Coastal Athletic Association (CAA Sports)

SIX CAA FOOTBALL TEAMS RANKED; RICHMOND AND JMU MAKE UP TOP-2

9/24/2008 4:00:00 AM

RICHMOND, Va. (September 24, 2008) -- For the first time ever CAA Football holds the Top-2 spots in the national polls, and has a total of six teams ranked.  Also making national news was James Madison kick returner Scotty McGee who earned another National Player of the Week honor for CAA Football.

McGee, who earned National Special Teams Player of the Week honors from the Sports Network, recorded what might be the biggest kickoff return of his career in Madison’s win over No. 1 Appalachian State.  The Virginia Beach, Va., native who also earned CAA Football Special Teams honors, got the Dukes on the scoreboard when he returned the opening kickoff in the second half 99 yards for a touchdown.  Prior to the return, JMU trailed 21-0 and had only picked up two first downs on offense.  The touchdown return marked the second of the season for McGee and the third of his career.  The junior totalled 135 yards in kick returns and 26 yards in punt returns against the Mountaineers.  McGee helped the Dukes avenge their first-round playoff loss to the Mountaineers in 2007 and top a No. 1 ranked team for the third time in school history.

After just four weeks of play CAA Football has already garnered recognition six times (at least one honor in each of the four weeks) -- a total that is three more than any other FCS conference has won.  CAA Football athletes were honored nine of the 12 weeks in 2007, and boasted a total of 15 national winners.  CAA Football’s total trailed only the Southern Conference’s 16 National Player of the Week honorees last season.   

Both the Sports Network Top-25 and FCS Coaches’ Top-25 include six of CAA Football’s 12 member programs, and for the first time ever show CAA Football squads at No. 1 and No. 2.  League schools in this week’s polls include Delaware (No. 17 in Sports Network, No. 12 in FCS Coaches’ Poll), James Madison (No. 2 in Sports Network, No. 1 in FCS Coaches’ Poll), Massachusetts (No. 18 in Sports Network, No. 10 in FCS Coaches’ Poll), New Hampshire (No. 7 in Sports Network, No. 8 in FCS Coaches’ Poll), Richmond (No. 1 in Sports Network, No. 2 in FCS Coaches’ Poll) and Villanova (No. 19 in both).  William and Mary was the only other league team to earn votes in both polls.

No. 1 Richmond and No. 2 James Madison mark a first-ever for CAA Football (also the Atlantic 10 and Yankee) in this week’s Sports Network rankings.  In the league’s 62-year history it has never held the Top-2 spots in any National Top-25.  The Big Sky is the most recent league to hold the Top-2 spots in The Sports Network poll when Nevada was No. 1 and Idaho was No. 2, Sept. 23, 1991.

The last time a CAA Football school was ranked No. 1 was Oct. 9, 2006 -- New Hampshire held on to No. 1 from Sept. 11-Oct. 9 that season.

CAA Football’s six ranked squads in the Sports Network’s Top-25 mark the second-straight season the league has had six teams ranked following the fourth week of the season.

Only the Southern Conference equals the number of CAA Football teams (6) in the poll, but CAA Football’s three among the Top-10 is more than the Missouri Valley (2) and SoCon (2) can boast.  CAA Football teams among the 2008 Sports Network rankings continue a weekly string of at least three league squads ranked among the Top 25 since the poll’s inception. 

CAA Football also extends its string of at least two teams in the Sports Network Top-10 to 45-straight weeks.  The league can now boast having at least two teams in the Sports Network Top-10 in 71 of the last 75 weeks.  The last time CAA Football placed six among the Top-25 in five consecutive weeks was between Sept. 24-Oct. 22, 2007 which included Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Richmond.

No. 1 James Madison and No. 2 Richmond mark a first-ever for CAA Football in this week’s FCS Coaches’ Poll.  Since the poll debuted in 2007 no league has held the Top-2 spots in the same week.  The Southern Conference is the most recent league to hold the Top-2 spots in a National Coaches Poll -- Georgia Southern was No. 1 and Appalachian State was No. 2 in the Nov. 16, 1998 edition of the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Top-25.

James Madison’s No. 1 ranking in the poll also marks a first for CAA Football, as no team from the league has ever been ranked No. 1 by the Coaches since the poll’s debut in 2007.

Since the FCS Coaches Poll debut, CAA Football has had at least four squads ranked every week (19 weeks).  The league’s total of six in this week’s poll mark the fifth-consecutive edition with as many CAA Football squads listed, and the 12th week overall.

CAA Football’s four teams among the poll’s Top-10 mark the third-straight week the league has had four-or-more squads among the Top-10 -- something only accomplished by CAA Football.  The league has actually had four-or-more teams among the Coaches’ Top-10 on seven occasions -- two weeks in 2007 and the first five weeks of the 2008 season.  This week’s CAA Football squads in the Top-10 include James Madison (No. 1), Richmond (No. 2), New Hampshire (No. 8) and Massachusetts (No. 10).

Below is a comparison showing both National Polls released Sept. 22.