WEEK 7 SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 12
Maine (3-2, 1-1 CAA) vs Delaware (5-0, 2-0 CAA)
at Delaware Stadium (18,077)
Newark, Del.
1 p.m. TV: FloFootball.com
UAlbany (2-3, 0-1 CAA) vs Bryant (2-3, 0-1 CAA)
at Beirne Stadium (4,400)
Smithfield, R.I.
1 p.m. TV: FloFootball.com
Brown (2-1, 1-0 Ivy) vs 19/21 Rhode Island (4-1, 2-0 CAA)
Meade Stadium (6,555) Kingston, R.I.
1 p.m. TV: FloFootball | MyTV 2 p.m.
22 New Hampshire (3-2, 1-0 CAA) vs Elon (1-4, 0-1 CAA)
at Rhodes Stadium (11,250) Elon, N.C.
2 p.m. TV: FloFootball.com | My48
Towson (2-3, 1-1 CAA) vs Norfolk State (2-5, 0-1 MEAC)
at Dick Price Stadium (30,000) Norfolk, Va.
2 p.m. TV: ESPN+ |
CAA FOOTBALL WEEK 6 AWARDS
Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Zach Palmer-Smith | RB | Richmond
Palmer-Smith rushed for a career-high 200 yards and a TD on 25 carries (8.0 ypc) in Richmond’s 20-17 win over N.C. A&T. The 200-yard outing was the first for a UR back since 2015 and the 8th-best in FCS this season. Palmer-Smith’s 8-yard TD run in the 3rd quarter proved to be the game-winner as he topped 150 rushing yards for the third straight contest.
Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Landon Ruggieri | WR | Bryant
Ruggieri made 10 receptions for a career-high 190 yards and 3 TD’s in Bryant’s 42-35 win at Brown. The senior had TD grabs of 18 and 38 yards before catching a game-winning 30-yarder with 1:45 to go. Ruggieri is the only player in FCS with a pair of three-TD receiving games in 2024 and the 190 yards are the 7th-most in FCS this season.
Defensive Player of the Week
Brendan Bell | LB | Villanova
Bell recorded a career-high 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack in Villanova’s 42-24 win at Stony Brook. The grad linebacker made 10 stops in the first half and had the most tackles by a CAA player this season. Bell led a VU defense that pitched a shutout over the final 25 minutes as the Wildcats rallied from a 10-point deficit.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Nick Mazzie | PK | New Hampshire
Mazzie was 3-for-3 on field goals, including a career-long 52-yarder, in New Hampshire’s setback at Harvard. The 52-yard FG was the longest for a UNH kicker since 2009 and the 11th-best in FCS in 2024. He also made FG’s from 29 and 43 yards and was 2-for-2 on extra points.
Rookie of the Week
David Avit | RB | Villanova
Avit repeats as Rookie of the Week after rushing for a career-high 183 yards and 4 TD’s on 13 carries in Villanova’s 42-24 win at Stony Brook. He had a pair of 1-yard scoring runs before breaking loose for TD’s of 59 and 72 yards in the second half to erase a 10-point deficit. The 183 yards were the most ever for a VU freshman.
CONFERENCE NOTES:
THREE CONFERENCE GAMES ON WEEK 7 SCHEDULE:
Three conference battles highlight the five-game CAA slate in Week 7. Unbeaten Delaware hosts a Maine squad on a two-game winning streak, UAlbany meets Bryant after both teams defeated Ivy League foes a week ago, and Elon returns from a bye week to host UNH. In non-conference action, Rhode Island faces rival Brown for the Governor’s Cup and Towson travels to Norfolk State. Eight of the CAA’s 16 teams are off this Saturday.
ROAD SUCCESS IN EARLY CAA ACTION:
Through 14 conference games this season, road teams have posted an 8-6 record.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS:
CAA teams are an impressive 29-14 (.674) this season against FCS opponents. Five squads (Delaware, Rhode Island, Stony Brook, Villanova and William & Mary) are undefeated vs. FCS non-conference foes.
FIVE CAA TEAMS RANKED IN TOP 25:
Five CAA teams are ranked in the latest Stats Perform and AFCA Coaches Top 25 polls. Villanova is ranked #5 in both polls, while William & Mary is ranked #17 by Stats and #18 by the AFCA. Richmond moved up to #17 in the AFCA poll and #21 in the Stats poll, Rhode Island rose to #19 in the Stats poll and #21 in the AFCA poll, and New Hampshire is ranked #22 by the AFCA. Monmouth and Stony Brook received votes in both polls, and Towson got votes in the Stats poll. Hampton was ranked #6 in the HBCU FCS Coaches and Media polls, administered by BOXTOROW.
LEADING THE NATION:
Monmouth quarterback Derek Robertson leads FCS in passing yards (2,037), passing TD’s (18) and total offense (340.0 ypg). Bryant’s Landon Ruggieri tops the nation in receiving TD’s (8). Monmouth’s Sone Ntoh is first in rushing TD’s (13) and Stony Brook’s Roland Dempster is second (12). Richmond’s Jeremiah Grant is #1 in FCS in sacks (7.5) and William & Mary’s Jalen Jones is #1 in FCS in passes defended (13).
