With six teams sitting inside the national top-25 rankings, others receiving votes and upsets over Football Bowl Subdivision opponents scattered throughout, the Coastal Athletic Association has proved itself as one of the best Football Championship Subdivision conferences in the country.
Every week, the staff at The Good Five Cent Cigar will rank the 16 teams upon their performance on the gridiron. Here are the rankings leaving week four.
16th Place: Bryant University Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1) (-)
Bryant brought their struggles from a 1-2 non-conference slate into their CAA opener against the University of New Hampshire this past weekend, falling to the Wildcats 38-17.
The Bulldogs only tallied seven less yards of total offense throughout the contest than New Hampshire, although their ineffectiveness on third-down hurt them, only converting 4-13 attempts.
15th Place: North Carolina A&T University Aggies (1-3, 0-1) (-1)
NC A&T left their contest against North Carolina Central University scratching their heads after allowing the most points of any CAA team this season, falling to the Eagles 66-24.
The Aggies saw the tides drastically change after they returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, as the Eagles put up 530 yards of total offense and forced four turnovers in the lopsided victory.
14th Place: University of Maine Black Bears (2-2, 0-1) (+1)
After two straight games allowing over 40 points, Maine’s defense returned against Merrimack College this past weekend in their 26-15 victory. The Black Bears outscored the Warriors 20-0 in the second half, boosting themselves back to a .500 record on the season.
13th Place: Elon University Phoenix (1-3, 0-0) (-1)
The only thing worse than two straight losses is two straight losses at home. For the Phoenix, that second loss came in crushing fashion as they fell to Eastern Tennessee State University 34-14 on Saturday. Elon has now failed to score 20 points in three games this season. It’s no coincidence that all three of those games were entered into the standings as losses.
12th Place: Campbell University Fighting Camels (1-3, 0-2) (-1)
After playing their first three games on the road, the Camels’ home opener did not go to plan as they fell to Stony Brook University 24-17 on Saturday. The Camels have now failed to score 20 points in their last two games, a recipe for losing if they can’t right the ship going forward.
11th Place: #21 University at Albany Great Danes (1-2, 0-0) (+2)
Rest and relaxation is always nice, especially coming off a 41-13 loss to #4 University of Idaho. Albany hopes to use this refreshing week off to their advantage when they face Maine this coming Saturday.
10th Place: Towson University Tigers (1-3, 0-1) (-)
Towson’s last two losses should be taken with a grain of salt, especially given that they faced off against #5 Villanova University and #2 North Dakota State University.
The 41-24 loss to the Bison is definitely a tough pill to swallow, however it is not a defining loss for the Tigers going forward.
9th Place: University of Richmond Spiders (2-2, 0-0) (-3)
After their offense stumbled out of the gates in 2024, the Spiders have now tallied 38 points in their last two contests, most recently in a 38-24 win over Delaware State University.
The spiders sit just outside the Stats Perform Top-25, and another similar performance could see them highlighted on a national level.
8th Place: Stony Brook University Seawolves (3-1, 1-0) (-)
In a generational 180-degree turn, the Seawolves, who did not win a single game in 2023, are now 3-0 in 2024 FCS play. The most recent 24-17 win gave Stony Brook their first CAA win since Oct. 22, 2022, when they defeated Maine 28-27. Is this the potential turning point Stony Brook has been searching for?
7th Place: #22 University of Rhode Island Rams (3-1, 1-0) (-3)
Rhode Island’s 28-21 win over Long Island University was the epitome of the metaphor “it’s a line drive in the box score.” It took two quarterbacks, a key fumble from LIU and a last minute touchdown to reel in the winless Sharks. Will this performance get them a win over a ranked opponent? Most likely not. However, it does keep them above .500, and that is what matters for right now.
6th Place: Monmouth University Hawks (2-2, 1-0) (+1)
When looking at Monmouth’s 45-42 upset of Florida International University, it does not go down in the record books as just another win. The triumph marked the first victory for the Hawks over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent in program history. They now will pivot to face Fordham University in their 2024 non-conference finale this coming Saturday.
5th Place: Hampton University Pirates (3-1, 0-0) (+4)
The winners of three straight, the Pirates have robbed several opponents of wins in September, most recently a 27-20 victory over Howard University. Hampton did not receive any votes in this week’s Stats Perform Top-25, however another win could give them the boost they need.
4th Place: #24 University of New Hampshire Wildcats (3-1, 1-0) (+1)
New Hampshire’s 3-0 FCS record in 2024 is certainly impressive. However, with wins over 1-3 Bryant, 1-2 Stonehill College and 1-3 College of Holy Cross, the question of how the Wildcats will fare against plus .500 teams remains.
That question will be answered soon enough, but for now New Hampshire sits in the top-25 teams in the country.
3rd Place: #6 Villanova University Wildcats (3-1, 1-0) (-1)
The highest ranked CAA team in the Stats Perform Top-25, Villanova lost its perfect record in a clash with FBS University of Maryland with a 38-20 loss on Saturday.
An FBS loss is never a reason to wave the red flag though, and the Wildcats have a chance to rebound this coming Saturday when they host a struggling LIU team.
2nd Place: #11 College of William and Mary Tribe (3-1, 0-0) (+1)
For the Tribe, a good start to a season is not new. A 4-0 start in 2023 and a 3-0 start in 2022 complement the beginning of 2024 well, especially when their only loss came to FBS Coastal Carolina University. Their most recent 34-24 win over Furman University saw the Tribe move from their #12 ranking to #11, and another win over Hampton this week could possibly see them crack the top 10.
1st Place: University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens (3-0, 1-0)
The Blue Hens are the last perfect team in the CAA, with a 29-22 victory over the University of Pennsylvania keeping the stain of a loss away from their cumulative record in 2024.
This season, which marks their last at the FCS level, doubles as their most important one yet.