WEEK 5 SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 28
Fordham (0-4, 0-0 PL) at Monmouth (2-2, 1-0 CAA) 1 p.m.
Kessler Stadium (4,200)
West Long Branch, N.J.
TV: FloFootball | SNY
23 Richmond (2-2, 0-0 CAA) at Elon (1-3, 0-0 CAA) 2 p.m.
Rhodes Stadium (11,250)
Elon, N.C.
TV: FloFootball | My48
Delaware State (1-3, 0-0 MEAC) at Campbell (1-3, 0-2 CAA) 2 p.m.
at Barker-Lane Stadium (5,500)
Buies Creek, N.C.
TV: FloFootball.com
Maine (2-2, 0-1 CAA) at 21/23 UAlbany (1-2, 0-0 CAA) 3:30 p.m.
Casey Stadium (8,500)
Albany, N.Y.
TV: FloFootball.com
Morgan State (2-2, 0-0 MEAC) at Stony Brook (3-1, 1-0 CAA) 3:30 p.m.
LaValle Stadium (12,300)
Stony Brook, N.Y.
TV: FloFootball.com
Sacred Heart (2-2) at Delaware (3-0, 1-0 CAA) 3:30 p.m.
Delaware Stadium (16,730)
Newark, Del.
TV: FloFootball.com
Hampton (3-1, 0-0 CAA) at 11/12 William & Mary (3-1, 0-0 CAA) 6 p.m.
Zable Stadium (11,646)
Williamsburg, Va.
TV: FloFootball.com
North Carolina A&T (1-3, 0-1 CAA) at South Carolina State (1-2, 0-0 MEAC) 6 p.m.
Dawson Stadium (22,000)
Orangeburg, S.C.
TV: ESPN+
LIU (0-4, 0-0 NEC) at 6/6 Villanova (3-1, 1-0 CAA) 6 p.m.
Villanova Stadium (16,730)
Villanova, Pa.
TV: FloFootball.com
CAA FOOTBALL WEEK 4 AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Week
Roland Dempster | RB | Stony Brook
Dempster rushed for a career-best 179 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 36 carries to lead Stony Brook past Campbell, 24-17, for its first CAA road win since 2021. The senior scored from two and three yards out in the first quarter to give SBU a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. He also had three catches for 20 yards.
Defensive Player of the Week
Deuce Lee | DB | Monmouth
Lee forced a fumble on the 1-yard line and recovered it with 32 seconds left, securing Monmouth’s 45-42 win over FIU. With the Hawks up by three, Lee stripped FIU receiver Eric Rivers just before he crossed the goal line to give MU its first victory ever over an FBS opponent. The sophomore finished with a team-high eight tackles, including five solo stops.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Michael Calton, Jr. | PK | Monmouth
Calton kicked a game-winning 43-yard field goal with 1:52 remaining to lift Monmouth to a 45-42 victory over FBS member FIU. The sophomore, who was also 6-for-6 on extra points against FIU, hasn’t missed a kick all season, going 2-for-2 on FG’s of 40+ yards and 19-for-19 on XP’s.
Rookie of the Week
TJ McGill | DB | William & Mary
McGill recorded four tackles (three solo), intercepted a pass and broke up another as William & Mary defeated Furman, 34-24. With the Tribe holding a six-point lead in the fourth quarter, McGill picked off a pass at the 8-yard line to end the scoring threat and returned it 23 yards. He has 19 stops this season.
CONFERENCE NOTES:
FIVE TEAMS OPEN CAA PLAY IN WEEK 5:
There are three conference games on the Week 5 schedule, with five of the six teams playing their CAA opener. Elon hosts Richmond and Hampton makes the short trip to William & Mary, while UAlbany starts league action against Maine. Six conference games have been played over the past two weeks, with home teams posting just a 3-3 record.
FIVE OF SIX NON-CONFERENCE GAMES AT HOME:
There are six non-conference games on the Week 5 slate, including five at home. Campbell (Delaware State), Delaware (Sacred Heart), Monmouth (Fordham), Stony Brook (Morgan State) and Villanova (LIU) host games, while North Carolina A&T is at South Carolina State. CAA teams are a combined 12-6 in non-conference FCS home games.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS:
CAA teams are 22-11 (.667) this season against FCS opponents. In 2023, the league was a combined 20-10 against FCS foes during the regular season after posting a 21-5 mark in 2022.
SEASON-HIGH SIX CAA TEAMS RANKED IN TOP 25:
A season-high six CAA teams are ranked in the latest Stats Perform and AFCA Coaches Top 25 polls. Villanova leads the way at #6 in both polls. William & Mary is ranked #11 by Stats and #12 by the AFCA, New Hampshire is ranked #20 by the AFCA and #24 by Stats and UAlbany is ranked #21 by Stats and #23 by the AFCA. Rhode Island is ranked #22 by Stats and received votes in the AFCA poll, while Richmond is ranked #23 by the AFCA and received votes in the Stats poll. Monmouth and Stony Brook received votes in both polls. Only the Missouri Valley has more ranked teams.
