CAA Week 8 Football Recap & Lookahead: Rhode Island Rolls, Campbell Stumbles Again

Campbell suffers another loss on the season moving them to 2-6 on the season as they lose to New Hampshire 24-10 in their first ever matchup. This loss also moved them down in the standings as they now sit at eighth while being 2-2 in conference play. For the game it was a very low scoring affair for a majority of it, with the most points being scored in the fourth quarter.   

In the game it was only 10-9 in favor of the Camels by the end of the third quarter. Then after a New Hampshire touchdown the Camels turned the ball over on downs at their own six yard line setting up an easy score for New Hampshire. The Camels were not able to do anything else as they would also lose a fumble that New Hampshire used to run out more clock. For the Camels they had 225 yards of total offense with the passing game having 133 yards and the run game having the other 92. It was a fairly clean game for the Camels as they committed four penalties that gave up only 23 yards. One big problem that they had was not having good possession time. As they only managed to have 21:43 in time of possession compared to the Wildcats 38:17.

Campbell will now go on the road as they make a trip to Greensboro, N.C to take on North Carolina A&T. This is a game with both teams playing for pride as both teams have six losses on the season already. Catch this affair at 1:00 p.m. ET on FLOF

North Carolina A&T Aggies Athletics 

North Carolina A&T returns to the gridiron after taking week eight off. In their most recent game the Aggies took on South Carolina State and suffered a heartbreaking 22-16 loss.This loss pushed them to a record of 1-6, with a conference record of 1-2. It was a game in which they led 9-0 at the half and entering the fourth had a 9-7 lead. That's when the wheels fell off as they turned the ball over three times on four of their fourth quarter possessions. Besides the three turnovers the Aggies also struggled with penalties as they had 10-93. Not a good day on the field for the Aggies. Their offensive production was fine as they had 241 yards of total offense with the passing game getting a majority with 194 of those yards. The run game only got 47 yards, on 39 attempts for an average of 1.2 yards per rush. They will look to be much improved coming off the bye as they host the Campbell Camels at home in Greensboro, N.C. The game will start at 1:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on FLOF.

Elon Phoenix Athletics

The up and down season continues for the Elon Phoenix as they took their second loss in a row moving them to 4-4 now on the season with conference play sitting at 2-2. Their most recent loss was to William & Mary in a game that ended by a score of 26-21. This was a game that Elon led 14-3 in the second quarter before giving up a touchdown right before half. Elon could not stop the Tribes momentum as they then came out of the half and put up 16 points in the third while holding Elon off the board until the fourth quarter where they could only get seven points as Elon would then take the loss. For the Phoenix in the game they put up 345 yards of total offense with the passing game going for 184 yards while running for 161. Overall a very balanced offense for the Phoenix. They did have one big red mark on their report though and that comes from losing the turnover battle. In the game Elon never took the ball away while they gave it up once from an interception thrown, and in a game where you lose by five points every possession matters and that one may have been the difference in this one. While they did lose, the turnover battle Elon did have a player stand out. That player was Kahmari Brown, a defensive end  who earned the CAA Football Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Brown was exceptional in the game as he had a career high 13 tackles, 3.5 were for a loss, and he also had 3.0 sacks. His three sacks double his amount on the season as he looks to stay hot this upcoming week to try and help the team bounce back as they go back on the road to Orono Maine to take on the Black Bears. This conference matchup can be seen on FLOF with game time set for 1:00 p.m. ET.

Maine Black Bears Athletics

Maine seems to have turned their season around as they got their third win in a row two weeks ago bringing them to 3-4 record. Now they are fresh off the bye and ready to get their fourth win as they try and keep up with the top of the conference. While the Black Bears need a lot of things to go their way they still have a chance to make the playoffs, and even win the conference as they prepare to take on the Elon Phoenix who have lost two in a row. This game will be a home game for Maine as it is taking place in Orono Maine, and will be starting at 1:00 p.m. ET. This game can be watched on FLOF. To see how Maine might do in this next game we take a look at their most recent game which was against Merrimack. In that game Maine got the win in a low scoring affair with the final being 20-13. While Maine didn’t score a ton of points the offense was working properly as they had exactly 400 yards of total offense. The passing game didn’t go as well as they may have wanted with them only getting 159 yards with an interception, but the run game did plenty by having 241 yards and putting both touchdowns in the game. On the other side of the ball things went just as well as they held Merrimack to only 13 points as well as taking the ball away from them three times. The defense got two interceptions and recovered a fumble as well in the win.