MONMOUTH RECORDS FIRST-EVER FBS WIN:
Monmouth recorded its first win ever over an FBS opponent when it defeated FIU, 45-42 on Sept. 21. 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 2-3 Overall/0-1 CAAFB
• UAlbany rushed for a season-best 273 yards in last week’s win at Cornell. Faysal Aden ran for 133 yards and a TD and Jojo Uga added a career-high 91 yards and a TD. • Myles Burkett threw for 225 yards and a TD at Cornell, which was his 4th straight game with 200+ passing yards. He ranks 19th in FCS in passing (237.6 ypg). • Seven McGee made 8 catches for 70 yards at Cornell. He leads UA with 27 receptions for 418 yards and 3 TD’s. • UA held Cornell to a season-low 10 points.
BRYANT 2-3 Overall/0-1 CAAFB
• Landon Ruggieri set career-highs with 10 catches for 190 yards and 3 TD’s at Brown. He tops FCS in receiving TD’s (8) and ranks 7th in receiving yards (549). • Jarrett Guest threw for a career-high 337 yards and 4 TD’s at Brown. It was his 4th straight game with 250+ yards and he ranks 8th in FCS in passing yards (271.8 ypg). • Dylan Kedzior ran for a season-best 93 yards and his first career rushing TD at Brown. • Colin Elliott made 7 tackles and a game-winning strip sack at Brown.
CAMPBELL 2-4 Overall/0-2 CAAFB
• Sincere Brown made 4 catches for 33 yards vs. NCCU. He ranks 9th in FCS in receiving yards (524) and 8th in receiving TD’s (5). He’s topped 100 receiving yards in 3 games. • Reserve QB Mike Chandler II had a 72-yard TD run vs. NCCU. It was the longest rush for a Campbell player since 2017. • WR VJ Wilkins scored on a 55-yard run vs. NCCU. He’s 2nd on the team with 214 receiving yards and has 107 rushing yards. • Jalen Brooks had 7 tackles and his first interception vs. NCCU. He tops CU with 48 stops.
DELAWARE 5-0 Overall/2-0 CAAFB
• Delaware is one of five remaining unbeaten teams in FCS. The Blue Hens are off to a 5-0 start for the second Ɵ me in the past 3 years. • Phil Lutz has a receiving TD in all five games, tying a UD record. He’s 3rd in FCS with 7 TD’s and tops UD with 414 receiving yards. • Marcus Yarns rushed for a career-high 142 yards and a TD at Monmouth and added a game-winning 86-yard TD reception. • Gavin Moul had a team-high 7 tackles and his first career interception at Monmouth. He leads UD with 30 tackles.
ELON 1-4 Overall/0-1 CAAFB
• Transfer QB Jack Salopek came off the bench vs. Richmond and was 14-of-21 passing for 187 yards and a TD. • All-America S Caleb Curtain made a season-high 11 tackles vs. UR and leads the Phoenix with 36 stops for the year. • RB TJ Thomas has scored a TD (3 rush, 1 rec) in EU’s last four games. He tops the team in rushing with 366 yards. • Jeff Yurk ranks 3rd in FCS with a 47.9 punting average. He has 11 punts of 50+ yards and has dropped 6 inside the 20-yard line.
HAMPTON 3-3 Overall/0-2 CAAFB
• QB Malcolm Mays was 24-of-28 passing for 253 yards and 4 TD’s and ran for 37 yards and a TD vs. URI. He was named the HBCU+ FCS Player of the Week. • Brennan Ridley set career-highs with 8 catches for 121 yards and 2 TD’s vs. URI. He leads HU with 23 receptions for 301 yards. • Hampton ranks 25th in FCS in rushing (189.0 ypg). The Pirates have run for over 170 yards in four of their six games. • Corey Yeoman made a team-high 7 tackles vs. URI and leads HU with 31 stops.
MAINE 3-2 Overall/1-1 CAAFB
• Beat #21 UAlbany 34-20 for their first win over a ranked foe since 2021. Have posted back-to-back road victories for the first time since Nov. 2021. • Carter Peevy was 20-of-24 passing for 193 yards and 2 TD’s at UA. He has 6 TD’s and just 1 interception in 131 pass attempts. • Jaharie Martin rushed for a season-high 82 yards and a TD at UA. • Maine’s defense has allowed just 227.5 ypg over the past two games, including 80.5 ypg on the ground.
MONMOUTH 3-3 Overall/1-1 CAAFB
• Derek Robertson threw for 361 yards and 4 TD’s vs. Delaware last week. He tops FCS in passing yards (2,037) and passing TD’s (18) and has thrown for 355+ yds and at least 2 TD’s in five of MU’s six games. • TJ Speight (6 rec., 133 yds., 1 TD) and Gavin Nelson (5 rec., 131 yds., 1 TD) set career-highs for receiving yards against Delaware. • MU leads FCS in total offense and passing offense and ranks 4th in scoring. • Ryan Moran went over 200 career tackles after making 10 stops against UD.
