FCS Spring Top 40: Part 3 (21-29)

Richmond QB Michael Strauss Had A Record Breaking Season Under Center For The Spiders In 2013

GREENVILLE, S.C.–Part three of Saturday Blitz’s 2014 FCS Top 40 will feature teams ranked 21-29. This section of teams was heavily dominated by the CAA, which should be among the best conferences in FCS football once again this fall, along with what I believe to be the best conference in the FCS entering the 2014 season, in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

There are some interesting storylines to watch with the teams ranked in Part 3 of our preview heading into 2014, such as James Madison, who will have a new head coach and a new quarterback this fall, with both having ACC ties prior to making it to Harrisonburg.

Delaware has 17 starters back, including two of the best offensive players, led by Michael Johnson. The Blue Hens are one of the benchmark programs of FCS football, putting together one of the most dominant seasons in the history of FCS football in 2003, as Georgia Tech transfer Andy Kelly led the prolific Blue Hen offense, while Shawn Johnson transferred in for his senior season from Duke, posting a monster season to help a stout, nearly impenetrable Blue Hen defense.

Richmond has record-breaking quarterback Michael Strauss back, but a shoulder injury towards the end of spring drills is a bit of a concern for the quarterback. Enter Michael Rocco–a transfer from the University of Virginia, who had to sit out last season due to the NCAA’s rules on FBS players transferring to FCS with just a year remaining of eligibility, is back and could be called upon if that shoulder injury turns out to be more severe than it is thought to be.

One of the more interesting off-season developments happened at William & Mary during the off-season, where nearly all of veteran Hall-of-Fame coach Jimmye Laycock’s staff either resigned or took jobs elsewhere. Despite that, look for the Tribe to be back at the top of the league and challenging for a CAA Title and playoff bid this fall.

Well, without further adieu, here’s our next nine teams in Part 3 of our four-part preseason Top 40. Please stay tuned to see Part 4 of our preseason rankings, which will be released late next week.

Quarterback Vad Lee Transferred In From Georgia Tech, And He Hopes To Have A Major Impact For James Madison, Much Like Justin Rascati After He Transferred In From Louisville Prior To The 2004 Season.

21. James Madison (7-5/ Did not make postseason in 2013)—Like Appalachian State and Georgia Southern over the past few seasons, James Madison is a football program that has been seemingly preparing to make the jump to the next level. However, the Dukes remain at the FCS level for now, and will head into a new era for the program, as for the first time since 1999, the Dukes will take the field without Mickey Matthews as the head coach.
Under Matthews, the Dukes took their tradition to a new level, and even wrote an unlikely chapter into the program’s football tradition, winning the 2004 FCS National Title without playing a home game in the postseason.

Now, the Dukes will be under the direction of former Appalachian State linebacker Everette Withers, who takes the reins of the Dukes’ football program and has some rather large shoes to fill with Matthews having not only helped the Dukes to a national title, but also to an impressive 109 wins during his 14-year tenure.

Withers inherits a club that hovered in the FCS Top 25 for much of the season, finishing the campaign with a 7-5 mark, however, losses in the final three games of the campaign likely kept the Dukes from the postseason and was the eventual last straw that led to the firing of Matthews.

Fifteen starters return from last season, and Withers will look to lead the Dukes back to the status the program enjoyed in 2008, when it ranked No. 1 for much of the season with Payton Award finalist Rodney Landers under center. The next season would see the Dukes knock off a Top 15 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies (21-16) in the postseason, however, since that win, the program has seemingly not been able to find the consistency it had during those five seasons from 2004-08.

The good news is help is on the way in the immediate, with option quarterback Vad Lee having transferred into the James Madison program from Georgia Tech. In the previous two seasons as a player for the Yellow Jackets, Lee had 32 TD passes to just 13 INTs. In 2013, Lee started all 13 games for Paul Johnson’s Yellow Jackets, passing for 1,561 yards, with 15 TDs and 13 INTs, while rushing for 513 yards and eight scores on the ground. If there is one down side to the addition of Lee, it is the loss of 2013 starter Ricky Birdsong, who has decided to continue his football career at Marshall.

The Dukes must replace their second-leading receiver and leading rusher from a year ago, as well as having to find replacements for two starters along the offensive front.

