The 2023 College Football season is three weeks old, and the Coastal Athletic Conference has seen its fair share of nail biters and blowouts.
The heavy favorites are beginning to be more apparent, and teams that are towards the bottom of the standings are running out of time to make a comeback.
The Good Five Cent Cigar Sports Staff will judge all 15 CAA teams every week to find these frontrunners and provide a power ranking list to show which teams could be featured in December and even in January.
Here are the results going into week four of the season for The University of Rhode Island’s Football team and the rest of the CAA.
15th Place: Stony Brook (0-3) (-)
The Seawolves caught yet another bad break in week three, this time against an FBS opponent in Arkansas State, in which they lost 31-7.
There have been more severe losses to FBS opponents in the CAA this season, but Stony Brook’s inability to produce on either side of the ball all season are the reason they still reside in last.
Stony Brook’s scoring differential of -69 is a pure indicator of their struggles early in the year, and an improvement on both sides of the ball is necessary to make a turnaround for their 2023 campaign.
14th Place: North Carolina A&T (0-3) (-2)
The Aggies took an unfortunate loss in their CAA season debut this past week, a 27-3 routing to Elon.
The main issue for North Carolina A&T has been the offensive output. A pitiful 8.3 points per game sees the Aggies in dead last in the CAA, and they have allowed at least 25 points in all three games this year.
13th Place: Maine (0-3) (-2)
Week three for Maine was definitely an upgrade for the Black Bears after suffering a 44-7 lose in week two. However, a 34-17 loss to Rhode Island last Friday night just isn’t up to the standards of success.
Only reaching the end zone four times over three games is the leading reason that Maine is winless at this point in the year. They held Florida International to just 14 points in week one, which was their best chance to steal a win, but were only able to muster 12 points on their end.
Maine has another tough test against #5 ranked William and Mary this coming weekend and will definitely need their offense to show up to that game as the Tribe only allow 12.3 points per game.
12th Place: Towson (1-2) (+2)
A 20-10 victory over Morgan State was exactly what Towson needed to rebound off a tough conference loss to Monmouth in week two.
The Tigers have put up at least 20 points against both of their FCS opponents and their FBS schedule is behind them. If Towson can start to hold teams to a lower offensive output, they can start to win even more games.
11th Place: Richmond (1-2) (+1)
After a punishing 45-14 defeat to Michigan State, Richmond finally found the win column this past week with a 38-6 routing over Delaware State.
The Spiders’ defense is solid, only allowing 22 points per game, which ranks third in the CAA. However, their offense leaves a lot to be desired, residing under the 20 point mark at only 18 points per game.
Richmond has a very winnable game coming up against Stony Brook in which they can find the endzone at a much easier rate than previous opponents. If they play their cards right, this could become a game that builds confidence in the offense and allows for easier success in the future.
10th Place: Elon (1-2) (-)
Elon was another CAA team that found their first win in week three. The Phoenix were victorious 27-3 over a struggling North Carolina A&T and after two solid outings that resulted in losses, Elon can finally place a win in their 2023 resumé.
However, Elon has a tough battle to stay in the winners circle – a high powered Campbell offense looking to keep their winning ways alive, who will do everything in their power to prove that the Phoenix victory was a fluke against a weak opponent.
9th Place: Hampton (2-1) (-)
Hampton’s 35-34 win over Howard is just another addition to the compilation of close finishes for the Pirates. All three of their contests have come down to a one possession finish.
Hampton’s bottom three defense is to blame for these nail biting finishes, allowing 32 points per game. They have a fair matchup ahead of them in RIchmond, which should prove to be yet another tight affair with Richmond’s low efficiency offense and high intensity defense.
8th Place: Monmouth (1-2) (-1)
Monmouth became the latest victim to a high flying Campbell offense in a 45-31 loss this past week. The loss served as the first of the year for Monmouth at the FCS level and there were certainly some bright spots in the loss.
Monmouth’s offense is still sixth in the CAA with 31 points per game, which would be more than enough to defeat most teams, especially when the Hawks play Lafayette this week, who has struggled to score so far this season.
7th Place: UAlbany (1-2) (-1)
After taking the first BYE week of the season across the CAA, the Great Danes are rested and poised to unleash a statement win against Morgan State this coming weekend.
Albany has a very misleading under .500 record, given that they are the only CAA squad to have played two FBS opponents this year, and they kept both games relatively close.
Look for Albany to come up big on the road this weekend.
6th Place: Campbell (2-1) (+2)
The Campbell Fighting Camels, also known as the team nobody saw coming. If anybody told the experts that Campbell’s offense would be first in the CAA after three weeks none of them would have believed it. However, 17 touchdowns and 125 points later, Campbell is looking down on the doubters and the rest of the CAA.
The Fighting Camels have a solid defense to back them up as well, which is why they are so poised for success later on this year. They have yet to crack the top-25 rankings, but a few more showings of the same caliber and Campbell will be discussed with the top teams in the country.
5th Place: #11 New Hampshire (2-1) (-2)
New Hampshire is a team built for success – a high quality offense and a persistent and confident defense are all the reasons why the second pick in the CAA Preseason poll has been successful this season.
After almost taking down FBS opponent Central Michigan, losing 45-42, the Wildcats came back down to the FCS with a 24-7 statement win over Dartmouth. New Hampshire has a tough game ahead of them as they travel to Delaware this weekend but a quality win could boost them into the top three next week.
4th Place: #19 Delaware (2-1) (+1)
Discounting an unfair matchup against Penn State, Delaware has been perfect against FCS competition this season. A resounding 42-14 victory over St. Francis PA places the Fightin’ Blue Hens back over the .500 mark and in a great time.
A tough game against #11 New Hampshire could be just what Delaware needs to prove that they are the team to beat in the CAA. If the Wildcats play the game they have displayed so far FCS fans might see a new top ten team next week.
3rd Place: #25 Villanova (2-1) (+1)
A 48-14 loss to the University of Central Florida is never the outcome a team wants, however the Villanova Wildcats are still a team that is not to be discounted in their abilities. The main factor is that they have displayed excellent defensive play in FCS play, which is the backbone for any great team.
A good outing against #17 Rhode Island at home is just what Villanova needs to reinstate their reputation and get their mojo back as a top team in the CAA.
2nd Place: #17 Rhode Island (2-1) (-)
Rhode Island’s 2023 revenge tour after just missing the FCS playoffs in 2022 has been nothing short of impressive. Back to back CAA wins over Stony Brook and Maine by a combined score of 69-31 are the rationale for the Rams entering the Stats Perform FCS top 20.
Rhode Island’s 458 yards per game are the best in the CAA and only allowing 314 yards per game on defense ranks second.
If Rhode Island can beat a quality opponent in Villanova this week, it will be a statement to the rest of the CAA that the 2022 success was not a fluke in the Ocean State.
1st Place: #5 William and Mary (3-0) (-)
Perfection is hard to argue against, and the Tribe are not allowing any room for counter arguments against their greatness this year. They are a squad built on the stability of a great defense, only allowing 181 yards per game, a mark that is first not only in the CAA, but in the entire FCS.
Their offense is nothing remarkable, only scoring 24 points per game, but if the opponent can’t score, you don’t have to score much either.