UNH picked second in CAA poll

By rbrown
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Updated: July 24, 2018

BALTIMORE, Md. – James Madison, which returns 12 starters from last season’s 14-1 team that reached the NCAA FCS National Championship game for the second consecutive year, was the overwhelming choice to capture the CAA Football title in 2018 according to a vote of the league’s head coaches and media relations directors. The announcement was made on Tuesday morning as the conference conducted its annual Media Day from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

New Hampshire, which is coming off its record 14^th straight FCS playoff appearance, was picked second in the poll, while Delaware placed third. Fourth-place Stony Brook, fifth-place Elon and sixth-place Villanova were separated by just five points in the voting. Richmond was chosen seventh, followed by Maine, UAlbany, Towson, William & Mary and Rhode Island.

JMU captured its third straight CAA Football title in 2017, becoming the first school to achieve that feat since Boston University (1982-84) more than 30 years ago. The Dukes posted a perfect 8-0 mark in CAA play for the second consecutive season and enter the 2018 campaign having won a league-record 18 straight conference games. Offensively, JMU returns its top three rushers and two of its top three receivers from a unit that averaged a CAA-best 34.4 points per game. The Dukes led the nation in scoring defense (11.1 ppg) in 2017 and welcome back five starters from that unit. Senior All-American Rashad Robinson (seven interceptions) and senior Jimmy Moreland (eight interceptions) anchor a secondary that tied a CAA record and topped FCS with 31 interceptions a year ago.

New Hampshire welcomes back nine starters on both sides of the ball from last year’s 9-5 team that reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. Senior quarterback Trevor Knight (291-471, 3,433 yads., 26 TDs) is back to lead the offense and he returns his top two receiving targets in All-American Neil O’Connor (97 rec., 1,396 yds., 10 TD’s) and junior Malik Love (70 rec., 733 yds., 3 TD’s). Spearheading the Wildcats’ defense are linebackers Quinlen Dean (124 tackles, 11.5 TFL) and Jared Kuehl (65 tackles, 13 TFL) and defensive end Jae’Wuan Horton (9 sacks).

Delaware went 7-4 and posted its best conference mark (5-3) since 2011 in its first year under head coach Danny Rocco. Eight starters return on offense, including leading rusher Kani Kane (142 att., 594 yds., 7 TD’s) and top receiver Jamie Jarmon (29 rec., 327 yds., 6 TD’s). The Blue Hens ranked 10^th nationally in scoring defense (16.8 ppg) last season and have seven starters back. Topping that group are defensive back Nasir Adderley (78 tackles, 5 int.) and linebackers Troy Reeder (89 tackles) and Charles Bell.

Stony Brook tied a school record for overall wins (10-3), posted its most CAA victories ever (7-1) and advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs in 2017. The Seawolves have 14 returning starters, including quarterback Joe Carbone (204-363, 2,470 yds., 23 TD’s) and linebacker Shayne Lawless (93 tackles, 13 TFL, 8 sacks).

Elon has nine starters back on offense and defense from last year’s 8-4 team that earned an FCS playoff berth for the first time since 2009 and won more CAA games (6-2) than in its first three years combined. The Phoenix offense returns quarterback Davis Cheek (190-323, 2,431 yds., 15 TD’s) and its top three rushers who combined for nearly 1,900 yards. All-America linebacker Warren Messer (114 tackles, 11 TFL, 5.5 sacks) anchors the defense.

CAA Football also announced its preseason all-conference team. JMU had a league-high six players honored, including Robinson as the preseason Defensive Player of the Year. New Hampshire’s Knight was named the preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

2018 CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
(Selected by a vote of Head Coaches and Media Relations Directors)

OFFENSE
Name, School                                                  Cl.           Pos.       Ht.          Wt.        Hometown/High School
Trevor Knight, New Hampshire                  Sr.           QB          6-0          198         Amherst, N.H./Nashua South
Kani Kane, Delaware                                     Sr.           RB           6-0          240         Bridgeville, Del./Sussex Tech
Marcus Marshall, James Madison             Sr.           RB           5-10       207         Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook
Cal Daniels, Stony Brook                               Sr.           FB           6-2          255         Bethel, Conn./Bethel
Dejon Brissett, Richmond                             Sr.           WR         6-2          190         Mississauga, Ontario/Lake Forest Acad.
Neil O’Connor, New Hampshire                    Sr.           WR         5-11       182         Leominster, Mass./Leominster
Aaron Parker, Rhode Island                         Jr.           WR         6-3          191         Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park
Charles Scarff, Delaware                               Sr.           TE           6-5          270         Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Catholic
Mario Farinella, Delaware                            Sr.           OL           6-0          300         Bloomfield, N.J./Bergen Catholic
Ethan Greenidge, Villanova                         Sr.           OL           6-4          335         Flanders, N.Y./Riverhead
Jahee Jackson, James Madison                  Jr.           OL           6-3          292         Baltimore, Md./Gilman
CJ Toogood, Elon                                            Sr.           OL           6-2          293         Holly Springs, N.C./Holly Springs
John Yarbrough, Richmond                          Sr.           OL           6-5          285         Homewood, Ala./Homewood

DEFENSE
Name, School                                                    Cl.           Pos.       Ht.          Wt.        Hometown/High School
Darrious Carter, James Madison                    Sr.           DL           6-5          235         Indiana, Pa./Indiana Senior
Andrew Clyde, Richmond                              Sr.           DL           6-3          275         Dallas, Texas/Highland Park
Brandon Ginnetti, Rhode Island                    Jr.           DL           6-3          275         East Haven, Conn./Cheshire Academy
Kayon Whitaker, Maine                                    Jr.           DL           6-3          235         Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate
Quinlen Dean, New Hampshire                   Jr.           LB           6-0          227         Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt
Shayne Lawless, Stony Brook                      Sr.           LB           6-1          225         Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown
Warren Messer, Elon                                     Sr.           LB           5-11       227         Garner, N.C./Garner
Troy Reeder, Delaware                                 Sr.           LB           6-2          245         Hockessin, Del/Salesianum
Nasir Adderley, Delaware                            Sr.           S              6-0          190         Philadelphia, Pa./Great Valley
Rob Rolle, Villanova                                        Sr.           S              6-0          185         Newfield, N.J./Delsea
Jimmy Moreland, James Madison              Sr.           CB           5-11       172         Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Royal Palm Beach
Rashad Robinson, James Madison             Sr.           CB           5-11       182         Richmond, Va./Hermitage

SPECIAL TEAMS
Name, School                                                    Cl.           Pos.       Ht.          Wt.        Hometown/High School
Earnest Edwards, Maine                               Jr.           KR           5-10       175         Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas Institute
Donovan McDonald, UAlbany                   Jr.           PR           6-0          175         West Orange, N.J./Montclair
Griffin Trau, Richmond                                 Sr.           PK           5-8          170         Culver, Ind./Western Reserve Acad.
Harry O’Kelly, James Madison                    So.          P             6-1          178         Wynnum, Queensland, Australia/Iona
Mozai Nelson, Maine                                     Sr.           SPEC      6-0          205         Uniondale, N.Y./St. Anthony’s

CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Trevor Knight, QB, New Hampshire

CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rashad Robinson, CB, James Madison

2018 CAA FOOTBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(Selected by a vote of Head Coaches and Media Relations Directors)