Colonial Athletic Association Preview

[andy7171]

Nice work BDK!

[LeadBolt]

Richmond is in the same position pre-season this year as Villanova was last year. Don't go to sleep on Villanova in Talley's last season.

VU returns the least amount of starters (10) of any team in the CAA from a team that went 6-5/5-3 last season. The probably top recruit class in the nation that they signed in 2011 with the bogus enticement of "We're moving up to the Big East" is now all gone. Defense might be decent, but not a lot of returning talent on the offensive side of the ball. "Let's do it for Talley" is only going to take them so far. I'd be surprised if they finished better than 6-5/4-4 this season & made the playoffs.

By the numbers you are correct. Like everyone else, I would expect VU finish in the second tier of CAA teams. But, injuries and unbalanced schedule play a large part of what happens in the CAA. After last season, you of all people should understand that very well.

VU has a favorable schedule and motivation from failing to meet expectations last year. They have imo the best coach in the CAA and the motivation of it being his last year. I just have a gut feeling that they will be higher in the mix at the end of the year than they were in the beginning.

BTW, I agree with Andy, you did a great job of your analysis.

[vutomcat]

VU (Last season 6-5/5-3) Last year 16 seniors on roster.

Offense: Returns 5 starters.
Lose All CAA:
-1st team FB Gary Underwood
-2nd team WR Kevin Gulyas
Return All CAA:
-QB Zach Bednarczyk, CAA Co-Offensive Rookie of Year

Defense: Returns 5 starters.
Lose All CAA:
-1st team LB Don Cherry, All American, UDFPA with Philadelphia Eagles.
Return All CAA:
-1st team DL Tanoh Kpassagnon (pre season All American)
-2nd team CB Malik Reaves
-3rd team LB Austin Calitro
-3rd team S Cameron McCurry

9/3 @ Pitt
9/10 Lehigh
9/17 TU
9/24 @ Lafayette
10/1 @ Elon
10/8 URI
10/15 @ UR
10/22 Albany
10/29 Bye
11/5 @ Maine
11/12 JMU (Talley’s last home game)
11/19 @ UD
(Miss UNH, SBU, W&M)

Great job on the summaries for all teams. Just a tweak on this one- McCurry graduated last year. He will be missed. Probably their biggest hitter.

This year's results will rest on the O line and the QB. They will need to develop a solid ground game and give their 2nd year QB some time to throw. The defense will be stout again.

[BDKJMU]

UD (Last season 4-7/3-5) Last year 7 seniors on roster.

Offense: Returns 9 starters.
Lose All CAA: 1st team OL Ben Curtis
Return All CAA:
-3rd team TE Brandon Whaley
-3rd team OL Brody Kern
-3rd team OL Connor Bozik
Return starting QB Joe Walker.

Defense: Returns 8 starters.
Lose All CAA: 2nd team DL David Tinsley
Return All CAA:
-2nd team DL Blaine Woodson
-2nd team LB Charles Bell
-3rd team DL Bilal Nichols
-3rd team CB Justin Watson

Special teams: Return All CAA 2nd team Punter Eric Enderson.

9/3 DSU
9/10 @ Lafayette
9/17 @ WFU
9/24 Bye
10/1 @JMU
10/8 Maine
10/15 @ W&M
10/22 SBU
10/29 TU
11/5 @ Albany
11/12 @ UR
11/19 VU
(Miss UNH, URI, Elon)

Our punter Enderson graduated & is gone.

Ok. I was just going by last season's All CAA, which listed him as a Junior.
http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/c ... df?id=2665

[BDKJMU]

VU (Last season 6-5/5-3) Last year 16 seniors on roster.

Offense: Returns 5 starters.
Lose All CAA:
-1st team FB Gary Underwood
-2nd team WR Kevin Gulyas
Return All CAA:
-QB Zach Bednarczyk, CAA Co-Offensive Rookie of Year

Defense: Returns 5 starters.
Lose All CAA:
-1st team LB Don Cherry, All American, UDFPA with Philadelphia Eagles.
Return All CAA:
-1st team DL Tanoh Kpassagnon (pre season All American)
-2nd team CB Malik Reaves
-3rd team LB Austin Calitro
-3rd team S Cameron McCurry

9/3 @ Pitt
9/10 Lehigh
9/17 TU
9/24 @ Lafayette
10/1 @ Elon
10/8 URI
10/15 @ UR
10/22 Albany
10/29 Bye
11/5 @ Maine
11/12 JMU (Talley’s last home game)
11/19 @ UD
(Miss UNH, SBU, W&M)

Great job on the summaries for all teams. Just a tweak on this one- McCurry graduated last year. He will be missed. Probably their biggest hitter.

This year's results will rest on the O line and the QB. They will need to develop a solid ground game and give their 2nd year QB some time to throw. The defense will be stout again.

Thanks. Fixed- not sure how I goofed on him, as he was listed as a senior on the 2015 All CAA list. On the post with the # of All CAA returning for each team I was using the 12 teams in 12 days off the CAA website where they list the # returning for each team (not every team was up yet a few days ago) so I had VU correct with 4 returning..

The only underclassman All CAA that I saw not returning/graduated was a 2nd team URI OL who was listed as a Jr last season. With the UD punter was pointed out that makes at least 2..

[BDKJMU]

Nice work BDK!

BTW, I agree with Andy, you did a great job of your analysis.

Thanks fellas..

[Ibanez]

You didn't hire Mr. C did you? That clown used to hate the CAA.

He loves "The U" though. I've met him at least twice in the parking lot.

I'm pretty sure I had pizza and beer with him. Nice guy...

[BDKJMU]

Mr.Titleless did one for every conference but 'The Association'.
What gives?

We....haven't...really seen a CAA preview from our CAA writer.

This might be as close as you're going to get. Sticky this one maybe?

[YoUDeeMan]

Our punter Enderson graduated & is gone.

Ok. I was just going by last season's All CAA, which listed him as a Junior.
http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/c ... df?id=2665

Enderson had another year of football eligibility, so he was a JR, eligibility-wise, last year. But, he graduated from UD on time, and had a choice to move on or attend grad school at UD and finish another year of football.

Instead of returning, he chose to try out for the pros...and if he didn't make it, he was going to focus on his professional career that his education prepped him for.