Spin Around CAA Football Before Stretch Run

The Dukes had a bye this week so we’d thought we’d take a quick run around the CAA landscape as the football season heads for home and teams really start jockeying for playoff position.  Although many of the early national predictions have the CAA as a three-bid league, our guess is 8-4 overall with a winning CAA record will do it if the fourth place team can achieve those marks.  That means the Dukes need to go at least 3-2 in their last five.  With games against Villanova and Towson on the schedule and a trip to UNH that’s never fun also out there, it shows just how critical this weekend’s game at struggling-but-dangerous William & Mary is.

Maine (6-1, 3-0) The Black Bears are the only team squarely in control of their fate as the only undefeated team in conference play.  Their trip to Villanova this week may be the most crucial game left on the CAA schedule.

Towson (7-1, 3-1) At 7-1 overall, Towson is still in great shape with a bye and only four games remaining, including their home finale against the Dukes.

Villanova (4-3, 3-1) Nova is a strange team.  Their comeback turned come-from-ahead upset loss at UNH really put them in a tough spot.  The team that shredded a formidable Towson team is now in real danger.  The ‘Cats host Maine this weekend and then travel to the ‘Burg for JMU homecoming.  They probably need a least a split to keep their hopes alive, though the Fordham loss early doesn’t look so bad.

Delaware (5-2, 2-1) We’re reallllly not sure the Hens are any good, but that win over a shitshow Dukes squad that week may continue to serve them well in the race for 3rd/4th all season.  They still have trips to Towson and Nova upcoming so 8-4 seems a likely result, and JMU may still need to finish ahead of that mark to earn 4th place and a playoff shot.  Of course, Delaware could easily vomit against an odd URI team or W&M since they barely escaped Albany a couple weeks back.

JMU (5-2, 2-1) @ W&M, Nova, @UNH, Stony Brook, @ Towson.  Very tough stretch and read Delaware’s section to understand why 8-4, 5-3 still may not be enough.  But like Villanova and UD, any finish between 4-1 and 1-4 wouldn’t be a complete shocker.

New Hampshire (3-3, 2-2) The bold decision to go for two in the last minute and complete the 29-28 upset of Nova this week did two things: Save UNH’s season for the moment and remind Dukes fans how completely unfun trips to Durham can be like the one JMU has in three weeks.  UNH has a manageable schedule the rest of the way but will still need to at least split two home games against JMU and Maine to get to avoid a fifth loss.

Rhode Island (3-5, 2-3) Probably out of it already, but they’ve been oddly competitive at times and the win over UR this weekend was a stunning result.  Not sure whether UR just quit after the trip to JMU or injuries caught up with them, but that’s not pretty.

William & Mary (4-3, 1-2) Very much still alive despite inconsistent play.  Needless to say, Homecoming against the Dukes means as much or more to them.  Brutal schedule with JMU, UNH, UD, Towson, and UR to close though and it’s tough to see them avoiding a fourth CAA loss which would also mean a fifth loss overall.

Stony Brook (3-3, 1-2) Stony Brook’s losses have been to FBS Buffalo, Nova, and Towson, so not much to go on to know what they’re about but JMU fans certainly shouldn’t dismiss them yet based on the deceiving 3-3 overall record.  Tough trips to JMU, Maine and UNH still remain.

Richmond (2-5, 0-3) Ewwwww.  Just awful and that “big” win for the Dukes last week may not mean squat when the Ticks finish bottoming out.

Albany (1-7, 0-4) Nothing to see here.  Tough first go-round in the CAA for Bob Ford’s group.