By Rich Adragna

James Madison (4-0, 6-1)—The No. 8 Dukes will enjoy their week off after their victory over Rhode Island 44-27.  CAA Player of the Week Rodney Landers led the charge for JMU, going 11-for-15 with 242 yards and three touchdowns.  Landers also ran for 176 yards.  Griff Yancey rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown.  Jason Pritchard (1) and Dave Stannard (2) made all of the Dukes’ three field goal attempts.  After the bye week, JMU return to action on Oct. 27th against Richmond.

Massachusetts (3-0, 5-1)—The fourth-ranked Minutemen got a scare in a triple overtime thriller against Villanova, but came away victorious 32-24.  Matt Lawrence scored two rushing touchdowns in overtime, including the game-winner.  Lawrence also rushed for 118 yards, while Liam Coen was 21-for-34 with 355 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.  With all of that suspense out of the way, UMass remains home this week taking on their fellow statesmen in Northeastern.

Delaware (4-1, 6-1)—The 13th ranked Blue Hens rebounded from a heartbreaking upset to New Hampshire the week before by holding off a pesky Northeastern squad, winning the contest 30-20.  Clearly, it was the Omar Cuff show, as he rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns.  Cuff also had a touchdown reception from quarterback Joe Flacco, who threw for 222 yards along with that touchdown pass.  UDel gets its chance against a team in the FBS when they roll into Annapolis to take on the Midshipmen of Navy.

New Hampshire (1-2, 4-2)—The 11th ranked Wildcats’ offense made quick work of Iona in the entire first half, and the defense didn’t allow Iona’s offense to make a lot of noise as UNH won 49-21.  The offense gained a total of 429 yards, with 351 of those coming in the first half alone.  Most of the offense was done on the ground, as Sean Jellison scored two touchdowns.  Mike Boyle, Chad Kackert, R.J. Toman and Chris Ward each had a rushing score to call their own.  Toman, who filled in at quarterback in place of Ricky Santos, threw for 172 yards and a touchdown.  The Wildcats look to play spoiler when they roll into Hempstead for a battle with Hofstra.

Richmond (2-1, 4-2)—The Spiders are now No. 18 in the FCS poll thanks to their manhandling of Stony Brook 42-0.  Eric Ward and Will Healy combined for 156 yards and four touchdowns on the day.  Tim Hightower scored both a rushing and receiving touchdown, while Joe Stewart caught both of his receptions for touchdowns of 11 and 31 yards.  Although the defense gave up 339 yards of total offense to Josh Dudash and company, the Spiders still managed to keep the Seawolves scoreless.  Richmond will take on Rhode Island this week.

Rhode Island (0-3, 1-5)—Jerrell Jones rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns, including an 84 yard dash into the end zone early in the game.  His performance, though, was not enough to save the Rams from losing to James Madison 44-27.  Derek Cassidy threw for 184 yards and a score, but was also picked off once and sacked three times.  URI look to overcome their recent setback when they head into Richmond to take on the Spiders this Saturday.

Villanova (2-2, 4-3)—The Wildcats had UMass on the ropes in triple overtime, but couldn’t finish the deal falliing 32-24.  With starting QB Antwon Young out, Chris Whitney took his place, throwing for 134 yards, a touchdown and a pick.  Whitney also rushed for 83 yards and an overtime touchdown.  Matthew Sherry was the recipient of Whitney’s touchdown pass, while Joe Marcoux was 3-for-4 in field goal attempts.  After they take this week off, Villanova will look to overcome their recent heartbreak as a red-hot Hofstra squad comes into town.

Northeastern (0-3, 1-5)—The Huskies gave Delaware all they could handle last week.  Unfortunately for them, they were held scoreless in the fourth quarter as the Blue Hens ran away with the win 30-20.  The loss keeps the Huskies winless in conference play.  Anthony Orio was 18-for-23 with 198 yards and one touchdown, while Maurice Murray rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns.  Northeastern concludes its road trip against Massachusetts this Saturday.

William & Mary (2-2, 4-3)—The Tribe held off Maine last week, winning by a score of 21-20.  Jake Phillips and CAA Player of the Week Cameron Doshe connected twice for touchdown passes of 31 and 33 yards, while Tony Viola’s three yard run kept William & Mary ahead for the rest of the game.  The defense kept the lead intact in the second half, forcing the Black Bears to settle for only two field goals.  The Tribe  have this week off and returning to action next week against UMass.

Maine (0-4, 1-5)—Adam Farkes and Landis Williams connected twice for scores in the first half.  However, the offense couldn’t get any momentum going in the second as Maine fell to William & Mary 21-20.  Jhamal Fluellen also rushed for over 200 yards against the Tribe. However, the Black Bears could only settle for two Bobby Donnelly field goals in the second half as they went down in defeat.  Maine makes its return to Long Island as they face against Stony Brook.

Towson (1-4, 3-4)—Looking to add to the momentum they gained from an upset victory over Richmond the following week, the Tigers ran into a brick wall in the form of Hofstra, falling 20-3 on their homecoming day.  The only offense Towson attained was a Mark Bencivengo field goal in the first quarter, keeping things interesting in the first half.  The second half, though, proved to be nightmarish as Kareem Huggins ran past the Tiger defense for two touchdowns.  Sean Schaefer threw for only 123 yards, had two passes intercepted and was sacked four times. Towson look to overcome its struggles when they make the trip up north for a battle with Colgate.

Sports Network’s FCS College Football Poll
1.    Northern Iowa
2.     North Dakota State
3.     Montana
4.    Massachusetts
5.     Appalachian State
6.    McNeese State
7.    Wofford
8.    James Madison
9.    Southern Illinois
10.     Pride
11.    New Hampshire
12.    Youngstown State
13.    Nicholls State
14.    Delaware
15.    Delaware State
16.    Yale
17.    Western Illinois
18.    Richmond
19.    Cal Poly
20.    Montana State
21.    Eastern Kentucky
22.    Eastern Washington
23.    Grambling State
24.    Elon
25.    Norfolk State

CCA and AFCA’s FCS Coaches Top-25 Poll
1.    North Dakota State
2.    Northern Iowa
3.    Montana
4.    Massachusetts
5.    Appalachian State
6.    Wofford
6.     McNeese State
8.    James Madison
9.     Pride
10.     Southern Illinois
11.    New Hampshire
12.    Youngstown State
13.    Delaware
14.    Nicholls State
15.    Yale
16.    Delaware State
17.    Western Illinois
18.    Richmond
19.    Montana State
20.     Cal Poly
21.    Eastern Kentucky
22.    Eastern Washington
23.    Grambling State
24.    Eastern Illinois
25.    Hampton
25.    San Diego