However, a solid nucleus returns and will include talented, All-CAA caliber performers, in senior Daniel Brown (42 rec, 655 yds, 8 TDs, 15.8 YPR) and sophomore Brandon Ravenell (20 rec, 312 yds, 1 TD, 15.6 YPR) at wide receiver.

With the graduation of leading rusher Dae’Quan Scott out of the backfield, look for Khalid Abdullah (68 rush att, 347 yds, 3 TDs. 5.1 YPC) to be the running back getting a majority of the carries this fall. Three experienced starters are back on the offensive line, with center Matt Williams and right tackle Josh Wells entering the 2013 campaign having started 23-straight games apiece.

Though eight starters return on the defensive side of the ball, the Dukes lose one of the best linebackers in FCS football over the past couple of seasons, with the graduation of Stephon Robertson, but a solid cupboard of talent remains for the 2014 season, including linebacker Gage Steele (106 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks and 3 FFs in 2013) and All-American safety Dean Marlowe (77 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR in 2013), who will look to follow the greats, such as Tony LeZotte who have played defensive back for the Dukes.

Getting back to the top of the CAA and into the FCS postseason will be the primary goals for JMU and Withers this fall rather than worrying about the status and classification of the program in the future, and with the explosiveness of a transfer the caliber of Vad Lee, that looks like more of a reality in 2014.

No. 22 South Dakota State (10-3/Lost In FCS Second Round in 2013) has been a rising power on the FCS football scene the past several seasons, and even long before their ascent to the Division I FCS level, and the tradition of great football played in the Dakotas is not limited to North Dakota, as South Dakota State has become a regular challenger in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and the Jackrabbits have found themselves in the postseason in 2009, which was their first season of eligibility, and the Jackrabbits have found themselves in the postseason twich more since that inaugural qualifying campaign.

That ‘09 season saw the Jackrabbits suffer through what was a very painful inaugural postseason appearance back in 2009, as the Jackrabbits were dealt a 61-48 defeat at Montana after the Jackrabbits had held a 41-14 lead before seeing the Grizzlies overcome such a deficit and storm back for a 13-point win, out-scoring the visitors 47-7 over the final 19 minutes of game action to produce a rather astonishing score line and result.

Things have gone better for the Jackrabbits in the postseason since that inaugural appearance, as the Jackrabbits have gotten a pair of wins to their credit in the playoffs since, including an impressive 26-7 win over Northern Arizona last season at Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff.

Veteran head coach John Stiegelmeir heads into the campaign as the man in charge of the Jackrabbits, and has 14 starters returning that he hopes will help the Jackrabbits make another run at the top teams in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2014. The Jackrabbits are coming off an impressive 2013 season, which saw them get an impressive non-conference win over nationally-ranked and eventual Southland champion Southeastern Louisiana (34-26), and as a result, would rise as high as sixth in the nation.

The good news is the offense will have some heavy hitters returning, including starting signal-caller Austin Sumner (240-of-408, 2,999 yds, 19 TDs, 8 INTs), who will enter his senior campaign, and Walter Payton Award candidate Zach Zenner (351 rush att, 2,015 rush yds, 23 TDs, 5.7 YPC) in the backfield. Over the past couple of seasons, Zenner has rushed for 4,059 yds, including leading the nation with 2,044 yards rushing last season.

The biggest area of concern on the offensive side of the ball might be wide receiver, where two of three starters have departed, but the good news is top wideout Jason Schneider (78 rec, 1,088 yds, 10 TDs, 13.9 YPR) returns, who will again compete for all-conference and All-America honors this fall.

The defensive side of the sees only five back, and the Jackrabbits must replace three starters up front, with Cole Langer (35 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sack) returning at nose tackle. T.J. Lally (89 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 2 FRs) and Charles Elmore (67 tackles, 8.0 TFL, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 1 blkd kick) return at two of the three starting linebacker posts, while Jimmy Forsythe (35 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2 INTs, 1 FF) and Jake Gentile (37 tackles, 1.5 TFL) return to anchor the secondary.

Bethune Cookman Quarterback Quentin Williams

23. Bethune Cookman (10-3/Lost In First Round of FCS Playoffs in 2013)—Twelve starters return for reigning MEAC champion Bethune Cookman, which comes into the 2014 season off a MEAC title, and a 10-win campaign. The Wildcats should be solid again in 2014, returning a solid nucleus of players from that title winning campaign of a year ago.