Bryant Bulldogs Athletics

Bryant is back in action this week after having week eight off. The bye was also much needed for the Bulldogs as they had lost four in a row before heading into the break. Before the break they took on Brown University. It was a game they lost 29-19, but heading into half they had a 12-0 lead. Brown was then able to make good second half adjustments and the Bulldogs had no response to it as they could only get seven more points while they gave up 29. When looking at the box stats you see Bryant turned the ball over twice and you might think that's what caused downfall. But it wasn’t. Both turnovers happened in the first half of the game when Bryant held the lead and even had a shutout going. Things just fell apart for the defense as Brown figured things out. Overall it was an ok game for the Bulldogs as they put up a total yardage of 350. The passing game and run game were very close to each other as they had 162 passing yards to their 188 rushing yards. Bryant is hopeful to have fixed things up as now they face the number one team in the conference, in Rhode Island as they look to play upset. To catch this game tune in at 1:00 p.m. ET on FLOF, to watch Bryant play Rhode Island in Kingston Rhode Island. 

Rhode Island Rams Athletics

It was a good day on the field for the Rhode Island Rams as they got their sixth win on the season making them 6-2, and they added another conference win making them 4-0. For the Rams the win came against UAlbany with the final being 58-17. It was a game that the Rams had control of from the start after forcing a three and out on the Great Danes they then made it 10-0 before Albany got a field goal of their own. Then the Rams scored 28 unanswered points taking them into the third quarter. From there everything was on cruise control as they continued to score while the defense did enough to not let any comeback get started. For Rhode Island they produced 477 yards of total offense with the passing game being their favorite way to move the ball. They had 335 yards from the pass, with the run game there to help support it by getting 142 yards as well. With the offense being so productive, someone was bound to bring home the CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week, and that happened for Devin Farrell, the quarterback. He earned the award by going 19-20 on passing attempts with those 19 attempts earning 333 yards and four touchdowns. His 95% completion rate is tied for the best in the FCS this season for a single game. The cherry on top for the offense was that they never turned the ball over while they themselves took it away four times, as the defense managed to get two interceptions along with two fumble recoveries. One of the main contributors on the defense was A.J. Pena who had a team-high six tackles, four sacks and forced one of those fumbles that they recovered. His four sacks are the most by any player in the FCS this season, and helped him become the Ram’s career sacks leader with 34.5. All of these accomplishments helped him earn CAA Football Co-Defensive Player of the Week.

Even though the Rams had so many things going right for them they did have one main problem in the game and that was penalties, as they had 11-117 yards. Something they will need to clean up if they want to hold onto the top position in the conference. They now will take on the Bryant Bulldogs in Kingston Rhode Island, with the game being available to watch on FLOF with the coverage beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET.

William & Mary Tribe Athletics

William & Mary has their first winning streak of the season. This streak might not be very long as it is only a two game win streak, but that shows you the struggles they have had at points in the season. For the Tribe this second win in a row makes them now 4-3, and while the overall record isn’t the best the conference record is much better at 3-1. Meaning that the Tribe still has a shot at the conference title at this point in the season. For the Tribe their most recent win was over the Elon Phoenix by a score of 26-21. A hard fought victory that the Tribe earned after being down 14-3 at one point in the second quarter. After going down 11 they would turn things around as they then scored 23 points in a row before Elon could get back on the scoreboard. For the Tribe it was a game in which they did just enough things right to get the win as they put up a total of 319 yards. A majority of those yards came on the pass as they had 249 through the air. The run game didn’t have its best performance as they had 70 yards and could only averaged 1.9 yards per rush. While the run game didn’t have its best performance the defense had a solid day by only allowing seven points in the second half. The defense also managed to take the ball away once from an interception helping them get the one game possession victory. Now William & Mary travels to Durham N.H. to take on the Wildcats in a game that will really test them to see if they can compete for the conference crown. This game will start at 1:00 p.m. ET, with the game watchable on FLOF streaming. 

