James Madison quarterback Justin Thorpe (right) congratulates Rodney Landers. Thorpe, a Varina grad, is in a battle with Drew Dudzik to replace Landers, who was first-team all-CAA last year with the Dukes. Aquarterback competition is a standard sight on a college campus in spring. But it’s a little unusual to see it spill into mid-September on a visiting team’s field.

2008 records: 5-3 CAA, 7-4
  Offense: Senior QB R.J. Archer anchors an offense that has loads of experience, save for sophomore RB Jonathan Grimes. The question mark will be on the offensive line, where depth is thin and any injury could be costly. There also is competition for Archer’s backup spot.
  Defense: The Tribe’s defense is shaping up as its top unit. Eight starters return including Adrian Tracy, a senior defensive end who starts the season as the co-top defender in the CAA. Safety David Caldwell has been the team’s leading tackler the past two seasons and will return to his playmaking position. One key loss was CB Derek Cox, who went in the third round of the NFL draft.

2008 records: 8-0 CAA, 12-2
  Offense: Quarterback is the big question mark entering the season, but Matthews will install the same spread offense for both players. He said to anticipate a 60/40 run/pass mix, which is about what he’s aimed for in previous seasons. Once the team has a signal-caller, expect the offense to be the team’s strong suit.

There will be no talk this year of returning stars or veteran leadership at Old Dominion. That’s what happens when your record in the last 69 years is 0-0. Instead, a group of mostly freshmen and sophomores will dive into the unknown, ready to find out just how they stack up against college competition. Coach Bobby Wilder told all his recruits they’d be given the opportunity to show what they could do, a promise that has resulted in spirited practices in Norfolk.

UR quarterback Eric Ward cools off in practice. He figures to throw more this season for a Spiders backfield without an obvious successor to Josh Vaughan. Consider the case of Patrick Weldon. The University of Richmond junior linebacker finished second among Spiders in tackles last season and was among the team’s most productive defensive players with 13 stops for losses, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and four pass break-ups.

Ten days before the University of Richmond opened its 2006 season at Duke, Spiders coach Dave Clawson made a decision he later characterized as one of the most difficult of his career. Freshman Eric Ward would start over sophomore Levi Brown at quarterback.

Player  School
Sandra AngerVCU
Kim ArgyJames Madison
Laura BeemanOld Dominion
Dani CollinsWilliam and Mary
Ann CookWilliam and Mary
Jenn GrossGeorge Mason
Jen HenleyOld Dominion
Corky JulienJames Madison
Stephanie LoehrWilliam and Mary
Annie LowryJames Madison
Carrie MooreWilliam and Mary

The University of Richmond, which won last season’s Football Championship Subdivision title, and Villanova were picked to share the Colonial Athletic Association overall championship in a poll released yesterday at the league’s media day in Baltimore. The league’s 12 coaches and selected media voted for the overall champion, then voted again to predict orders of finish in the South and North divisions. In the overall vote, UR and Villanova received the same number of votes. James Madison was the only other team that received votes.

The University of Richmond, which won last season’s Football Championship Subdivision title, and Villanova were picked to share the Colonial Athletic Association overall championship in a poll released today at the league’s media day in Baltimore. The league’s 12 coaches and selected media voted for the overall champion, then voted again for the predicted orders of finish in the South and North divisions. In the overall vote, UR and Villanova received the same number of votes. James Madison was the only other team that received votes.

The Colonial Athletic Association will hold its football media day Wednesday in Baltimore. Though the University of Richmond won the 2008 Football Championship Subdivision title with a team that consisted mostly of sophomores and juniors, the Spiders may not be projected as the team to beat in the CAA South Division. The league’s 12 coaches and selected media members vote on the predicted order of finish. Villanova and James Madison also are viewed as strong South Division contenders, with William and Mary returning most of the players that helped it to a 7-4 record last season. Richmond returns 18 starters, and both kickers.

Eric Maynor leaves Virginia Commonwealth University as the Rams’ all-time leader in scoring and assists. The hope now is that his assists keep on coming for VCU, and the Colonial Athletic Association, in recruiting.

If the state’s Colonial Athletic Association football members are going to repeat prior feats of beating ACC competition, this may be the season to do it. At least on paper, they have a better shot than usual. In early September, the University of Richmond plays at Duke, William and Mary plays at Virginia, and James Madison plays at Maryland. In the Sporting News College Football preseason magazine, UR is the No. 1 Football Championship Subdivision team. JMU ranks No. 10. W&M checks in at No. 12. Duke is projected as the last-place finisher in the six-team Coastal Division, behind fifth-place Virginia. Maryland is predicted to finish fifth among six Atlantic Division teams.

Richmond at Duke; William and Mary at Virginia; James Madison at Maryland; Delaware at Navy; Towson at Northwestern; Villanova at Temple; Hofstra at Western Michigan; Maine at Syracuse; Massachusetts at Kansas State; New Hampshire at Ball State; Northeastern at Boston College; Rhode Island at Connecticut.

Though it hasn’t played a game, Old Dominion football has an enviable fan base. The Monarchs will start football competition in September virtually assured of a sold-out, seven-game home schedule. ODU, which will play at 19,782-seat Foreman Field, has sold approximately 14,000 season tickets, according to Mike Jackson, the school’s athletic ticket manager. Students are not included in that number.

Look ahead to Oct. 10. The University of Richmond is playing at James Madison in a Colonial Athletic Association football showdown. Tie game. One minute left. UR’s Eric Ward passes deep to Kevin Grayson, who goes airborne and catches the ball along the sideline at JMU’s 5. The official nearest the play determines Grayson had one foot in-bounds. A completion is ruled. This game is being televised, but officials in Football Championship Subdivision regular-season games are not permitted to use TV replay as a review tool (not many FCS games are televised).