For the second time in as many years, the Wildcats saw their season come to an end in the opening round of the FCS postseason, dropping a 48-24 contest to Coastal Carolina. With the loss, the Maroon and Gold dropped to 0-6 all-time in the FCS postseason.

The Wildcats return a veteran under center to run head coach Brian Jenkins’ offense, and it will be led by signal-caller Quentin Williams (90-of-147 passing, 1,270 yds, 5 TDs, 7 INTs), and Williams was one of three signal-callers that saw action for BCU last season, but he is the only one of the trio that returns, with both Brodrick Waters and Jackie Wilson having both graduated.

Williams needs to get the interceptions number down in 2014, while seeing his TD numbers ascend. Williams finished the campaign with 425 yards and nine scores on 136 attempts, averaging 3.1 YPC.

The running game will be anchored by the return of a trio of running backs Anthony Jordan,(82 rush att, 410 yds, 5 TDs, 5.0 YPC), Cary White (96 rush att, 485 yds, 8 TDs, 5.1 YPC) and Drexler Dixon (36 rush att, 151 yds, 2 TDs, 4.2 YPR), who will now be expected to carry the torch for the Wildcats’ backfield, as leading rusher Isidore Jackson.

Though the trio of running backs that returns are solid, the graduation of Jackson will certainly be missed, as he led the team with 828 rush yards, while his 21 catches for 150 yards ranked as the second-leading option in the passing attack last fall. Jackson also had a pair of scoring catches in his senior season. Jackson finished his career as the all-time leading rusher for the Wildcats, with 3,304 yards for his career.

Another huge loss for the BCU offense entering the 2014 season is leading wideout Eddie Poole, who has graduated after hauling in 39 passes for 682 yards and three scores. Poole was one of three of the four receivers in the two-deep, who have been lost as a result of graduation.

Rising junior Jontavious Carter (19 rec, 310 yds, 2 TDs, 16.3 YPR) returns, and the Cordele, GA native is a big, physical wideout, at 6-3, 203, who can use his size and physicality at the line of scrimmage to create separation and make big plays in the passing game.

Four of the five interior offensive linemen return, and this should be the strength of the BCU offense this fall. The offensive line for the Wildcats is one of the biggest in the FCS, with right tackle Anthony Kibler being the biggest, at 6-4, 338-lbs, while the lightest player along the BCU offensive line among the returning quartet being center Andrew Edouard, who is 6-2, 295-lbs.

The Wildcats utilize a base 4-3 look on the defensive side of the ball, and the concern entering the season will be replacing all three starters at linebacker, and six of the front seven starters from a year ago must be replaced.

The good news for the defense entering the 2014 season is the secondary, which should be among the best in the MEAC and nation this fall, led by a pair of rising seniors at safety, in All-American Nick Addison (64 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 5 INTs) returning at free safety, while Marquis Drayton (47 tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FRs) is back at strong safety. Addison had a return for a score last season, and coming into the 2014 campaign, the Wildcats have registered an INT in 29 of their past 33 games.

Bethune Cookman has dominated the MEAC since the 2010 season, recording a 28-4 overall mark against conference mark, and have won 15 of their last 16 games against league foes. All four losses have come to a different MEAC foe, and the Wildcats will continue to chase that elusive FCS postseason victory this fall, and just find themselves with yet another opportunity to end that streak of six-straight playoff losses.

No. 24 Southern Illinois (7-5/Did Not Make Postseason In 2013)—With the return of 17 starters to the fold for the 2014 season, Southern Illinois, who won the national title in 1983, and the Salukis are coming off a solid campaign, winning four out of their five road games last fall, however, went just 2-4 in front of the home folks. Two of SIU’s losses to ranked foes–against No. 14 Eastern Illinois (40-37, OT) and No. 25 Youngstown State (28-27)–came by a combined four points.

However, at the season’s halfway point, it looked as though the Salukis might have enough to qualify for the postseason, as SIU posted wins over No. 7 South Dakota State (27-24) and defeated No. 4 Northern Iowa (24-17, OT) in overtime.

