2011 CAA Football Preview

The top of the heap

William & Mary: Predicted record, 9-2

His father played quarterback at Morgan State, but Jonathan Grimes has made his name carrying the football, not throwing it, at William & Mary.

In a league full of gifted tailbacks, Grimes is one of the best all-around players at the position. Last year, he led the CAA in all-purpose yardage, averaging 135 yards per game as a rusher, receiver and return man. Oh, and he can sing and play the piano too.

Grimes will be running behind one of the league’s strongest offensive lines and that should offset the major question marks in the passing game. The Tribe doesn’t have a truly established wide receiver to replace the injured Ryan Moody, and quarterback Mike Paulus – while as talented as any Jimmye Laycock quarterback – hasn’t really proved himself on the field yet either.

Tight end Alex Gotlieb may be the best in the league at that position. The Tribe will need to take some pressure off of Grimes with a passing game but between Laycock and Paulus, the smart money says they’ll find a way to do it.

The Tribe is stout in their front four, led by senior defensive end Marcus Hyde and that’s where defensive success starts. Its linebacking corps is one of the best in the league. Jake Trantin is back at linebacker, allowing Dante Cook to move back to his natural outside backer spot.

W&M also brings back three of four starters in the secondary too, including cornerback B.W. Webb.

William & Mary’s biggest issue could be a lack of depth. A rash of injuries – especially on the defensive side of the ball – could force the Tribe to plummet in the standings. But for now, assuming the team is healthy, they have a chance to make a run at a national title.

Delaware: 9-2

Coming out of Cumberland Regional High School in Bridgeton, N.J., Andrew Pierce had zero scholarship offers. Delaware coach K.C. Keeler suggested he go to a community college for classes in the fall of 2009, then try to walk on with the Blue Hens in the spring.

Humble beginnings for a player being touted as one of the best in I-AA football this year. Pierce led the CAA in rushing last year, going for 1,655 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 110.3 yards per game. Pierce will be running behind a veteran offensive line that returns four starters, led by Gino Gradkowski, the Hens’ 6-4, 294-pound All-CAA guard. He’ll also have the chance to catch his breath with talented backup David Hayes available to spell him.

That group may determine how far Delaware goes, since quarterback Pat Devlin was a senior last year.

James Madison fans got a good glimpse of new Delaware quarterback Trevor Sasek last season, when the Dukes knocked Devlin out of the team’s game. Sasek confidently led the Blue Hens on a pair of fourth quarter field goals drives in a 13-10 win over JMU. He doesn’t have the pomp and circumstance of the long line of Delaware I-A transfer QBs, but he can play.

Defensively, the Blue Hens must totally rebuild, as they lose eight starters. The unit will be built around an incredibly strong linebacking corps led by Paul Worrilow and Andrew Harrison. Delaware added Auburn transfer Jessel Curry to that group.

The schedule, however, should help Delaware to the top third of the league. It has most of its tough league games at home in Newark and doesn’t have James Madison on the schedule this year. The Blue Hens are positioned for at least eight wins if that defense comes together.

James Madison: 8-3

A four-game losing streak sunk a promising season last year, one that began with a 3-0 start that included the stunning 21-16 win at Virginia Tech.

The biggest change in the offseason came with the coaching staff. Mickey Matthews, feeling the heat after two non-playoff seasons done in by sub-par play offense, will take over as the Dukes’ play-caller this year. Who will those plays be signaled in to? Former CAA-Rookie of the Year Justin Thorpe is back and healthy after missing last year with a bruised knee and JMU brought in Kansas State transfer Billy Cosh, more of a pocket passer. The smart money is on the Dukes turning to Thorpe to run the show with Cosh possibly seeing action in passing situations.

Overall, JMU brings back eight starters on offense and 10 on a defense that was one of the league’s toughest last year. Defensive end D.J. Bryant, linebacker Stephon Robertson and safety Vidal Nelson are All-America candidates and their supporting cast isn’t far behind. The defense is fast, aggressive, athletic and experienced.

If Matthews can develop a ball-control offense that puts up enough points to get by, the defense should carry the Dukes back to the playoffs.

The middle of the pack

UNH: 8-3

The offensive juggernaut that has been Wildcats football may be relying more heavily on its defense this year. The unit has two of the league’s top players in linebacker Matt Evans and defensive tackle Brian McNally.

Offensively, UNH will be breaking in a new quarterback as Kevin Decker takes over for R.J. Toman, though that hasn’t caused the ’Cats to miss a beat in recent years thanks to coach Sean McDonnell. But it will also be replacing two of its top receivers and tailback  Sean Jellison.

If junior Dontra Peters emerges as a ball carrier, the Wildcats could become a more ground-based attack this year. They do bring back four starters on the offensive line.

Back-to-back games against UMass (at Foxborough Stadium on Oct. 22) and Rhode Island (in Durham, N.C.) could represent the pivotal stretch in the season for UNH.