MONMOUTH RECORDS FIRST-EVER FBS WIN:
Monmouth recorded its first win ever over an FBS opponent last Saturday when it defeated FIU, 45-42. The Hawks piled up 540 yards of offense in the game and Deuce Lee forced a fumble at the 1-yard line with 32 seconds to go. It was the CAA’s first victory over an FBS foe since the 2022 season.
SUCCESS AGAINST THE FBS:
CAA Football has posted 43 wins over FBS foes in its history and has won at least one game against an FBS team in 13 of the past 17 years. Since 2013, 11 different teams have recorded at least one FBS victory and the CAA has had multiple wins over FBS opponents five times since 2016, including two of the past three seasons.
TEAM NOTES
UALBANY 1-2 Overall/0-0 CAAFB
• Myles Burkett passed for 290 yards and a TD at #4 Idaho and threw for 306 yards and a TD at Big 12 foe West Virginia. He ranks 12th in FCS in passing (253.7 ypg). • Levi Wentz made five catches for a season-high 114 yards at Idaho. He had a 58-yard reception and a 19-yard TD grab. • LB Dontae Lunan leads the CAA in tackles (11.3 pg/34 total). He has recorded double-digit stops in all three games. • John Opalko is 4-for-5 on fi eld goals this season, including 2-for-2 from 40+ yards.
BRYANT 1-3 Overall/0-1 CAAFB
• Landon Ruggieri had four catches for 118 yards and a TD at UNH. He leads the CAA in receiving TD’s (5), ranks 3rd in receptions (22) and is 3rd in receiving yards (359). • Jarrett Guest threw for a career-high 335 yards and a TD at UNH. He ranks 11th in FCS in passing (255.5 ypg) and 7th in total offense (272.0 ypg). • Fabrice Mukendi ran for a team-high 59 yards at UNH and led BU with 5 receptions. • DL Michael Ott had a sack and forced fumble in his first significant action in 2024.
CAMPBELL 1-3 Overall/0-2 CAAFB
• Aiden Valdez had TD catches of 5 and 37 yards against Stony Brook last week. The TD grabs were the first of his career. • Sincere Brown made a team-high six catches for 63 yards vs. SBU. He’s 4th in the CAA and 18th in FCS in receiving yards (358) with two 100+ yard outings. • CJ Tillman tallied 10 tackles and a TFL vs. SBU and leads the Camels with 35 stops. • After starting the season with three straight road games, Campbell continues a 3-game homestand vs. Delaware State.
DELAWARE 3-0 Overall/1-0 CAAFB
• Phil Lutz set career-highs with 7 catches for 144 yards and 2 TD’s vs. Penn. He has a TD catch in three straight games. • Ryan O’Connor threw for 309 yards and 3 TD’s vs. Penn. He’s 5th in FCS in passing (294.0 ypg) and has 8 TD passes in 3 games. • The Blue Hens rank 5th in FCS in scoring offense (39.7 ppg) and passing (294 ypg) and are 10th in total offense (444.0 ypg). • Gavin Moul recorded a career-high 14 tackles and a TFL against Penn. He leads the team with 21 stops for the season.
ELON 1-3 Overall/0-0 CAAFB
• TJ Thomas has rushed for 100+ yards twice this season and has scored a TD in three straight games. He ranks 8th in FCS in all-purpose yards (133.3 ypg). • Cazeem Moore recorded 1.5 TFL’s, including a sack, vs. ETSU and leads the Phoenix and is 4th in the CAA with 4.5 TFL’s for the year. • Jamarien Dalton made a team-high 5 catches for 71 yards vs. ETSU. He has already set a career-high with 254 receiving yards. • Jeff Yurk leads FCS with a 48.9 punting average. He has 11 punts of 50+ yards this year.
HAMPTON 3-1 Overall/0-0 CAAFB
• Chris Zellous was 10-of-11 passing vs. Howard and is 30-of-36 (83.3%) over the past 2 games. He leads HU with 4 rushing TD’s. • Ja’Quan Snipes ran for a career-high 117 yards on 10 carries vs. Howard, including TD runs of 53 and 5 yards. He entered the game with 181 rush yards in his career. • Hampton leads the CAA and ranks #11 in FCS in total defense (272.8 ypg). The Pirates are also 18th in scoring defense (19.5 ppg). • Xavier Marshall made 8 tackles and forced a fumble at the goal line against Howard.
MAINE 2-2 Overall/0-1 CAAFB
• Outscored Merrimack 20-0 in the 2nd half last week to earn a 26-15 victory and snap a 10-game road losing streak. • Carter Peevy threw for a season-high 225 yards and 2 TD’s at Merrimack. He has just 1 interception in 104 pass attempts. • Kesean Dyson recorded 10 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble at Merrimack as Maine allowed just 195 yards and 8 first downs. • Trevin Ewing ranks 2nd in FCS in kickoff returns (33.9 avg). He had a 98-yard return for a TD against Monmouth.