The Salukis are another team in that glut of teams in the Missouri Valley Football Conference steeped in plenty of tradition at the FCS level. The Salukis are of course one of four current teams in the nation’s toughest conference to have lifted the the FCS trophy, doing so with a resounding win over Western Carolina out of the Southern Conference in 1983.

Southern Illinois has had some great players come through the program in recent seasons, with the running back position probably being the one that most recognize as being a position that has produced a legacy greats which have come through Carbondale, such as Brandon Jacobs and Deji Karim.

The Salukis have not only won a national title, but also have been to the FCS postseason eight times, as well as having claimed the Missouri Valley Football crown on eight occassions.

Southern Illinois returns 14 starters from the Salukis squad that won seven games last season, and with the graduation of Kory Faulkner under center, it will be rising junior Ryan West (63-for-137 passing, 675 yds, 6 TDs, 5 INTs), who will likely be getting the call in 2014.

There could even be a late emerging transfer in the works later in the summer, which is not to say I have any knowledge of such, but it would be a great situation for an FBS transfer to step into this fall.

The bread and butter of Saluki football throughout the years has been the ground attack, and the top player on the offensive side of the football this fall will be running back Malcom Agnew (180 rush att, 888 yds, 6 TDs, 4.9 YPC), and 2013 was Agnew’s first in the Southern Illinois football program. Tay Willis (60 rush att, 321 yds, 5.3 YPC), like Agnew, was in his first season with the SIU program in 2013, and put up solid numbers in his inaugural season in Carbondale. He’ll help shoulder some of the rushing load once again this fall.

Willis also proved to be a reliable option as a receiving threat coming out of the backfield in 2013 with 173 yards receiving on 23 catches (7.5 YPR), however, Willis will enter his second season donning the Maroon and White, yet still looking to score that elusive first TD in a Saluki uniform.

Prior to his arrival at SIU, Agnew spent his first two seasons running the football for PAC 12 and FBS member Oregon State. As a receiving threat out of the backfield last season, Agnew hauled in 15 passes for 137 yards and a TD, averaging 9.1 YPR.

Maybe the biggest loss on the offensive side of the football is at wide receiver, where leading pass-catcher John Lantz, who garnered All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Honorable Mention honors last fall after ranking third in the league in receiving yards last season, amassing 885 receiving yards and five TDs on 51 catches. It was the highest receiving yardage total by a Saluki wideout since 1999, and Lantz finished his standout career with 103 catches for 1,413 yards and five TDs (13.7 YPR).

With the loss of Lantz to graduuation, senior tight end McCoyle Pruitt (48 rec, 601 yds, 5 TDs, 12.5 YPR) is coming off a monster season catching the football for the Salukis last fall, and the First-Team All MVFC selection from 2013 likely enters the 2014 campaign as a consensus All-America selection, and is arguably the top returning receiving tight end in FCS football.

Defense could certainly prove to be a strength once again in 2014 for the Salukis, who return seven starters from a unit that ranked a very respectable 39th nationally in total defense (362.4 YPG) last season, while ranking tied for 17th nationally against the run (122.8 YPG) last fall.

The Salukis, which utilize a ‘50’ or 3-4 defense, which is fitting considering Carbondale’s relatively close proximity to Chicago, which made a name for itself revolutionizing the odd front defense under the leadership of Buddy Ryan in the early-mid 1980s.

All three starters return along the defensive front for the Salukis heading into 2014, and the unit will be anchored by preseason all-conference candidates Brandon Williams (21 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 1 FR, 1 blkd kick) at one defensive end, while Blake Miller (32 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks) will bookend the left defensive end position for the Salukis in 2014.

Though SIU lost both inside linebackers, including Atlanta Falcons signee and All-American LB Bryan Presume, the Salukis welcome back another rising star on the outside, in rising senior Tyler Williamson (66 tackles, 13.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 3 FFs, 2 blkd kicks), who is the leading returning tackler and will compete for All-America and perhaps Buck Buchanan honors in 2014.

Southern Illinois blocked six kicks last season, which was tied for ninth nationally last season and just three off the national lead. Making those type plays in special teams can be a great equalizer in a league as tough as the MVFC, when every team is seemingly evenly matched each Saturday once league play gets underway.

