Editor’s Note – Mike Barber, the assistant sports editor of the Daily News Record in Harrisonburg, will be offering a weekly look around the CAA to readers of Virginia Sports Now. Keep up with Mike’s great work daily at the paper’s site - www.dnronline.com – and look for a notebook and James Madison University story here weekly. We’ll make this content free for a while to give our readers a sample of what Mike has to offer.
After securing five of the top seven spots in the Sports Network’s Top 25 poll Monday, the Colonial Athletic Association further cemented its standing as the strongest conference in Division I-AA football.
And with its fourth win over a I-A program this season Saturday – and a near miss at Maryland – the CAA sparked talk about just how far behind the big boys its top teams really are.
“You’re not as far away as you think you are at times from the I-A schools,” said New Hampshire coach Sean McDonnell, whose Wildcats have made a reputation as I-A killers in recent years. “I think we have some outstanding talent.”
While even strong I-AA teams still stand little chance against Top 25 I-A squads, the CAA has feasted on the upper division’s weaker links.
In Week 1, Richmond – the defending I-AA national champion – downed Duke, William & Mary topped Virginia – and Villanova beat Temple.
Add to that a close loss by Massachusetts at Kansas State, and the CAA clearly had opened the eyes and grabbed the attention of I-A teams.
Still, this weekend New Hampshire won its fifth straight game over a I-A team, besting Ball State, and James Madison opened its season with an overtime loss at Maryland.
“Whoever they play, I think anybody in our league is capable of winning against anybody on their schedule,” William & Mary coach Jimmye Laycock said.
Villanova’s Andy Talley noted that the formula for I-AA upsets also relies heavily on a weaker I-A team.
“I think obviously, if you get the top level I-AA football team, especially from the CAA playing, they have a shot,” said Talley, whose Wildcats are ranked second-ranked in I-AA. “But it also matters who your opponent is and where the level of their team is when you play them. If you’re playing Southern Cal or Penn State, that’s a lot different than if you’re playing the 50th or 60th I-A team.”
For an example, Talley pointed to his school’s series with a Big East foe – Rutgers.
“We played Rutgers when they first were rebuilding and beat them,” Talley said. “And then we got them in their fourth year when they were a bowl team.”
In all, the CAA is 4-4 so far this year, with two of those losses being suffered by Towson and Northeastern – two teams that struggle to earn I-AA wins let alone pull I-A upsets.
“I just think the CAA teams are obviously playing hungry, really playing with energy and passion,” Richmond coach Mike London said. “It’s just great for the league as a whole to see the successes and the near successes we’re having against some BCS opponents.”
A tough act to follow: Nearly as challenging as finding a way to get by a I-A opponent is gearing up a team to play lesser competition the next week. But CAA teams that opened the year against a I-A foe went 4-1 in Week 2.
How? It depends who you ask.
“Well, we went back and practiced,” said Laycock, whose team followed its big win over Virginia with a victory over Central Connecticut State. “I don’t think we did anything different than if we had not of won at Virginia. I thought our guys handled it very, very well.”
Laycock said addressing the idea that his Tribe could suffer a letdown would only fuel a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“Something like that, if you go on and on about it, then you’re putting the thought in their mind as opposed to just going back to work,” Laycock said.
But other coaches noticed a distinct difference in their teams over the weekend.
“We weren’t at the same fever pitch we were the week before at Temple,” said Talley, whose Villanova club downed Lehigh a week after upsetting Temple. “I think it’s always difficult after you come off a I-a win and you’re trying to get the players back to where they need to be.”
Richmond also followed up its big road-win over Duke by surviving a tight – and potentially crucial – conference game, winning 16-15 at Delaware. Massachusetts bounced back from losing to Kansas State by beating Albany.
Only Northeastern lost this week after playing a I-A last week. (The Huskies lost to Boston College to open the year, then fell to conference foe Maine on Saturday.)
There’s no place like home… or at least, nearby: Villanova’s early schedule sure is giving the team’s travel agent some time off. The Wildcats first five games are all in the Philadelphia area. After opening against Temple at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles, Villanova hosted Lehigh on Saturday. This weekend, it plays at Penn, followed by home games against Northeastern and William & Mary.
“I like that,” Talley said. “We’re a fairly well rested team.”
Dukes still haven’t picked: James Madison played both Drew Dudzik and Justin Thorpe in Saturday’s 38-35 overtime loss at Maryland. But Dudzik got the start and played all but one series after halftime, and finished 9-for-15 for 141 yards and two touchdowns. He didn’t throw an interception, wasn’t sacked, and rushed for 112 yards, including a 70-yard score.
Still, on Monday, JMU coach Mickey Matthews said, “We have made no decision. They both will play against VMI.”
The Dukes host VMI on Saturday in their home opener.
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