UMass: 7-4

The Minutemen won’t go to the playoffs this year. They aren’t eligible as they prepare to make the move to Division I-A and the MAC conference.

But if they find a replacement for quarterback Kyle Havens -- Bowling Green transfer Kellen Pagel could be the man – they might be good enough to be there.

How will the UMass seniors approach the year? Since there will be no postseason, they’re likely to be extra motivated for their regular-season games.

In tailback Jonathan Hernandez, UMass returns one of the league’s top offensive players and he’ll be running behind an offensive line with four returning starters. It also brought in Pittsburgh transfer Chris Burns to shoulder some of the load.

Defensively, nine starters are back including All-American linebacker Tyler Holmes.

Rhode Island: 6-5

The Rams are the trendy pick to make some noise in the CAA this year after going 4-4 in the league last season. Joe Trainer has brought the once-moribund program back to life as it prepares to transition to the much less competitive NEC, where URI should compete for league titles. That’s not until 2013. For now, Trainer would like to inch up further in the CAA standings.

But the schedule does them few favors. Their bye week – if you can call it that – comes in the first week, and they play a key game at Massachusetts the week after playing at Syracuse.

Still, URI has 10 starters back on offense, including senior quarterback Steve Probst, a two-year starter at Hofstra before the Pride dumped its football program.

The Rams do lose five starters on defense but that’s Trainer’s area of expertise, so he should be able to come up with some answers on that side of the ball.

Richmond: 6-5

The Spiders lose eight starters off an offense that was hard to watch last year, but with USC transfer quarterback Aaron Corp healthy – he missed 2010 with a knee injury – they should look very different on that side of the ball. He’ll have one of the league’s best wide receivers – Tre Gray – to throw to.

Richmond loses a ton from a defense that kept them in games last year. Linebackers Eric McBride and Patrick Wheldon are gone, leaving Darius McMillan as the likely anchor the unit. Speedy defensive back Tremayne Graham is a play maker in the secondary.

The bottom of the barrel:

Tough to put any team – well, maybe Towson in recent years – in this league in this category. The bottom of the CAA could contend for conference titles in many other conferences around the country. But the CAA is an unforgiving place to be when you’re down. And these four teams are a bit down this year when compared to their league peers.

ODU: 5-6

Bobby Wilder said he picked his team last in the league’s preseason rankings because they have yet to prove themselves in the nation’s toughest I-AA conference. He’s right that the Monarchs are likely to struggle with the week-in, week-out strength of the CAA, but ODU has enough talent and speed that it should surprise some people this year. It gave William & Mary fits last year and should be even tougher with the added year of experience.

Senior quarterback Thomas DeMarco has started 22 games for the Monarchs and has accounted for 69 toouchdowns in that span (throwing for 44 and rushing for 25).

The Monarchs get JMU and Richmond in Norfolk for their first-ever meetings.

Maine: 4-7

Maine should be scrappy and gritty again this year, a season after playing nearly everyone on their schedule tough. The team has experience – nine starters are back on offense and six on defense – but they just don’t have the weapons to scare anyone.

Warren Smith and Chris Treister are both back again at quarterback, but Maine would be wise to pick one as the starter, and the sooner the better. Derek Session and Pushaun Brown return in the backfield to carry the load. Brown could be an emerging star in this tailback-deep league. Maine has four starters back on the offensive line and should be able to control games with a power, ball-control attack. But if they fall behind – and they will – they lack the firepower to get back in games.

A stretch of five straight games from Oct. 15 through Nov. 12 – against Rhode Island, Richmond, Villanova, Towson and UMass – will be the Black Bears’ big chance to make something of this season.

Villanova: 4-7

Offensive studs Matt Szczur, Chris Whitney, Aaron Ball and Ben Ijalana are gone. So is most of last year’s defense. And those recruits whose interests were piqued by all that Big East talk? Well, they won’t be ready to contribute for another year or two. It could be a long fall in suburban Philadelphia. The Wildcats have had just one losing season in the last 10 years. Andy Talley will have to do one of his best coaching jobs ever to avoid that fate in 2011.

The biggest question is, who will take over for Whitney at quarterback. Redshirt freshman Dustin Thompson, the team's backup last year, will have to ward off competition from two true freshmen. Whoever is under center, Villanova will be inexperienced at a vital position.

Towson: 2-9

The Tigers went winless in the CAA last year and a number of those losses were routs. But Towson showed signs it was learning how to hang tough at times, too. The good news for Towson is that many of its better players were young and the extra year of experience should make the team more competitive this year. Eight starters are back on defense, including defensive end Frank Beltre. Junior linebacker Danzel White has returned to the team after sitting out last year and could have a big impact.

Offensively, Peter Athens opened eyes as a promising quarterback as a freshman in 2009 before a knee injury sidelined him until this year. He and the more-experienced Brian Potts are both back and transfer Timmy Enders is also in the mix to play under center.

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