By Rich Adragna
Delaware (5-1, 8-1)—After seeing the likes of UMass and URI suffer shocking defeats, the Blue Hens were determined not only to stay ahead of the competition, but to not suffer the same fate. James Madison kept the game interesting, but UDel came away victorious 37-34 in a battle between strong CAA squads. The rushing game was out in full-force for the Blue Hens as Omar Cuff rushed for 101 yards and hit the end zone three times. QB Joe Flacco, who threw for 257 yards yet did not throw a TD pass, also scored a rushing touchdown. The defense forced four turnovers (two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and one interception) and limited JMU’s Rodney Landers to only 39 yards passing. However, they did allow the Dukes to rush for 403 yards, and can ill-afford to have a repeat when Tim Hightower and the Richmond Spiders come to town this weekend.
Massachusetts (5-1, 7-2)—The defense was kicking for the Minutemen, but the surprising lack of offensive attack, along with the bad weather that was present on Saturday, severely doomed them as they fell in overtime to Rhode Island 12-6. The only scoring for UMass came from the defense, who recorded three safeties, one of which tied the game and forced it into overtime. The offense played, well, very offensively, and that wasn’t a good thing. In what was clearly the worst game of his career, Liam Coen was 7-for 22 with only 22 yards and two interceptions. Matt Lawrence rushed for 92 yards, but the Minutemen never found the end zone. UMass will look to avenge the humiliation this week when they go against another recently-upset team in New Hampshire.
Richmond (5-1, 7-2)—Tim Hightower, Eric Ward, and Josh Vaughan combined for 242 rushing yards and three touchdowns, each scoring one, to lead the Spiders over Villanova 35-27. Ward was 17-for-24 with 178 yards and a touchdown, and he and Kevin Grayson connected on both the touchdown pass and the ensuing two-point attempt to give Richmond a sure lead in a contest that was a see-saw battle for most of the day. The Spiders will have a daunting task at hand when they travel to Delaware to take on the Blue Hens.
James Madison (4-2, 6-3)—The Dukes put up a good fight in the ground game, registering a total of 403 yards. Too many turnovers and a lack of a passing game, though, proved to be too much as JMU fell to Delaware 37-34. Griff Yancey (171 yards) and Antoinne Bolton (172 yards) led the way for the Dukes’ rushing attack, scoring two touchdowns each. Rodney Landers joined in on the fun with a rushing score of his own, but that was all the fun he had. He was only 5-for-16 with 39 yards and was picked off once. The offense didn’t do so well holding onto the ball for much of the game, losing possession four times in the game (three lost fumbles and Landers’ interception). JMU, mired in a two-game losing streak, try to overcome their recent misfortunes when they take on William & Mary this week.
New Hampshire (3-3, 6-3)—The Wildcats were shockingly no match for Northeastern as they were upset 31-13 on Saturday. Ricky Santos threw for 196 yards and a touchdown pass to Chad Kackert, but also had two interceptions. The rushing offense amounted to nothing, gaining a total of only 74 yards. WR Keith LeVan did score a rushing touchdown, but the game was already out of reach for the Wildcats. UNH will look to put the loss behind them on Saturday as they take on a Massachusetts team that is looking to shake off their upset loss against Rhode Island.
Maine (2-4, 3-6)—The Black Bears survived a crazy match against Towson, winning 16-13. After a scoreless first half, Maine got on the board first in the third quarter with a Jhamal Fluellen touchdown run. After Towson tied it up in the fourth, Jermaine Henderson rushed for a five-yard touchdown score to give the Black Bears the lead. After Towson put up six and attempted to take the lead on a two-point conversion, Troy Harris stepped in and became the Black Bears’ hero of the day. Harris intercepted a Sean Schaefer pass and ran the ball the other way into the end zone, giving Maine the two points and sealing the victory. The Black Bears square off against Rhode Island this week.
Villanova (3-3, 5-4)—WR Phil Atkinson put on a one-man show for the Wildcats, but his performance was a mere afterthought in the Wildcats’ defeat to Richmond 35-27. Atkinson caught both of Chris Whitney’s touchdown passes and had a touchdown toss of his own, connecting with Brandyn Harvey for 43 yards for a Villanova touchdown. Nevertheless, Whitney, who was 13-for-24 with 186 yards, was sacked three times and picked off once, and the Wildcats couldn’t get an advantage in a game that was mainly a seesaw battle. Villanova looks to shake off the setback as they stroll down I-95 into the Baltimore area for a date with the Towson Tigers.
Rhode Island (1-5, 2-7)—This past weekend was full of upsets and stormy weather. Saturday’s UMass-URI game had both, as the Rams came away with a win in overtime 12-6. Due to the weather, both teams failed to get in the end zone during regulation. In overtime, QB D.J. Stefkovich, who threw for only 62 yards on the day, rushed into the end zone for the game’s only touchdown and the Rams’ defense intercepted Liam Coen to put an end to the game. URI head to Orono for a date with the Maine Black Bears with the momentum they never had all season.
William & Mary (2-4, 4-5)—Ferocious winds and an angry Pride squad coming into the game with a losing streak and without their star tailback did the Tribe in as they lost 38-14. William & Mary got the early lead off of a Terrence Riggins touchdown run, but up until backup QB Mike Potts’ touchdown pass to Courtland Marriner in the fourth quarter, it was the only offense they could muster all day. Meanwhile, the Pride ran all over the Tribe defense, scoring 21 points in the first quarter and never trailing for the rest of the game. The day was a nightmare for starter Jake Phillips. He threw for only 92 yards, was sacked twice, picked off once, and fumbled the ball over to Hofstra twice. That performance warranted Phillips being benched in favor of using Potts for the remainder of the game. The Tribe of William & Mary attempt to bounce back from the defeat as they take on James Madison.
Northeastern (1-5, 2-7)—The upset of the day came courtesy of the Huskies, who crushed New Hampshire 31-13 for their first conference win of the season. Senior RB Maurice Murray led the charge for Northeastern, rushing for 208 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Anthony Orio had a near-perfect day, going 11-for-12 for 153 yards and a touchdown. The defense also got in on the fun, picking off Ricky Santos twice. Looking to keep that momentum going, the Huskies will go for another upset against Hofstra this week.
Towson (1-5, 3-6)—This one really hurts. The Tigers had a chance to seize the lead against Maine after Rasheed McClaude scored a touchdown with just over two minutes remaining in the game to put the team within one point. They, however, didn’t count on the Black Bears’ Troy Harris ruining their day as he intercepted a Sean Schaefer pass to give Maine the two points Towson needed. The Tigers never recovered, losing 16-13. Up until Harris’ interception, Towson and Maine went back and forth in the second half after a scoreless first. John Godlasky caught a pass from Sean Schaefer to tie the game with about five minutes into the fourth quarter. Schaefer was 25-for-45 with a touchdown and 250 yards. He, however, threw two picks, one of which proved to be the difference maker in the Tigers’ demise. Crestfallen, Towson returns home to host Villanova on Saturday.