No. 25 William & Mary (7-5/Did Not Make Postseason In 2013)—The William & Mary Tribe has one of the best traditions anywhere

William & Mary Wide Receiver Tre McBride

for a team to have not won an FCS national title.

Jimmye Laycock has become a legend in FCS football, and the Tribe seem to always find themselves in the thick of the CAA race, which should once again be the case this fall.

The good and bad news that comes with a successful football program is overhaul within the football staff, with coaches leaving to take other jobs, and this past spring, Laycock announced the hiring of four new assistants–Kevin Lewis (defensive line), Winston October (wide receivers), D.J. Mangas (running back) and Mario Acitelli (FB/TE).

Those new additions come as a result of coaches leaving for other programs, including the likes of former quarterback David Corley, who left for an offensive assistant post at FBS program UConn, as well as Chris Barclay, who left for an assistant coaching job at Marshall, but perhaps the biggest loss on the offensive side of the ball within the coaching staff heading into 2014 is defensive coordinator Scott Boone, who resigned to take a post on the Nevada Wolfpack coaching staff.

The loss of Boone hurts because the Tribe fielded one of the nation’s top defensive units last fall, ranking eighth in total defense (305.5 YPG), second in scoring defens e(14.0 PPG) and 13th nationally against the run (113.0 YPG).

The Tribe are coming off a 7-5 2013 season, which saw them finish just out of the running for an FCS playoff bid. The Tribe looked as though they might make the postseason after three-straight wins over ranked foes, claiming victories over No. 16 James Madison (17-7), FCS semifinalist and No. 17 New Hampshire (17-0) and at No. 21 Delaware (24-10), however, a 31-20 loss to arch-rival Richmond to close the season likely proved to be the Tribe’s undoing.

Fourteen starters return for the 2014 season, with seven starters returning on each side of the football coming into the 2014 season. One of those positions of concern heading into the fall will be quarterback, where Brent Caprio has graduated, and several quarterbacks looked to separate themselves in the race to gain the starting job under center, with Christian Brumbaugh and Steve Cluley coming out of the spring with the lead for the position, however, Laycock made it known that whoever the starter ends up being, they still have a lot to learn.

It’s probably because Laycock has become known as an offensive mastermind in the collegiate coaching ranks, and William & Mary routinely ranks as one of the top offenses in the FCS, but so much of the offense is predicated on good play under center. Quarterbacks like Sean Knight, Mike Cook and Lang Campbell all come to mind as leading some of the most successful teams and offenses in school history, and Laycock will expect much out of the 2014 starter no matter the degree of experience.

The starter will have the luxury of being able to throw to an excellent corps of receivers, with all three starters returning, including Tre McBride (63 rec, 801 yds, 5 TDs, 12.7 YPR), who had pro scouts swooning after his performance against West Virginia last season, as he hauled in just three passes for 108 yards. McBride will be joined in that passing attack by Sean Ballard (36 rec, 593 yds, 3 TDs, 16.5 YPR) and tight end Bo Revell (7 rec, 104 yds, 1 TD, 14.9 YPR) return as other experienced options, completing a returning trio of seniors.

The running game should be in great shape, with the return of Mikal Abdul-Saboor (175 rush att, 824 yds, 6 TDs, 4.7 YPC), who comes of a 2013 season which saw him produce six 100-yard rushing efforts last season.Three starters must be replaced on the offensive line, but leadership returns at center, with the return of Andrew Jones (C) and Jared Templeton (RT).

The defense has seven starters back, with three of four starters returning on the defensive line, led by Mike Reilly (47 tackles, 13.0 TFL, 11.5 sacks, 4 FFs) at defensive end, where he ranked as one of the nation’s top pass-rushing bookends in 2013.

Luke Rhodes (98 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks,1 INT) and Airek Green (82 tackles, 13.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 3 INTs, 1 FR, 2 FFs) return as potential All-America candidates at two of the three linebacking posts, while strong safety Ivan Tagoe (88 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 8 PBU, 1 FR) returns to anchor the secondary.

