Even in a week with half of the teams on bye, the Coastal Athletic Association showed that every week is eventful in this conference with three one-possession games coming down to the final moments.
The CAA remains one of the strongest in the Football Championship Subdivision with five teams inside the top 25 looking to cement themselves as playoff contenders. Every week, the Good Five Cent Cigar sports staff will come up with a ranking of all 16 teams in the conference. Here is where everyone stands following week six:
16th Place: North Carolina A&T University Aggies (1-5, 0-2) (-)
Coming off four straight losses, with three of them being by a margin of 20+ points, the Aggies got a much-needed rest with their bye week. The stats back up this bottom spot in the rankings as NC A&T rank in the bottom two in both points scored per game and points allowed.
The Aggies will return home for the first time since Sept. 14 this week when they welcome in Hampton University and look to snap their losing streak.
15th Place: Campbell University Fighting Camels (2-4, 0-2) (-)
Campbell also got the opportunity to reset this week after suffering a 45-14 loss on their home turf to North Carolina Central University in week five.
The Camels will have the opportunity to respond this week, though it’ll be a tall task to win on the road against one of the stronger teams in the conference, the College of William and Mary.
14th Place: Bryant University Bulldogs (2-4, 0-2) (-)
The Bulldogs are still searching for their first conference win since joining the CAA as they just fell short in a 24-17 loss to the University of Albany this week. The results continue to be more encouraging for Bryant, however, with this being their first loss within 20 points on the season.
The issues for Bryant could be mostly circled back to their play on defense, as they rank 14th in the conference in points allowed per game. This could cause serious problems this week when they travel to take on the best offense in the conference, Monmouth University.
13th Place: Elon University Phoenix (1-5, 0-2) (-)
Elon quickly jumped out to a 10-0 in the first quarter over the University of New Hampshire and it appeared they may have found a solution to their offensive woes. However, they were held scoreless the rest of the way and allowed 17 unanswered points in their fourth straight loss.
The Phoenix have been the worst offense in the conference and have scored more than 17 points in just one of their six games this season. They’ll continue to search for the solution on offense when they hit the road to play Albany this week.
12th Place: Hampton University Pirates (3-3, 0-2) (-1)
The Pirates got the week off after their crushing loss to the University of Rhode Island where they blew a late 14-point lead. They likely used this time to try and figure things out on the defensive side of the ball as they’ve allowed 46 or more points in each of their last two games, albeit one of those going to double-overtime.
Hampton should have a good opportunity to get their first conference win of the season this week when they take on the struggling NC A&T.
11th Place: University of Maine Black Bears (3-3, 1-2) (-1)
The Black Bears always knew it was going to be a big challenge to get their third straight win when they went on the road to play the lone undefeated team left in the conference, the University of Delaware. Maine held a lead at halftime before Delware took control in the second half and handed the Black Bears a 44-21 loss.
Unfortunately, the schedule doesn’t get much easier for Maine as they prepare to welcome in a top-five team in the nation this week, Villanova University.
10th Place: University at Albany Great Danes (3-3, 1-1) (+2)
After their underwhelming 1-3 start to the year, the defending CAA co-champions continued their steady rise up the rankings this week with a 24-17 win over Bryant. Aside from their 31 point performance on Oct. 5, the Great Danes are still seeking to find their groove offensively, ranking 13th in points per game.
Still, Albany will take the wins any way they can get them and they will look to stretch the winning streak to three games and get over .500 against Elon.
9th Place: Towson University Tigers (3-3, 1-1) (-)
Towson appeared to be in danger of a letdown game when they trailed Norfolk State University in the fourth quarter following their ranked win over William and Mary the week prior. The Tigers found a way, however, and pulled off a 28-23 win on the road for their second consecutive victory.
They will look to keep the good times rolling when they return home to play Stony Brook University this week.
8th Place: Stony Brook University Seawolves (4-2, 1-1) (-)
The Cinderella story of the CAA to this point got a week off after their 42-24 loss to Villanova, their first dropped game since week one. Despite this loss, the Seawolves have still exceeded all expectations after coming off a winless season in 2023 and having been picked to finish last in the conference.
Stony Brook has the opportunity to continue to shock people and make some noise in the final half of the season, starting with their game on the road against Towson this week.
7th Place: Monmouth University Hawks (3-3, 1-1) (-1)
The offensive juggernaut of Monmouth, averaging the most points per game in the conference, got a week to rest following their 42-35 loss to Delaware. As good as the Hawks have been offensively, they’ve been about as bad on defense as they’ve allowed nearly 35 points per game.
With a couple of home games coming up, Monmouth will have the opportunity to let that high-powered offense shine and work their way towards the top of the CAA standings.
6th Place: #18 University of Richmond Spiders (4-2, 2-0) (+1)
Although a bye week is never a bad thing, it remains to be seen if this will disrupt the momentum that Richmond had riding a four-game winning streak.
The Spiders have responded in the best way possible after their 0-2 start and look like real contenders to compete for the CAA title for the second straight season. Their biggest test yet awaits them this week when they welcome in Delaware.
5th Place: #15 College of William and Mary Tribe (4-2, 1-1) (-)
After being upset by Towson and dropping five spots in the FCS Top 25, William and Mary had the week to try and figure out what went wrong.
Even with the loss, the Tribe still sits in a good spot to make a run towards the playoffs and will be looking for a response this week at home against a struggling Campbell team.
4th Place: #24 University of New Hampshire Wildcats (4-2, 2-0) (-1)
The Wildcats will come away from their game against Elon reminding themselves that no one asks how you win, they just ask how many. They appeared to be in danger of dropping back-to-back games when they fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter, but found a way to string together 17 unanswered points and come away with a victory.
They now prepare for a battle against Rhode Island this week with both teams trying to stay undefeated in conference play.
3rd Place: #16 University of Rhode Island Rams (5-1, 2-0) (+1)
The Rams continue to make a name for themselves as the comeback kids this season with their third straight fourth-quarter comeback against Brown University this week. Across their past three wins, Rhode Island have outscored opponents 49-7 in the final quarter.
It remains to be seen if these late comebacks are going to be sustainable, but for the time being all that matters is that Rhody is still undefeated in FCS play.
2nd Place: #5 Villanova University Wildcats (5-1, 2-0) (-)
After the bye, Villanova still holds their top two spot in our rankings as they are one of three teams in the conference still undefeated in FCS play.
The Wildcats defense has been relentless this season, allowing a conference-best 17.5 points per game, and will take that defensive prowess into Maine this week.
1st Place: University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens (6-0, 3-0) (-)
The Blue Hens just keep on rolling with their 44-21 win over Maine to remain the only undefeated team left in the CAA. It’s been a dominant year with four of their six wins being by three or more possessions.
An important caveat with this Delware team, however, is that due to the fact they are making the jump to the Football Bowl Subdivision next season, they are unable to be ranked in the FCS top 25, make the playoffs or be crowned conference champions.