned up for their showdown with no. 1 JMU by cruising past VMI Saturday. Josh Vaughan rushed for 123 yards and two TDs, while quarterback Eric Ward had an efficient 10-13 performance for 130 yards and one TD. VMI didn’t complete a single pass, attempting just five.
Rhode Island 37 – Brown 13
In a battle of in-state rivals, Rhode Island blanked the Bears in the first half en route to claiming the Governor’s Cup. Rams quarterback Derek Cassidy threw for 298 yards, five TDs and one INT to lead Rhode Island to its first victory since Aug. 30.
CAA Standings
North Division
New Hampshire (1-0, 4-0)
Northeastern (1-0, 2-3)
Massachusetts (1-1, 3-2)
Hofstra (1-1, 2-3)
Maine (0-2, 2-3)
Rhode Island (0-2, 2-4)
South Division
James Madison (3-0, 5-1)
Villanova (2-0, 4-1)
Richmond (2-1, 4-2)
William & Mary (0-1, 2-2)
Delaware (0-0, 2-3)
Towson (0-2, 2-4)