No. 26 Central Arkansas (7-5/Did Not Qualify For Postseason In 2013)—The Central Arkansas Bears will be a team to keep an eye on in the Southland this season, after the Bears just missed out on the postseason festivities last fall after finishing the campaign with a 7-5 overall record. The biggest news in Conway, Arkansas this off-season has to do with having a new coaching staff leading the program for the first time in 15 years, after Clint Conque resigned as the head coach of Central Arkansas Bears, posting an impressive 105-59 mark in 14 seasons at the helm. Conque is now the head coach at conference rival Stephen F. Austin, as he looks to get the Lumberjacks’ football program turned around.

Conque was instrumental in the program’s most important years, as he oversaw the program’s transition from Division II to Division I FCS football in the Southland Conference, leading the Bears to the pinnacle of success in 2012, as the Bears captured the Southland title. Since making the move up to Division I FCS football in 2008, the Bears have won three conference titles and made an FCS playoff appearance in 2012.

New head coach Steve Campbell will have plenty of talent to work with, as his Bears welcome the return of 16 starters, including 10 on the offensive side of the football, as the Bears prepare to make another run at the top of the Southland Football Conference in 2014.

Campbell comes to Central after a longtime run of success at the Division II level, which started by winning a national title as an all-conference center at Troy. Campbell was also the Division II National Coach of the Year in 2000 during his time at Delta State. During his time as a coach and player, Campbell has never endured a losing season, and he has learned under two of the SEC’s best coaches in the last half-century, in former Auburn head coach Pat Dye and former Mississipp State boss Jackie Sherrill.

The offense for the Bears should be in good shape this fall, as 10 of 11 starters return on the offensive side of the football for the 2014 season, with the only departure on the offensive side of the football due to graduation being left tackle Dominique Allen, who was a key loss to the offensive front after he was selected to the Southland’s First-Team All-Conference squad.

Returning to take the snaps under center this fall for the Bears will be either Ryan Howard (144-of-234, 1,848 yds, 18 TDs, 4 INTs) or Taylor Reed (30-of-37 passing, 315 yds, 5 TDs, 0 INTs), who were forced into action after senior starter and Walter Payton Award candidate Wynrick Smothers went down with a season-ending injury in the sixth game of the 2013 season. Both Howard and Reed combined to post some pretty good efficiency, posting a combined 23 TDs to just four INTs, and at time last fall, it was hard to tell either was a backup quarterback.

Howard and Reed will have a litany of talented receiving options to throw the ball to heading into 2014, led by rising senior and All-Southland performer Dezmin Lewis (50 rec, 721 yds, 7 TDs, 14.4 YPR), who proved to be the top option in the passing attack last season for the Bears. Lewis will team with Jatavious Wilson (41 rec, 409 yds, 2 TDs, 10.0 YPR) and Desmond Smith (43 rec, 503 yds, 3 TDs, 11.7 YPR) to give the Bears athleticism and speed at each of the wideout positions this fall.

Not only is UCA stocked with options in the passing game, it also has plenty of options when looking to the ground game, with leading rusher Willie Matthews (128 rush att, 564 yds, 5 TDs, 4.4 YPC) returning for his senior season. Danzel Williams also returns in the UCA backfield, giving the Bears two effective options to tote the pigskin this fall.

Six starters highlight the returnees on defense, with the biggest loss as a result of graduation coming in the middle of the UCA defense where Justin Heard has graduated.

One of the pillars of the defense this fall will be rising junior defensive end Jonathan Woodward (49 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 7.0 sacks, 2 FFs), as he will anchor a unit that should be good enough to at least keep the Bears in most games this fall.

No. 27 Richmond (6-6/ Did Not Make Postseason In 2013)-–The Richmond (6-6) Spiders are coming off a 2013 season which saw them ranked early on in the campaign, but fade as the season progressed, but the Spiders were able to play the role of spoilers for potential playoff qualifier William & Mary, with a 24-10 win over the Tribe to close out the season.

There is optimism in the capital city of the commonwealth, who won the 2008 national title, as the Spiders won their final four games of the season after an inauspicious start to the campaign. Danny Rocco will have 15 starters returning to the fold for the 2014 season. Nine starters are back on the offensive side of the football from 2013.

The Spiders welcome the return of some talented players which will help them be a factor in the CAA race this fall. The Spiders have a record-setting returnee at quarterback, in Michael Strauss, who was outstanding last fall for the Spiders, as he set single-season school marks for passing yards (3,808), completions (333) and TD passes (26).

