The 2023 College Football season is over, and the Coastal Athletic Conference has seen its fair share of nail-biters, blowouts and even upsets.
The top teams are now competing in the playoffs and the bottom organizations are reorganizing for 2024.
The Good Five Cent Cigar sports staff judged all 15 CAA teams every week and for the final time, provided a power ranking list to show which teams may be featured in December and even in January.
Here are the results at the conclusion of the college football season.
15th Place: Stony Brook (0-10) (-)
A season to be forgotten, Stony Brook’s winless season was the first since the program’s inception back in 1984.
This was also the Seawolves’ fifth straight losing season, bringing up the firing of 18-year head coach Chuck Priore back on Nov. 18. Andrew Dresner is now serving as interim head coach.
14th Place: North Carolina A&T (1-10) (-)
Following nine winning campaigns in 10 seasons, North Carolina posted their worst record since 2010, when they went 1-9.
Contrary to their record, the Aggies finished their season stronger than they began, losing by only one possession in two of their last four games.
13th Place: Maine (2-9) (-)
After losing the last four games of the season, Maine officially matched their 2022 tally of two wins – a mark that the Black Bears meant to improve on.
Maine has not fired their head coach, despite the recent lack of success.
12th Place: Monmouth (4-7) (-1)
Despite several booming offensive performances this season, Monmouth was unable to string games together down the stretch. Their season is over on the account of finishing their season 1-4 in the last five games.
Monmouth, now in the offseason, will look to regroup and put together a better product for 2024.
11th Place: Towson (5-6) (+1)
Despite a comeback win over Rhode Island in their final game, Towson was one win short of .500 for the 2023 season.
The Tigers’ inability to string wins together throughout the season is what plagued them. They will hope for more consistency next season.
10th Place: Hampton (5-6) (-1)
Two straight losses to close out the season kept Hampton under .500 for the season, marking their fourth straight sub-.500 campaign.
The second-worst defense in the CAA proved to be Hampton’s Achilles’ heel in 2023.
9th Place: Campbell (5-6) (+1)
Once an offensive juggernaut early in the season, Campbell’s main strength lost its ability to convert on their most elementary steps.
The Fightin’ Camels were unable to score 14 points for three of the last four weeks of the season. Campbell’s playoff hopes will have to wait until next year as a result.
8th Place: Rhode Island (6-5) (-1)
Rhode Island’s season hopes quickly shifted from making the playoffs to staying above .500, after a number of games escaped the Rams down the stretch.
An argument can be made that three of the Rams’ five losses came to teams in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. However, even the games they won down the stretch were by slim margins, and Rhode Island needs to compile a bit more dominance in 2024 if they want to see the playoffs for the first time in the 21st century.
7th Place: New Hampshire (6-5) (+1)
New Hampshire was another squad whose playoff hopes were extinguished after a number of tough losses in the final leg of the season.
One positive is that the Wildcats have a talented offensive core, and if their defense can reach that level too, New Hampshire will be a postseason shoo-in come 2024.
6th Place: William and Mary (6-5) (-1)
William and Mary, who was at one point the fifth best team in the country, now sits at home with their season over. The Tribe lost five of their last seven games.
Following an 11-2 season in 2022, this was not the campaign that the Tribe were hoping for.
5th Place: Elon (6-5) (+1)
The first team out of the playoff party in the CAA, Elon was unable to pull off a late season push for a playoff spot, losing their last two games.
4th Place: Richmond (9-3) (-1)
The first playoff team on the power rankings, Richmond won their first round game against North Carolina Central on Saturday, 49-27.
Richmond takes on Albany this coming Saturday at noon.
3rd Place: Villanova (9-2) (-1)
Villanova’s 35-7 win over Delaware in the last game of the regular season placed them first in the CAA, granting them a bye week in the FCS playoffs.
They make their 2023 playoff debut when they host Youngstown State on Saturday at noon.
2nd Place: Delaware (9-3) (-1)
Delaware’s hopes at a second round game looked bleak on Saturday. However, after a comeback, the Fightin Blue Hens defeated Lafayette 36-34 in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
They will now combat against the University of Montana on Saturday at 9 p.m.
1st Place: UAlbany (9-3) (+2)
The highest seeded team in the CAA at five, UAlbany was also granted a first round bye entering postseason play.
They now host fellow CAA member Richmond on Saturday at noon.