Look, we love Dawn Evans, are looking forward to a RIC trip for the men’s tourney,\u00a0 and consider the Field Hockey team our personal favorite, but let’s be honest, nothing gets SportsBlog HQ excited more than football news.\u00a0 And today was a good one for the offseason.\u00a0 The 2010 schedule was finally reworked and released after the\u00a0debacles in Boston and out on Long Island scrambled things up for the CAA there for a bit.\u00a0 And I have to say I’m very excited even if the one CAA team we miss out on is one of the few cupcakes (RhodeI):<\/p>\n
September 4 – Morehead St.\u00a0 – Glad we got this game rescheduled as I think it had been set for the VT date.\u00a0 The boys could really use a confidence builder before the ACC game and after last season’s rain-soaked, cold, miserable, home schedule, we can hope for some serious summer weather on Labor Day weekend.<\/p>\n
September 11 – @ Virginia Tech\u00a0\u00a0–\u00a0Rob and I have discussed our divergent feelings on this at length previously, but seriously, even those who hate these games have to admit a September trip to Lane Stadium, complete with big-time tailgating (I feel like Bode Miller just writing that), huge regional media coverage, and the chance to smack-talk with friends and family who constantly tout their ag-school alma mater is going to be great!<\/p>\n
September 25th – Liberty – This really has potential to be a great future rivalry.\u00a0 Lots of different feelings on Liberty out there, but I’d love to see them in the CAA someday bringing the conference back to it’s VA roots.\u00a0 I’d expect a big contingent of their passionate fanbase to make the trip, and then promptly be appalled at the\u00a0Sodom-style September tailgating in the ‘Burg.\u00a0 A repeat of last year’s 24-10 game would go a long way towards a playoff berth.\u00a0 Also nice to have a bye after VT before this one\u00a0 (in fact, nice to have a bye at all after last year’s horrendous slog).<\/p>\n
October 2 – Delaware (Family Weekend) – It’s too bad the Blue Hens, with their Philly-infested supporters, are lucking into the golf tourney crowd that is Family Weekend and the inevitable bad-tailgating start time, but as long as\u00a0D.J. Bryant\u00a0shows their fancy-pants QB Devlin a close-up of the Bridgeforth turf, things will be alright.<\/p>\n
October 9 – @ Towson – Apparently the schedule rearranging had to include moving the traditional season ender earlier in the season.\u00a0 This roadie is a staple for JMUSB out of our DC HQ.\u00a0 To me, we’ll know everything after this game.\u00a0 The Dukes have to make hay in the first five games.\u00a0 Other than the Blacksburg trip, they’ve got 3 home games and Towson, a virtual home game.\u00a0 A 4-1 start with wins over Liberty and Delaware would be big as the second half looks much tougher on the surface.<\/p>\n
October 16 – New Hampshire (Homecoming) – This is the North team we would have liked to switch with URI, but should be a great HC matchup and again, an important game long-term.<\/p>\n
October 23 – @ Villanova – Defending National Champs and my wife’s alma mater.\u00a0 HUGE game.\u00a0 Enough said.\u00a0 Oh yeah, and they\u00a0don’t allow tailgating.<\/p>\n
October 30 – Massachusetts – always a tricky game, especially sandwiched between Nova and UR.\u00a0 But hopefully more treat than trick in the ‘burg this Halloween weekend.<\/p>\n
November 6 – @ Richmond – It’ll be the Dukes first trip to the state capital since the Ticks moved their home games to J.R. Tucker High School’s stadium so our advice to the huge Richmond JMU contingent is to start hoarding tickets right away.<\/p>\n
November 13 – William & Mary – Should be an awesome finish to the home season and hopefully W&M’s new mascot will make the trip to Bridgeforth for a dose of Robin Ficker-esque heckling.<\/p>\n
November 20 – @ Maine – One CAA trip I’ve always wanted to make and this could certainly be an epic weather game in late November in Orono.\u00a0 Let’s hope it’s to lock up a title or a seed and not to scratch back onto the bubble.<\/p>\n