UR, W&M, JMU geared up for shots at FBS competition?

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.

"Winning a conference championship is always the top goal, but winning at a [FBS] school is right up there," said former UR linebacker Adam Goloboski, part of the Spiders' 13-0 win at Duke in 2006. "With all of the critics talking about the discrepancies between [Football Bowl Subdivision and FCS] players, that's a chance to go into the backyard of a school that didn't think you were good enough and throw it back in their face."

FCS can offer a maximum of 63 scholarships while FBS schools have a scholarship limit of 85, one of the primary reasons FBS teams on a regular basis handle FCS opponents. Also, the games are always played at the FBS stadium. But in nine of the last 11 seasons, during which CAA teams are 16-68 vs. FBS opposition, at least one CAA team has defeated an FBS member. It's happened twice or more in six of those years.

UR returns 16 starters from the 13-3 team that won last year's FCS title. JMU has 13 starters back from a 12-2 playoff team that went unbeaten in the CAA. William and Mary brings back 15 starters from a 7-4 team.

"Those top tier programs in the CAA know they can compete at that level," said Mark Carney, the UR quarterbacks coach in 2006 and now Bowling Green's wide receivers coach.

UR's victory at Duke came in the first start as Spiders' quarterback for Eric Ward. Carney, who left the UR staff following last season, recognizes that night in Durham, N.C., as a major developmental step and confidence booster for Ward, who drove UR to the 2008 FCS title and is heading into his fourth season as a starter. New starting quarterbacks will be at JMU (junior Drew Dudzik or redshirt freshman Justin Thorpe, a Varina grad) and W&M (senior R.J. Archer).

William and Mary last beat an ACC opponent in 1986, when the Tribe won 41-37 at Virginia. JMU last beat an ACC opponent in 1982, when the Dukes won 21-17 at U.Va.. "Kids love that. They love traveling to venues like that," UR coach Mike London said of playing FBS opposition.

Win or lose, there is financial gain for the FCS schools. UR accepted a $235,000 check in exchange for playing and falling 16-0 at Virginia last September. In 2010, the Spiders return to Charlottesville, and will earn $250,000 for that trip. Other FCS schools acquire comparable remuneration for playing at different ACC schools.

A win over a FBS opponent doesn't necessarily equate to a strong overall season for an FCS team. UR went 6-5 (3-5 in league play) during 2006, the year the Spiders won at Duke. W&M won its last game vs. FBS competition at Temple in 1998, during which the Tribe went 7-4 (4-4 in league play). JMU last beat a FBS team, Navy, in 1990, which Madison finished 5-6 as an independent.

Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or .