New Hampshire got to meet Campbell for their first ever meeting and it went about as well as possible as they got the win by a score of 24-10 moving them to 4-4 overall and making them 2-2 in conference play. For the Wildcats the game was very slow as they only had 9 points in the first three quarters while holding Campbell to 10 Then in the fourth they took the lead on a touchdown where they also got the two point conversion. Campbell tried to respond but instead turned the ball over on downs on their six yard line, which the Wildcats took advantage of to then jump up to a 24-10 lead. The Wildcats also recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter to all but seal the game for them. In the game New Hampshire had 370 yards of total offense with the air attack being most efficient as they passed for 230 yards. The run game also had a solid day as they rushed for 140 yards. With the offense not turning the ball over once they were able to win the turnover battle in the game as well. A very solid performance for the Wildcats as they stayed strong through the first three quarters before finally coming to life in fourth to help them get the win. Before the fourth quarter New Hampshire had three field goals, all of them kicked by Nick Reed. His performance helped keep them in the game and earned him the CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week. His three field goals were from 36, 50, and 37 yards out. They will try to be more productive in their first three quarters this week when they play William & Mary at home in Durham N.H., with the game kicking off at 1:00 p.m. and available to watch on FLOF.

Monmouth Hawks Athletics

Make that four wins in a row for the Monmouth Hawks as they just keep on rolling. Their most recent win was over the Stony Brook Seawolves by a score of 49-21. While Monmouth might have won by three scores, that doesn’t indicate how close this game was. For the longest time this was a game that Stony Brook was keeping within a one score game. Then everything went right in the fourth quarter. The Hawks got a touchdown to open the quarter then got an interception leading to a second touchdown. The Hawks would add one more touchdown in the quarter while forcing two turnovers on downs to turn the once close game into an easy victory. While the offense did plenty of good as they put up 415 total yards, with 265 passing yards and 150 rushing yards, it was the defense that really showed in this one. As they took the ball away four times from Stony Brook, with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The defense also held Stony Brook under 50% on third down conversions and stopped them on four of their six fourth down plays. Overall a masterful performance by the Monmouth Hawks as they continue to play as a top ten team in the nation. Now that top ten team travels to Hampton, VA to take on the Hampton Pirates, a team that has struggled up to this point and will try and play spoilers. To watch the Hawks play you can see them on FLOF streaming service with the game starting at 2:00 p.m. ET.

It is a season to forget for the Hampton Pirates so far as they took another loss this time by a score of 56-14 to the Villanova Wildcats, moving them to 2-6 on the season. In conference play they sit dead last at 14th overall as they are 0-4 in conference games. In this last game they were shutout in the first half while giving up 49 points. Villanova scored a touchdown on every single drive of the first half and even had a defensive score. Making this game all but over at halftime. The Pirates did put up 14 points in the second half showing that they were not just going to give up, but the deficit they faced was just too much to handle. Hampton had a total of 270 yards, 94 of those yards from the pass and 176 yards from the run. They turned the ball over two times once from an interception and the other from a lost fumble. Hampton will try and play spoilers when they host the Monmouth Hawks at home this week. Catch the game at 2:00 p.m. ET of FLOF streaming. 