There is some concern remaining for Strauss, who suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder during a practice in the week leading up to the spring game. If Strauss can’t go, the Spiders do have the luxury of having Michael Rocco, son of coach Danny Rocco and University of Virginia transfer waiting in the wings, after he had to redshirt last season as a result of the NCAA ruling on transfers from FBS programs with only a year remaining in school.

The Spiders will be great at the other skill positions on the offensive side of the ball, as Seth Fisher (90 rush att, 426 yds, 3 TDs, 4.7 YPC) returns for his junior season at tailback, while Reggie Diggs (30 rec, 380 yds, 1 TD, 12.7 YPR), Rashad Ponder (45 rec, 592 yds, 3 TDs, 13.2 YPR) and Stephen Barnette (76 rec, 1,189 yds, 5 TDs, 15.6 YPR) all return as receiving options for the Spiders from a year ago. The biggest loss on the offensive side of the football heading into the season is obviously on the defensive side of the football, where All-CAA wideout Ben Edwards has graduated after an outstanding senior campaign.

Richmond welcomes back only five starters on the defensive side of the football heading into the 2014 campaign, with nose tackle Evan Kelly(47 tackles, 9.0 TFL, 6.0 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR) anchoring the defensive line, while linebacker Eric Wright (83 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FR) and bandit Aaron Roane (67 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 4 PBUs, 1 FR) will add experience on the interior and perimeter of the Spiders’ 4-2-5 defense this fall.

The secondary is the most experienced aspect of the Richmond defensive unit heading into the fall, with both starting safeties Reggie Barnette (78 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 2 INTs, 9 PBUs, 2 FRs, 1 FF) and Justin Grant (80 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 3 INTs) returning to the fold.

No. 28 Wofford (5-6/Missed Playoffs For The First Time Since 2009 Last Fall)—Wofford comes into the 2014 season with plenty to prove, as the Terriers missed the post season for the first time since 2009, producing just a 5-6 overall record and were 3-5 in the SoCon.

With the departure of Appalachian State for the Sun Belt, Wofford becomes the most successful team in the SoCon over the last decade. Head coach Mike Ayers enters his 27th season as the head coach of the Wofford Terriers, and is the longest-tenured coach in the SoCon as well as the state of South Carolina. He has picked up 176 wins–more than any other in the Palmetto State.

Since breaking through and winning the program’s first Southern Conference title in ‘03, the Terriers have claimed crowns in ‘07, ‘10 and ‘12. Mike Ayers is now the dean of coaches in the Southern Conference, and with 15 starters back for the 2014 season, the Terriers will be more experienced, especially on offense, which should once again field one of the most explosive ground attacks in the nation.

The Terriers struggled with the loss of Eric Breitenstein–the school’s all-time leading rusher and second in Southern Conference history–as he graduated in the spring of 2013, and the Terriers really could never find a rhythm offensively last season. Without Breitenstein exposing opposing defenses in 2013, the Terriers struggled to find their collective footing offensively, completing the campaign ranking eighth out of nine teams in the SoCon in total offense (355.3 YPG), which came on the heels of a 2012 season which saw the Old Gold and Black rank third in the SoCon in total offense (400.7 YPG), while ranking second in the league and third nationally in rushing offense (349.7 YPG) two years ago.

After an injury late in the season to starting senior fullback Donovan Johnson, the Terriers got a chance to take a look at the future of the running game, and it looked like a pretty solid stable of young backs set to tote the pigskin for the Terriers in the immediate future. Going forward, the Terriers will look to Lorenzo Long, Will Gay, Jonny Martin and Ray Smith.

However, the key to the offense in 2014 will be quarterback play–an area Ayers wasn’t able to get any sort of consistency from over the latter half of the campaign. Evan Jacks and Michael Weimer appear to be the ones slated to lead the offense coming out of the spring, with Jacks having rushed for 241 yards and a pair of scores last season, while connecting on 28-of-59 passes for 252 yards with three INTs.

Wofford’s defense had the misfortune of starting the season against the nation’s most prolific offensive unit, in FBS and Big 12 member Baylor, and if you take away the 692 yards allowed in that contest, Wofford would be only have given up an average of 393.3 YPG last season, which would have ranked the unit 28 places higher in statistical average at season’s end–40th instead of the 68th, which is where the Terriers eventually finished the season among their FCS brethren in total defense average yield per game.