UNH 3-2 Overall/1-0 CAAFB
• Seth Morgan completed his first 17 passes and threw for 267 yards and 2 TD’s at Harvard. He has passed for 968 yards and 12 TD’s with 0 int. in the past 3 games. • Logan Tomlinson made a career-high 10 receptions for 105 yards and a TD at Harvard. He ranks 4th in FCS in receptions (7.0 pg). • Caleb Burke had 8 catches for 92 yards and a TD at Harvard. He has 377 receiving yards and 5 TD’s in the last 3 games. • Flex Ruiz had 2.5 TFL’s and a sack at Harvard. He’s 3rd in the CAA with 7.5 TFL’s.
NORTH CAROLINA A&T 1-5 Overall/0-2 CAAFB
• Justin Fomby was 22-of-27 passing for a season-high 261 yards and 2 TD’s at UR. It was his 2nd straight game with 200+ yards. • TE Anthony Rucker set career-highs with 8 catches for 91 yards and 2 TD’s at UR. • Ger-Cari Caldwell set season-bests with 7 catches for 130 yards at UR. It was his third game with at least five receptions. • Terrell Dudley made 11 tackles at Richmond. • Andrew Brown is 10-for-11 on FG’s, including two FG’s of over 50 yards.
RHODE ISLAND 4-1 Overall/2-0 CAAFB
• Rallied from a 14-point, 4th-quarter deficit to edge Hampton, 46-44, in 2ot. URI is 6-0 in overtime games since 2020. • Devin Farrell threw for 247 yards and 2 TD’s and ran for 30 yards and a TD at HU. It was his second career 200+ yard passing effort. • Malik Grant ran for a season-best 180 yards and a TD at Hampton. He has rushed for 321 yards and 4 TD’s in the last 2 games. • Cole Brockwell had 7 tackles, 3.0 TFL’s and 2.0 sacks at Hampton. He leads the CAA and is 10th in FCS with 9.6 tackles per game.
RICHMOND 4-2 Overall/2-0 CAAFB
• On a 4-game winning streak after holding off N.C. A&T, 20-17, last week. • Zach Palmer-Smith ran for a career-high 200 yards and a TD vs. A&T. He’s the first UR player since 2015 to run for 150+ yds in 3 straight games (523 yards in those games). • Andrew King had a career-high 100 rushing yards on 6 att. vs. A&T, becoming the first UR true freshman to reach 100 since 2016. • Jeremiah Grant leads FCS with 7.5 sacks and has had at least a half-sack in 5 of 6 games. He has 25 tackles and 8.5 TFL’s.
STONY BROOK 4-2 Overall/1-1 CAAFB
• Fell 42-24 to #6 Villanova last week, ending a 4-game winning streak. • Roland Dempster ran for 115 yards and 3 TD’s vs. VU, which was his 4th game with 110+ yards and 2+ TD’s. He’s 4th in FCS in rushing (700 yds) and 2nd with 12 TD’s. • TE Cal Redman had 3 catches for 50 yards vs. VU and has led SBU in receiving yards for the past two contests. • Rushawn Lawrence tops SBU with 5.5 TFL’s and 3.5 sacks. He was one of four SBU players with at least a half-sack against VU.
TOWSON 2-3 Overall/1-1 CAAFB
• Beat #10 William & Mary, 34-27, last week. It was the third win over a Top 15 opponent in two seasons under Pete Shinnick. • Tyrell Greene, Jr. ran for a career-high 133 yards and a TD vs. W&M. He’s averaging 8.3 ypc for the season and has 227 rushing yards over the past two games. • John Dunmore had TD catches of 12 and 16 yards vs. W&M. He leads the Tigers with 209 receiving yards and 3 TD’s. • CJ McClendon had 6 tackles and a strip sack vs. W&M that was returned 78 yds for a TD.
VILLANOVA 5-1 Overall/2-0 CAAFB
• Rallied past Stony Brook, 42-24, last week. It was VU’s first win when trailing at the half since 2021, ending a 9-game streak. • David Avit ran for a career-high 183 yards and 4 TD’s at SBU. It was the most yards ever for a VU freshman and he has 343 yards and 5 TD’s in the past 2 games. • Connor Watkins has thrown for 839 yards and 6 TD’s with 0 interceptions and has added 259 yards and 3 TD’s rushing. • Brendan Bell made a career-high 15 tackles with 2.5 TFL’s and a sack at Stony Brook.
WILLIAM & MARY 4-2 Overall/1-1 CAAFB
• Fell 34-27 at Towson last week, ending a 3-game winning streak. • Bronson Yoder rushed for 84 yards and a TD at TU and has run for 509 yards and 5 TD’s over the past four games. • W&M ranks 4th in FCS in rushing with 262.7 ypg. The Tribe has run for over 140 yards in each game and 200+ yds. in four contests. • Jalen Jones made his 2nd interception and recorded his FCS-best 11th pass breakup at Towson. He leads the nation with 13 passes defended for the season.