University of Albany Great Danes Athletics

UAlbany has suffered their second three game losing streak on season as they are now 1-6, and sitting at 13th in the conference having gone 0-3 in conference play. For the Great Danes this last game was really one to forget as they lost 58-17. It was a game in which they found themselves down 31-3 at half and things didn’t get any better from there. The Great Danes put up 325 yards of total offense on the day. The run game and passing game did fine with the numbers as they put up 133 rushing yards and 192 passing yards, but turnovers were a big story in this game, as they turned the ball over four times. The turnovers were split even, two from fumbles and two from interceptions as the Great Danes could not maintain possession of the ball. Things need to be better this week when they take on Villanova if they want to avoid the same result. This Villanova game will be played in Villanova PA, with kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET and available to stream on FLOF.

Villanova has now got four wins in a row putting them at an impressive record of 5-2. That fourth win in a row was over a conference opponent making them now 4-1 and top contender to win the CAA, with them currently sitting at third. The Wildcats most recent victory was over the Hampton Pirates who they routed by a score of 56-14. The Wildcats offense could not be stopped as they scored touchdowns on their first six possessions of the game, add in a defensive score and at the half they had put the game away as they were up 49-0. The second half was used as a time for the backups and they took advantage of that moment. They might have lost the shutout but they did only allow Hampton to score 14 points in the second half. While also getting a touchdown of their own. Villanova put up 395 yards of total offense, with the passing game having 175 of those yards and the run game going over the century mark two times with 220 yards in total. The defense also took the ball away twice helping Villanova win the turnover battle as they never gave it away. Now Villanova will host the UAlbany Great Danes at home for their second straight home game as they look to produce the same results as what they just got over Hampton. This game against UAlbany will start at 3:30 p.m. ET, and is available to watch on FLOF streaming. 

Towson Tigers Athletics 

The Tigers had a week off and now come into week nine fresh and ready to go. They will look to improve to .500 in their record as they are currently 3-4 overall with a conference record of 1-2.  In their last game they took a tough loss as they just couldn’t quite keep up with Monmouth in a game they lost 42-31. In that game they put up 418 yards, with 293 of those yards coming from the pass and the remaining 125 coming on the ground. The Tigers were also very well disciplined and committed to playing clean ball as they only committed one penalty. The big problem in the game though for the Tigers was that they lost three fumbles and in a game they lost by two possessions. Those three lost possessions played a huge difference in the outcome of this game. It is something they will hope to have cleaned up in their off week as they now take on Stony Brook in Stony Brook, N.Y., with the game starting at 3:30 p.m. ET and available to watch on FLOF.

Stony Brook Seawolves Athletics

Just when Stony Brook seemed to be figuring things out they ran into the juggernauts of Monmouth who put it to them as the final score was  49-21 in favor of the Hawks. This loss put the Seawolves back below .500 as they are now 3-4, and 1-2 in conference play. For the Seawolves things were going fine as they trailed at half only down 21-14, and then at the end of the third it was 28-21. Then came the fourth, where Monmouth got a touchdown to open the quarter, Stony Brook then threw an intersection which resulted in another score for the Hawks. As the game was getting closer to over, the Seawolves went for it on fourth down and failed, leading to a short field that the Hawks took advantage of putting the game out of reach with only a couple of minutes left. This was a game that Stony Brook felt they really needed as they constantly were going for it on fourth down, in fact they went for it six times on fourth down but failed four times giving Monmouth good field position plenty of times. Throw in four turnovers in the game as well and that recipe adds up to a loss. While the Seawolves had all of these errors out on the field it was still a game they were in for the longest time. What did the Seawolves do right then to have a chance so late into the game? They didn’t commit a bunch of penalties as they had 3-16. There is also the fact that they limited the Hawks offense as they held them to 6-14 on third down plays and even got a turnover on downs. The offense did have its struggle with giving the ball away, but it did run efficiently at times as they produced 423 yards. Both the run game and passing game were working as they had nearly identical numbers with the pass having 213 yards, and the run game having 210 yards. They just did too many things wrong resulting in the loss. Now they enter a game that they need to have to try and keep the season alive as they will host the Towson Tigers at home in Stony Brook N.Y., with a kickoff time of 3:30 p.m. ET. This game can be streamed on FLOF to watch the game.