MONMOUTH 2-2 Overall/1-0 CAAFB
• Posted its first-ever win over a FBS team last week, defeating FIU, 45-42. • Derek Robertson leads FCS in passing yards (374.0 ypg), passing TD’s (13) and total offense (371.0 ypg). He has thrown for at least 355 yards and 2 TD’s in all four games. • Josh Derry made 7 catches for 108 yards at FIU and has 14 receptions for 335 yards over the past two games. • Sone Ntoh has 21 rushing TD’s in 15 games at MU, including 3 at FIU. He ranks 3rd in FCS with 7 rushing TD’s this season.
UNH 3-1 Overall/1-0 CAAFB
• Seth Morgan threw for 314 yards and 4 TD’s against Bryant last week. He has passed for 701 yards and 10 TD’s in the past 2 games. • Caleb Burke had 6 catches for a career-high 151 yards and 2 TD’s vs. BU. He has 285 receiving yards and 4 TD’s in the last 2 games. • UNH has had a pair of 100-yard receivers in back-to-back games. Logan Tomlinson made 7 catches for 106 yards and a TD vs. BU and leads the CAA with 25 receptions. • Wande Owens tallied 9 tackles and a TFL against Bryant. He leads UNH with 36 stops.
NORTH CAROLINA A&T 1-3 Overall/0-1 CAAFB
• Aaron Harris returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a TD vs. NCCU. He also scored a TD on a 70-yard pick six vs. Delaware. • Mack David II made a career-high 13 tackles with 1.5 TFL’s vs. Delaware and had a team-best 9 stops and a TFL at NCCU. • Shimique Blizzard had a team-high 67 rushing yards and 42 receiving yards at NCCU. • Andrew Brown is 8-for-9 on FG’s in 2024. He Ɵ ed a program record with a 52-yard FG vs. WSSU and made a 51-yarder in the opening game at Wake Forest.
RHODE ISLAND 3-1 Overall/1-0 CAAFB
• Malik Grant rushed for a career-high 141 yards and 3 TD’s in last week’s win at LIU, including the game-winner with 1:08 to go. • Reserve QB Hunter Helms guided URI to 21 points in the 4th quarter at LIU, passing for 90 yards and adding a 4-yard TD run. • Cole Brockwell made a career-high 14 tackles with 1.5 TFL’s and a forced fumble. He leads the CAA with 41 stops for the year. • A.J. Pena recorded two sacks at LIU and ranks 2nd in the CAA with 5.0 sacks and 6.0 TFL’s.
RICHMOND 2-2 Overall/0-0 CAAFB
• UR has scored 38 points in its past 2 games after tallying 32 combined in the first two. • The Spiders had a 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver for the first time since 2022 in last week’s win at DSU. • Zach Palmer-Smith ran for a career-high 156 yards and 3 TD’s at DSU. The 156 yards are the most by a Spider since 2017. • Jeremiah Grant has had at least one sack in all four games in 2024 and has recorded two in the past two games. His 7.0 total sacks lead FCS.
STONY BROOK 3-1 Overall/1-0 CAAFB
• Beat Campbell 24-17 for their first CAA road victory since 2021. SBU’s 3-1 start is its best since 2019. • Roland Dempster rushed for a career-high 179 yards and 2 TD’s at CU. He leads the CAA and is 8th in FCS with 427 yards. • SBU leads the CAA in time of possession (34:24) for the season and controlled the ball for 36:39 at Campbell. • Rudy Silvera ranks 2nd in FCS with eight passes defended. He has recorded two interceptions and has six pass breakups
TOWSON 1-3 Overall/0-1 CAAFB
• Fell 41-24 at #2 North Dakota St. last week. TU has faced two Top 5 FCS teams and Big 12 member Cincinnati in the first 4 weeks. • Tyrell Greene, Jr. ran for a team-high 94 yards at NDSU, including a 72-yard TD run, which is the longest by a TU player in 2024. • Kam Snell recorded a career-high 14 tackles at NDSU and tops TU with 28 stops. • All-America TE Carter Runyon had 6 catches for 59 yards at NDSU. He leads the Tigers with 19 receptions for 183 yards and ranks 7th in the CAA in receptions.
VILLANOVA 3-1 Overall/1-0 CAAFB
• Villanova has won 18 straight games against FCS non-conference opponents during the regular season. • VU outscored Maryland 20-14 in the 2nd of last week’s 38-20 setback. The 20 points were VU’s most vs. a FBS team since 2014. • Connor Watkins has thrown for 559 yards and 5 TD’s with 0 interceptions and has added 202 yards and 3 TD’s rushing. • VU is +4 in turnover margin for the season, which ranks 14th in FCS. The Wildcats have committed just 2 TO’s in four games.
WILLIAM & MARY 3-1 Overall/0-0 CAAFB
• W&M improved to 44-2 in its last 46 regular-season FCS non-conference games after winning 34-24 over Furman. • Bronson Yoder rushed for a career-high 166 yards and a TD vs. Furman and has run for 308 yards and 3 TD’s in the past two games. • QB Darius Wilson ran for a career-high 155 yards and a TD and threw for 2 TD’s vs. Furman. He has 5 passing TD’s and 3 rushing TD’s for the season. • Jalen Jones broke up four passes against Furman and leads FCS with 9 PBU’s.