A good glut of experience returns on defense, which will be under the leadership of a new defensive coordinator in 2014, as former All-American defensive lineman Nathan Fuqua will have full control of the defensive in 2014, after Jack Teachey stepped away to pursue other opportunities following the 2013 season.

The most damaging losses due to graduation on the defensive side of the football were All-SoCon caliber LBs, Mike McCrimmon and Alvin Scioneaux. The strength of the defense will be the defensive line, which will be led by one of the league’s top defensive ends, in senior Tarek Odom. Odom finished the 2013 season with 47 tackles, 13.0 TFL and a pair of sacks.

No. 29 Delaware (7-5/Missed The Playoffs In 2013)–is one of the programs in FCS football that folks always look for when the preseason magazines begin to come out each season. That’s because the Blue Hens have established one of the best traditions in Divsion I college football at either the FBS or FCS level.

Last season, Delaware was under the direction of Dave Brock, with K.C. Keeler having been fired at the end of last season, and now is the head coach at Sam Houston State. Brock led the Blue Hens to a 7-5 record in 2013, and it appeared that Brock was ready to lead the Blue Hens to the promised land after Delaware won seven out of its first nine games last season, however, losses in the final three games kept Delaware from a CAA title or a postseason appearance in Brock’s first season at the helm.

The good news for the 2014 season is plenty of talent returns to make the Blue Hens a factor in the CAA race once again this fall, with 17 players returning with starting experience for the 2003 national champions.

On the offensive side of the ball, Delaware returns plenty of talent at the skill positions, which will include quarterback Trent Hurley (172-of-268 passing, 2.207 yds, 22 TDs, 7 INTs) and his favorite target to throw to from 2013, in All-CAA wideout Michael Johnson (60 rec, 1,035 yds, 9 TDs, 17.2 YPR).

Hurley is coming off a 2013 campaign, which saw him rank among the CAA’s elite signal-callers, as he passed for 2,207 yards and 22 TDs last season. Hurley enjoyed his best performance of 2013 against state rival Delaware State, as he connected on 24-of-31 passes for 328 yards and four scores in the 42-21 win in week two.

Johnson will likely find himself on many preseason All-America team after a 2013 season which saw him haul in 60 passes for 1,035 yards and nine scores last season, and Johnson is only the beginning of the talents returning in the passing game for the Blue and Gold heading into 2014. All-CAA tight end Nick Boyle (42 rec, 474 yds, 7 TDs, 11.3 YPR) returns, as well as starting wideout Jerel Harrison (36 rec, 350 yds, 1 TD, 9.7 YPR).

The biggest concern for the Blue Hens offensively going into the 2014 season is the running game, as Andrew Pierce has exercised his eligibility. With the departure of Pierce, it will open the door for talents like Jalen Randolph and Wes Hills, who both enter their sophomore seasons for the Blue Hens. JD Dzurko and Ben Curtis return to help anchor the offensive line.

The Blue Hens fielded one of the better offensive units in the CAA last season, completing the 2013 season by averaging 32.8 PPG and 417 yards-per-game.

It should be even better news for the Delaware defense entering the 2014 season, as 10 players return with starting experience from last season. The strength of that defense starts up front, where three experienced veterans with starting experience return, with defensive ends Derrick Saulsberry (48 tackles, 14.0 TFL, 8.0 sacks, 1 FF, 1 blkd kick), Vince Hollerman (32 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 5.0 sacks, 1 FF), and Laith Wallschleger (18 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 0.5 sack, 2 blkd kicks) all returning to solidify what should be an excellent pass rush in 2014.

Two of three starters return at linebacker for 2014, as David Mackall (75 tackles, 8.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF) and Pat Callaway (120 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 2 INTs, 2 FRs) return, where both should compete for All-CAA honors this fall.

Four players return with starting experience in the secondary for Delaware for the 2014 campaign, and the unit will be anchored by safety Mario Rowson (79 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 1 INT, 3 PBUs) and cornerback Travis Hawkins (66 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 8 PBUs, 4 INTs, 1 blkd kick), who are both All-America caliber players.